Notre Dame Law LL.M. alum joins International Criminal Court
Notre Dame Law School alumna Angie García Atehortúa ’20 LL.M. was awarded a prestigious placement at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, as a visiting professional, one of just 50 selected annually.
García began her placement January 17. She joined the ICC as part of the Visiting Professional Programme, which offers the opportunity to young professionals with outstanding academic qualifications to contribute to the ICC’s operations, and benefit from experience working in a challenging environment in the pursuit of international justice.
At the ICC, García assists judges and legal officers researching complex legal issues and drafting memorandums and proceeding decisions. She called it “an outstanding opportunity to delve into the most relevant issues pertaining to international criminal law.”
García, a human rights lawyer from Colombia, credits her time at Notre Dame in the LL.M. in International Human Rights Law program as crucial to getting the qualifications required to apply, be selected, and develop the work that she is currently doing at the ICC.
“During my LL.M., I was able to take relevant courses related to international criminal justice and benefit from the learning resources and the extracurricular sessions with extraordinary professors,” she said. García worked closely with Professor Jimmy Gurulé, who guided her through main topics in international criminal law.
“Angie is a bright, talented, and passionate human rights lawyer, who will use her legal training at Notre Dame Law School to make a valuable contribution to the important work of the International Criminal Court,” Gurulé said.
Notre Dame Law School endorsed and nominated García to the ICC. The Law School also gives some financial support to students selected by the court to defray living costs.
García’s placement was originally awarded for 2020, but her placement was postponed for a year due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
“Despite the delays, the Law School continued following up and pushing forward to make this opportunity possible,” she said. “I am very grateful for all the opportunities I have been given by Notre Dame Law School, and for contributing to getting to work in one of the most prestigious international courts.”
Originally published by at law.nd.edu on March 01, 2022.