David Scheffer, J.D. Closed Now

David Scheffer (b. 1953) is an American lawyer, diplomat, and scholar who has played a central role in the creation and strengthening of international criminal tribunals and the broader field of transitional justice. As the first U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues (1997–2001) under President Bill Clinton, Scheffer became the United States’ leading diplomat in efforts to address atrocities committed in the Balkans, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia.

A graduate of Harvard College, Oxford University, and Georgetown University Law Center, Scheffer combined legal expertise with diplomatic skill to advance accountability mechanisms at a critical historical juncture. He was deeply involved in negotiations that led to the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), and ultimately the International Criminal Court (ICC).

As America’s chief negotiator at the Rome Conference in 1998, Scheffer helped shape the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC. While the U.S. did not ultimately ratify the treaty, his leadership was instrumental in framing the Court’s jurisdiction and operations. His efforts earned him international recognition as one of the most important architects of modern international criminal justice.

After his diplomatic service, Scheffer transitioned to academia, serving as the Mayer Brown/Robert A. Helman Professor of Law at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law, where he directed the Center for International Human Rights. He has published extensively, including the acclaimed memoir All the Missing Souls: A Personal History of the War Crimes Tribunals (2012), which provides an insider’s perspective on the politics and challenges of building international justice institutions.

Beyond teaching and writing, Scheffer has continued to advise governments, NGOs, and international organizations on accountability mechanisms and transitional justice strategies. His career reflects a sustained commitment to ensuring that atrocity crimes do not go unpunished and that victims’ rights are upheld within the international legal system.