Forum on proportionality and conflict is Feb. 19 at Vanderbilt

Proportionality in International Law book coverThe authors of the new book Proportionality in International Law will join three other experts for a discussion about some of the hard realities inherent in modern conflict.

The forum is 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, in the Hyatt Room at Vanderbilt Law School, 131 21st Ave. S. The event is free and open to the public.

Proportionality is intimately linked to the overarching concepts of self-defense, lawful force and the controlled application of violence. It is one of the most visible facets of humanitarian law designed to reduce unnecessary human suffering and avoid excessive damage to property and the natural environment.

Participants in the Feb. 19 forum are:

  • Gary Brown, deputy legal adviser, International Committee of the Red Cross
  • Brig. Gen. Rich Gross, legal counsel to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • Larry May, the W. Alton Jones Chair of Philosophy, professor of law and professor of political science at Vanderbilt University, and co-author of Proportionality in International Law
  • Michael Newton, professor of law, Vanderbilt Law School, and co-author of Proportionality in International Law
  • Jens Ohlin, professor of law, Cornell University Law School

Proportionality in International Law is published by Oxford University Press.