The CEELI Institute

They will continue the hard work!⚖️

The professional journey of three of our Summer School alumni continues through the second edition of the Susan Elgin and Bijan and Lauren Sabet Fellowship Program. As part of this initiative, graduates from this year’s Summer School for Ukrainian Law Students and Junior Lawyers have been awarded funded internships with three leading Ukrainian NGOs:

🌟 Roksolana Zapadniuk will join the Center for Civil Liberties / Центр громадянських свобод, which was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to strengthen Ukrainian civil society, advocate for democracy, and document Russian war crimes against civilians.

🌟 Maksym Kudlai will join the team at the Regional Center for Human Rights, known for its work in Ukrainian civil society, providing legal arguments and evidence to hold Putin and Russian officials accountable for the unlawful deportation and displacement of children from the occupied territories in Ukraine.

🌟 Anastasiia Menshykova will be contributing to the efforts of Truth Hounds, which documents and investigates war crimes in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. In 2023, Truth Hounds received the Albie Award from the Clooney Foundation for Justice in recognition of its significant contributions to investigating international crimes and restoring justice for those affected by Russian aggression. Anastasiia will be the seventh Summer School graduate to work with the Truth Hounds.

These three-month fellowships will take place from September to December at the offices of each organization in Kyiv. They offer students an invaluable experience and mentorship from seasoned experts, helping welcome them into the Ukrainian civil society community.

An enormous thank you to Susan Elgin and Bijan and Lauren Sabet whose generous support of the Fellowship program is helping build this next generation of international human rights advocates in Ukraine. 🤝

If you would like to support our Ukraine work further, visit our website.

Senator Adam Bodnar joins the CEELI Institute’s International Advisory Board. 🌟

Currently serving as a Senator of the Republic of Poland, his work is focused on the protection of fundamental rights, democratic governance, and the resilience of the rule of law in Europe. Adam holds a PhD (dr hab.) in law and is a professor at SWPS University, where he is Chair of Human Rights and the Rule of Law at the Faculty of Law. Additionally, he is a member of the Polish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Recently, he was elected Chair of the PACE network on the implementation of Strasbourg Court judgments.

He has received multiple awards for his work in strengthening the rule of law, guarding civic rights and values in Poland, and for being a passionate champion of human rights and democracy. Moreover, he previously held the office of Ombudsman for Citizen Rights (2015–2021) and later served as Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General of Poland (December 2023 – July 2025).

💡Adam provided the keynote address for our 2024 Annual Rule of Law Symposium and has generously shared his deep expertise at various programs at the Institute for several years now, promoting transparency and democracy across Europe.

We are proud to give Adam a warm welcome to CEELI’s International Advisory Board and look forward to his guidance on the Institute’s work worldwide.

📢 Laura Brank Joins the CEELI Institute’s Supervisory Board

The CEELI Institute is pleased to welcome Laura M. Brank as a new member of its Supervisory Board.

Laura is a Partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner and an internationally recognized corporate and finance lawyer. Over more than three decades, she has advised multinational companies, financial institutions, investment funds, and multilateral organizations on complex cross-border transactions, corporate governance, compliance, economic sanctions, and export controls. Her work has focused on emerging markets, with a focus on Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Laura is already a valued member of the CEELI community, having previously served on the Institute’s International Advisory Board. In that role, she has contributed her regional knowledge, legal expertise, and international perspective to the Institute’s work. Her deep understanding of the legal, economic, and institutional environment across CEELI’s core region will be a valuable asset to the Supervisory Board. Her appointment to the Supervisory Board marks a continuation of her personal commitment for more than three decades to advancing the rule of law.

We are delighted that Laura will continue her service to the CEELI Institute in this new capacity and look forward to the insight and guidance she will bring to our work.

Welcome, Laura, to the Supervisory Board!

Building a Community of Young Legal Minds Committed to International Justice

The dust after the 2026 Summer School has now settled. The CEELI Institute hosted 32 exceptional and very motivated Ukrainian law students and junior lawyers from different Ukrainian regions and universities.

Over two intensive weeks, participants strengthened their courtroom advocacy skills and explored international criminal law and pathways to accountability for crimes committed in Ukraine. They had a unique chance to learn directly from leading practitioners and scholars from around the world.

Our new article looks inside this year’s program and showcases what it means to support the next generation in the legal community who are ready to pursue international justice.

🔗Link to the article in the comments

The CEELI Institute is delighted to welcome Anna Romberg to our International Advisory Board!

🌟Anna is a driven anti-corruption, compliance, and governance expert. As a holder of a PhD in Corporate Governance and Compliance, she has supported numerous global companies both as an executive and through her own business.

Her passion for business ethics, good governance and compliance has led her to tackle compliance challenges and remediation programs in Europe, North America, and South Africa, with a pragmatic and results-oriented approach.

Additionally, Anna is a co-founder of the Nordic Business Ethics Initiative and co-authored the book “The Grey Zone – a practical guide to corporate conduct, compliance and business ethics.” She is currently part of the Executive Management team at Getinge, leading the Global Legal, Compliance and Governance efforts. She is a proven leader in the importance of adequate corporate governance to support lasting cultural change.

Her expertise in the governance and compliance world will be an invaluable tool in supporting the CEELI Institute’s mission of protecting the rule of law and ensuring transparency and anti-corruption within democracies.

👀We look forward to her expertise and guidance!

“Objection!” An unexpected witness. New evidence is introduced. Will the court admit it?

⚖️That is just a snippet of what took place on Friday, 24 July, when the rooms of the CEELI Institute transformed into four courtrooms for full-day mock trials.

Although some students had a chance to observe courtroom proceedings before, this time they had the opportunity to be in the middle of the action. Taking on the roles of prosecutors, defense counsel, and witnesses, they learned by doing and put their growing trial skills directly into practice.

💬“Guide the court’s attention to what matters most,”💬 advised expert Judith Ritter of Widener University Delaware Law School.

While preparing well past dusk on Thursday evening, the students drew on lessons from the week on persuasive courtroom storytelling, direct and cross-examination skills, client and witness interviews, case strategy, and other small group practical exercises.

Throughout the simulations, experienced faculty observed the students’ performances in real time, highlighting the strongest parts of their approach and spotting areas for further improvement.

🌟These moments are always among the most transformative parts of the Summer School each year, which stay with the students for a long time.

Susan Elgin is a new member of our International Advisory Board!

As an accomplished member of the family law community, Susan has been president of the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and was a member of the National Board of Governors of the AAML.

🌟She has been a champion for women’s causes, serving as a board member of the Women’s Law Center of Maryland, and being awarded the prestigious Rosalyn B. Bell Award in 2018 for her achievements and contributions to family law. Susan has also received several other awards and recognitions, including being one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women and the Circle of Excellence by Warfield’s Business Record and also Arthur Machen Award and an Equal Justice Council award from the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau as recognition for her work in the delivery of legal services to the poor in representation in Maryland courts.

Susan's relationship with the CEELI Institute extends well beyond her new role on the International Advisory Board. Since 2025, she helped establish the Institute’s Susan Elgin and Bijan and Lauren Sabet Fellowship Program. The fellowship provides three fully funded internships each year at leading Ukrainian NGOs for alumni of the Summer School for Ukrainian Law Students and Junior Lawyers, helping the next generation of legal professionals gain invaluable practical experience while strengthening Ukraine's civil society.💡

Susan’s extraordinary commitment to the Institute has made a lasting impact on our work. We are proud to formally welcome her to the International Advisory Board and look forward to the insight, leadership, and dedication she will bring in this new capacity.

📢 Good news for those who were not fast enough! The application deadline has been extended.

There is still some time to apply for the Good Governance, Transparency and Integrity Skills Autumn School. We have decided to extend the application deadline only to 17 August 2026.

The Autumn School is designed for lawyers, government officials, civil society professionals, investigative journalists, and eligible law and PhD students. Participants will take part in an intensive learning experience focused on good governance, institutional integrity, and anti-corruption.

Through expert-led sessions, interactive workshops, and practical case studies, participants will strengthen their skills in identifying integrity risks and conflicts of interest, investigating corruption and integrity-related offences, working with open-source intelligence and financial evidence, collaborating with whistleblowers and other sources, and applying investigative and governance tools to realistic scenarios.

📍 Prague, Czech Republic
📅 19 to 23 October 2026
⏰ Extended application deadline: 17 August 2026
If you have not yet applied, this is your opportunity. We encourage all eligible candidates to submit their applications!

🔗 The application link is available in the comments.

This program is generously supported by the ERSTE Foundation and private donations.

💬“It sends a symbolically powerful message when another legal system recognizes that a violation has been committed.”

Robert Strang stated during our panel discussion “Accountability Avenues for Atrocity Crimes and Other Violations of International Law in Ukraine,” which took place in the second week of our Summer School “Legal Skills in times of War”

The paths toward accountability for atrocity crimes committed in Ukraine are rarely straightforward. Through interactive sessions and practical discussions, participants examined the legal classification of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. Importantly, they also had a chance to learn methods for documenting violations, preserving evidence, and seeking accountability through international and domestic courts amid the many legal, procedural, and political barriers involved.

🌟Throughout the two-week program, participants benefited from the expertise and commitment of stellar international faculty:
Veronika Bílková, Venice Commission, Faculty of Law of Charles University Právnická fakulta Univerzity Karlovy
Dmytro Koval, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Національний університет "Києво-Могилянська академія" ; Truth Hounds
Gaiane Nuridzhanian and Sondre Torp Helmersen, The Arctic University of Norway
Iryna Marchuk, Copenhagen University Faculty of Law
Gabrielė Chlevickaitė, Asser Institute, University of Amsterdam
Nabuyo Hayashi, Swedish Defence University

While knowledge forms the foundation of the Summer School, its true value comes from the people involved: the faculty who shared their experience and the participants who brought curiosity, commitment, and thoughtful perspectives to every discussion.

Together, they are building a strong community of legal professionals committed to accountability, justice, and the rule of law.⚖️