Michael S. Coffee

Michael S. Coffee is a Professorial Lecturer in Law at the George Washington University Law School and a trial attorney in the Office of Foreign Litigation at the U.S. Department of Justice. Previously, he served as an attorney-adviser for over 21 years at the U.S. Department of State across multiple offices including Treaty Affairs, Private International Law, Political-Military Affairs, and Arms Control and Verification.

His educational background includes:

• BS from James Madison University
• JD from George Washington University

Professor Coffee's research centers on Private International Law with deep specialization in International Family Law. He has shaped international legal frameworks through extensive work on Hague Conventions covering child abduction, child protection, adoption, and child support. His expertise spans judicial assistance mechanisms, electronic commerce regulations, treaty implementation, and export control systems, reflecting decades of hands-on experience in transnational legal diplomacy.

No scientific awards are documented in the provided materials.

Information regarding student advising relationships and research grant funding is not specified in available sources.

He has led U.S. delegations to critical international forums including the Hague Conference on Private International Law (where he headed the Diplomatic Session adopting the Judgments Convention) and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, demonstrating sustained leadership in global legal standard-setting processes.