Call for Speakers/Papers
Gonzaga Journal of International Law 2026 International Law Symposium
Universal Accountability vs. Regional Hegemony:
The Future of Dispute Resolution in Modern Conflict
October 23, 2026
Spokane, WA
The Gonzaga Journal of International Law (GJIL) invites proposals for paper presentations at its 2026 Symposium in Spokane, Washington. Previous symposia have covered topics such as BRICS Plus and the Changing Technological and Financial World Order, Access to the Internet as a Human Right, International Cybersecurity: Governance & Privacy Implications, Economic and Technologic Inequalities, and United States Impact on the Global Economy. These programs have showcased distinguished academics and lawyers from various countries and continents.
The 2026 International Law Symposium is tentatively scheduled for October 23, 2026, and will explore Universal Accountability vs. Regional Hegemony: The Future of Dispute Resolution in Modern Conflict. The Symposium schedule will begin with an intimate welcome dinner the day prior to the event, followed by a full-day program that will include three panels, a keynote luncheon, and a closing dinner. Speakers will be announced as they are confirmed. GJIL will waive speaker conference fees, including for program events and meals. In addition, GJIL will also provide lodging in Spokane for the dates of the Symposium.
The Symposium will explore the accelerating breakdown of the post-WWII cooperative, rules-based international order. The global collective security system originally envisaged by the UN Charter is increasingly paralyzed by Security Council gridlock and renewed great-power competition. In its place, two competing realities are emerging: a robust push for universal legal accountability and a simultaneous retreat into regional hegemony.
On one hand, international adjudication is evolving rapidly. Bodies such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) are being utilized with unprecedented frequency to address modern conflicts, including those in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran. As the world is on its path to plural power modality from a single-hegemon modality, other competing plural powers and middle powers and the Global South are increasingly leveraging these institutions to challenge state aggression and seek justice for war crimes. However, these tribunals face severe enforcement gaps. While courts can issue provisional measures and arrest warrants, the lack of a functional collective security apparatus means enforcement relies almost entirely on the voluntary cooperation of sovereign states, raising critical questions about the practical utility and future of international dispute resolution.
Conversely, as the UN Charter's mechanisms decay, great powers are reverting to unilateral doctrines to secure their immediate geopolitical interests. A prime example is the resurgent U.S. Monroe Doctrine in the Western Hemisphere. The Symposium will critically examine these recent geopolitical shifts, specifically looking at renewed territorial ambitions, economic interventions, and the prioritization of regional security over global legal norms. This pivot from "global policeman" to "hemispheric hegemon" profoundly impacts international trade, driving the "friend-shoring" of supply chains and bypassing traditional cooperative frameworks like the WTO.
Ultimately, the Symposium seeks to explore the intersection of these two trends. How does the resurgence of unilateral security frameworks complicate adherence to international law? Do doctrines of regional supremacy create double standards that undermine the legitimacy of international tribunals?
To submit a proposal, please email a paper abstract (one to two pages) and CV to kmitton@lawschool.gonzaga.edu and qleonard@lawschool.gonzaga.edu. The deadline for priority consideration of proposals is June 30, 2026, and the general deadline is July 28, 2026. Decisions will be communicated starting August 1, 2026.
A few selected papers with full manuscript will be published in Volume 30 of the Gonzaga Journal of International Law.
Kendall Mitton
GJIL Editor-in-Chief
kmitton@lawschool.gonzaga.edu
Quinn Leonard
GJIL Engagement Editor
qleonard@lawschool.gonzaga.edu