Steven R. Ratner

Steven R. Ratner is the Bruno Simma Collegiate Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School, where he also serves as Director of the University of Michigan Donia Human Rights Center. His academic work addresses critical global challenges including ethnic conflicts, border disputes, counter-terrorism strategies, corporate responsibilities regarding foreign investment, and accountability for human rights violations.

Ratner's educational background includes:

• BA from Princeton University
• MA and diplôme from Institut Universitaire de Hautes Études Internationales
• JD from Yale University

Professor Ratner's research spans multiple interconnected fields of international law. He focuses on the theoretical foundations of international justice while addressing practical challenges in areas such as war and peace, human rights enforcement, foreign investment regulation, and business accountability. His work frequently explores the intersection between international law and political philosophy, examining questions of impartiality, moral reasoning, and ethical frameworks in global governance. A consistent theme throughout his scholarship is the examination of how international legal institutions can better serve principles of justice in an increasingly complex global landscape.

His scholarly output demonstrates sustained engagement with evolving challenges in international law, with particular emphasis on investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms, UN political bodies, and human rights accountability frameworks. Recent work shows increasing focus on practical applications of international law in addressing contemporary conflicts and corporate human rights violations, reflecting his commitment to bridging theoretical insights with real-world problem solving.

Professor Ratner has received significant recognition through various appointments and memberships:

• Commissioner on the UN Human Rights Council's International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (2022-2023)
• Member of the UN's Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka (2010-2011)
• Appointed by UN secretary-general to experts group on Khmer Rouge justice (1998-1999)
• Member of the State Department's Advisory Committee on International Law (2009-2021)
• Counsellor of the American Society of International Law
• Member of the American Law Institute
• Board of editors of the American Journal of International Law (1998-2008)

Throughout his career, Ratner has balanced academic scholarship with significant practical engagement in international law. He has served as an expert in international investment law arbitrations, worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, and at the Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities of the OSCE in The Hague. He established and directs the Geneva International Fellows Program and has been active since 2015 in an international working group promoting arbitration mechanisms for business violations of human rights. His upcoming speaking engagements include presentations at the University of Oslo Faculty of Law and the Norwegian Nobel Institute in May 2025.

Professor Ratner maintains an active role in international legal discourse through regular contributions to scholarly debates, media commentary on current international legal issues, and participation in expert working groups addressing contemporary challenges in international law and human rights enforcement.