Volume 95 Symposium (2026)
The George Washington Law Review Symposium
October 8–9, 2026
Suing Foreign Sovereigns in U.S. Courts: Fifty Years of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act
The George Washington Law Review’s Vol. 95 Annual Symposium will convene distinguished practitioners and scholars for discussion of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (“FSIA”) in honor of its 50th anniversary. On Thursday, October 8, 2026, Professor Bill Dodge will moderate an Expert Panel, featuring practitioners who were involved in drafting the FSIA, who have litigated using the FSIA, and who have worked at the State Department. On Friday, October 9, 2026, we have gathered distinguished scholars to critically explore the FSIA through two panels, one that examines exceptions to the FSIA and the other that explores the FSIA in context, as well as a Keynote Address by Sir Michael Wood.
Symposium Schedule
Thursday, October 8, 2026
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Expert Panel (GW Law Moot Court Room)
- Moderator: Professor William Dodge (GW)
- Judge Charles Brower
- John Bellinger
- David Bowker
- Mark Feldman
- Mary Catherine Malin
- Robert Kry
Friday, October 9, 2026
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM: Registration & Coffee (GW Law Kelley Lounge)
9:30 AM – 9:45 AM: Opening Remarks (Jack Morton Auditorium)
- Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew (GW)
9:45 AM – 12:00 PM: Exceptions to Immunity Panel (Jack Morton Auditorium)
- Moderator: Sally Pei (Arnold & Porter)
- Professor Ingrid Brunk (Vanderbilt)
- Professor William Dodge (GW)
- Professor Maryam Jamshidi (Colorado)
- Professor David Stewart (Georgetown)
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM: Luncheon (GW Law by invitation only)
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Keynote Address (Jack Morton Auditorium)
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM: FSIA in Context Panel (Jack Morton Auditorium)
- Moderator: Professor Laura Dickinson (GW)
- Professor Bradford Clark (GW)
- Professor Chimène Keitner (UC Davis)
- Professor Edward Swaine (GW)
4:00 PM – 4:15 PM: Closing Remarks (Jack Morton Auditorium)