Ian Matthew Kysel

Ian Matthew Kysel is a Clinical Associate Professor at Cornell Law School, where he is a core faculty member in the Migration and Human Rights Program. He founded and directs the Transnational Disputes Clinic and the Migrant Rights Initiative, and co-founded the Global Strategic Litigation Council for refugee rights. His work bridges academic scholarship with direct legal advocacy and global policy influence.

Research Focus: Kysel specializes in international migration law, refugee rights, and U.S. immigration/civil rights law. His scholarship has been published in leading journals such as International Migration Review and International Legal Materials, with interdisciplinary contributions to the New England Journal of Medicine and American Journal of Public Health. He has also authored human rights reports and essays in outlets like The New York Times and Just Security.

Notable Achievements:

• Led the drafting of the 2019 Inter-American Principles on migrant rights.
• Co-developed the 2023 African Guiding Principles on migrant rights.
• Litigated in U.S. and international courts, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Education & Appointments:

• LLM in Advocacy, Georgetown University Law Center.
• Juris Doctor (JD), Magna Cum Laude, Georgetown University Law Center.
• Bachelor of Arts, Swarthmore College.
• Academic Visitor at University of Oxford Faculty of Law and Plumer Visiting Research Fellow at St Anne’s College.
• Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center.

Leadership & Advocacy: Kysel serves as a Trustee of the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and advisor to Ithaca City of Asylum. He previously co-chaired the American Society of International Law's International Refugee Law Interest Group (2021–2023) and was an inaugural Global Public Voices Fellow at Cornell's Mario Einaudi Center.