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Padideh Ala'i Professor WCL Faculty

Contact
Padideh Ala'i
WCL | General Academics & Research
Yuma Building Y360N
Degrees
B.A., University of Oregon, Robert D. Clark Honors College 1985
J.D., Harvard Law School 1988

Bio

Padideh Ala鈥檌 is a Professor of Law at 国产小呦女 Washington College of Law (WCL). She specializes in international economic law, law of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and comparative legal traditions. She teaches international trade law and comparative law. Professor Alai鈥檚 scholarship has concentrated on the history of free trade, transparency obligations of the WTO and their implications on internal domestic transparency, universalizing the administrative state through the multilateral trading system, as well as good governance and evolution of international anti-corruption norms.


In August 2017, Professor Ala鈥檌 was appointed Director of International and Comparative Legal Studies and Faculty Director of the International Legal Studies Program (ILSP). In her new role, she promotes, represents, and coordinates the law school鈥檚 renowned international programs that have been consistently ranked among some of the most prestigious programs in the United States.


Professor Ala鈥檌 is also the Director of the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program at WCL, a Fulbright program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. The Program brings accomplished mid-career professionals from developing countries to the U.S for 10 months of non-degree study and professional development in the general field of law and human rights. In addition, since 2014, she has led the interdisciplinary Trade, Investment and Development Program (TID) that provides resources to students interested in linkage between trade and other disciplines such as intellectual property, environment, investment, labor and human rights.


Professor Ala鈥檌 currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL). She is Associate Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law and Member of the Academic Board of the European Law Students鈥 Association/World Trade Organization Moot Court Competition. She is also Chair of the Organizing Committee of Wenger Family Lecture Series on International Trade Law at WCL, an endowment dedicated exclusively to international trade law education and training of young trade lawyers at WCL. She previously served as Co-Chair of the International Economic Law Group (IELG) of American Society of International Law (ASIL) and Co-Chair of the AALS Section on Comparative Law.


Professor Ala鈥檌 received her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1988. Prior to joining the faculty of WCL, from 1988-1997, she was in private practice, representing governments from developing countries, as well as foreign companies in the United States. At Reichler, Milton & Medel (merged subsequently with Foley Hoag), from 1991-1997, she was part of the legal team representing the Government of the Philippines in international commercial arbitration and U.S. court litigation against Westinghouse Corporation for breach of contract and bribery of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. She also represented governments of Guyana, Tanzania, Uganda, and Philippines in negotiations with foreign investors, including in the context of privatization efforts and legal reforms proposed by the World Bank. During her tenure at Jones Day from 1988-1991, she specialized in corporate and international banking practice, advising foreign companies with respect to their U.S. banking-related activities, and representing such companies before regulatory banking agencies, specifically the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).


Her recent publications include Research Handbook on Transparency (eds. with Robert Vaughn, Edward Elgar Publishing), 鈥淭ransparency in International Economic Relations and the Role of the WTO鈥 in Research Handbook on Transparency (with Matthew D鈥橭rsi, Edward Elgar Publishing), 鈥淐limate Change Innovation, Products and Services Under the GATT/WTO System鈥 in Research Handbook on Intellectual Property and Climate Change (with David Gantz, Edward Elgar Publishing), and 鈥淐ivil Consequences of Corruption in International Commercial Contracts鈥 in American Journal of Comparative Law.

See Also
Areas of Specialization
International Business Law
International Commercial Arbitration
International Trade Law
Business Law
International/Comparative Law
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call 国产小呦女Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

国产小呦女Experts

Area of Expertise

International business transactions; international trade; comparative legal traditions; law and development; international arbitration and litigation; WTO law; responsibilities of international organizations

Additional Information

Padideh Ala鈥檌 is a Professor of Law at 国产小呦女 Washington College of Law (WCL), where she serves as Director of International and Comparative Legal Studies and Faculty Director of the International Legal Studies Program. She specializes in international economic law, law of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and comparative legal traditions. Professor Alai鈥檚 scholarship has concentrated on the history of free trade, transparency obligations of the WTO and their implications on internal domestic transparency, universalizing the administrative state through the multilateral trading system, as well as good governance and evolution of international anti-corruption norms. Professor Ala鈥檌 is also the Director of the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program at WCL, a Fulbright program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. The Program brings accomplished mid-career professionals from developing countries to the U.S for 10 months of non-degree study and professional development in the general field of law and human rights. In addition, since 2014, she has led the interdisciplinary Trade, Investment and Development Program (TID) that provides resources to students interested in linkage between trade and other disciplines such as intellectual property, environment, investment, labor and human rights. Professor Ala鈥檌 currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL). She is Associate Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law and Member of the Academic Board of the European Law Students鈥 Association/World Trade Organization Moot Court Competition. She is also Chair of the Organizing Committee of Wenger Family Lecture Series on International Trade Law at WCL, an endowment dedicated exclusively to international trade law education and training of young trade lawyers at WCL. She previously served as Co-Chair of the International Economic Law Group (IELG) of American Society of International Law (ASIL) and Co-Chair of the AALS Section on Comparative Law. Professor Ala鈥檌 received her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1988. Prior to joining the faculty of WCL, from 1988-1997, she was in private practice, representing governments from developing countries, as well as foreign companies in the United States. At Reichler, Milton & Medel (merged subsequently with Foley Hoag), from 1991-1997, she was part of the legal team representing the Government of the Philippines in international commercial arbitration and U.S. court litigation against Westinghouse Corporation for breach of contract and bribery of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. She also represented governments of Guyana, Tanzania, Uganda, and Philippines in negotiations with foreign investors, including in the context of privatization efforts and legal reforms proposed by the World Bank. During her tenure at Jones Day from 1988-1991, she specialized in corporate and international banking practice, advising foreign companies with respect to their U.S. banking-related activities, and representing such companies before regulatory banking agencies, specifically the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Her recent publications include Research Handbook on Transparency (eds. with Robert Vaughn, Edward Elgar Publishing), 鈥淭ransparency in International Economic Relations and the Role of the WTO鈥 in Research Handbook on Transparency (with Matthew D鈥橭rsi, Edward Elgar Publishing), 鈥淐limate Change Innovation, Products and Services Under the GATT/WTO System鈥 in Research Handbook on Intellectual Property and Climate Change (with David Gantz, Edward Elgar Publishing), and 鈥淐ivil Consequences of Corruption in International Commercial Contracts鈥 in American Journal of Comparative Law.

For the Media

To request an interview for a news story, call 国产小呦女Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

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