Welcome to the St. John’s Center for International and Comparative Law. The first 60 years of the modern international law project has witnessed both progress and paradox. Global relations are governed more than ever by the rule of law, and law has been brought to bear on a full range of global issues, from trade, investment, and human rights, to mass atrocities and the spread of dangerous weapons. But as international law has expanded and deepened, the international legal system has become fragmented – between regional and international systems and between general legal principles and specialized law – and is increasingly challenged by conflicting domestic claims on law. Moreover, the central rules governing the use of force and the provision of global security have been heavily contested, weakening consensus about the role of the United Nations and other institutions designed to provide the secure conditions under which the rule of law can thrive. Against this backdrop, CICL opened its doors to in 2011 with a mission of promoting the study of international and foreign legal systems as a means for addressing pressing global problems. As directors of the Center, we are joined by affiliated St. John’s faculty who teach in the international and comparative law curriculum and support the work of CICL by participating in panels, helping design programs, and generally contributing their expertise to the Center. We also are pleased to announce our inaugural student fellows, Nasira Haque and Chris Dekki, both third-year students at the Law School. The Center serves as the central place for the study of international and comparative law. It fosters collaboration by sponsoring presentations of work by St. John’s scholars as well as academics from around the world. It is a space for bridging international and comparative legal scholarship with the practice of public and private law across borders. CICL sponsors the New York Research Roundtable in international law, whose inaugural meeting takes place in September 2011. We look forward to seeing you at one of our events soon. For more information about the Center and how you can get involved, please contact us. - Chris Borgen and Peggy McGuinness