Susan Franck

Professor Susan Franck is a distinguished faculty member at American University's Washington College of Law, where she specializes in international economic law, dispute settlement, and the empirical analysis of international law. She has established herself as a leading expert in international arbitration and investment treaty disputes, contributing significantly to both academic scholarship and practical applications in the field.

Professor Franck's educational background includes:

• LL.M. from the University of London (1999, with merit, in Commercial Law)
• J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School (1998, magna cum laude)
• B.A. from Macalester College (1993, summa cum laude)

Professor Franck's research focuses on the intersection of international economic law, dispute resolution mechanisms, and empirical analysis of legal outcomes. Her work examines the practical realities of investment treaty arbitration, challenging common assumptions about costs and outcomes. She has pioneered empirical approaches to understanding international investment law, bringing data-driven analysis to a field often dominated by theoretical discourse. Her scholarship addresses critical issues such as diversity in international arbitration, the legitimacy of investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms, and the development implications of international investment agreements.

Professor Franck's scholarly contributions demonstrate a consistent focus on understanding the practical realities of international dispute resolution. Her recent work has increasingly addressed issues of diversity and representation in international arbitration, while continuing to examine the economic and procedural aspects of investment treaty arbitration. She has made significant contributions to understanding the relationship between law and development in the context of international investment, and her empirical approach has provided valuable data to inform policy discussions.

Among her notable recognitions:

• Elected to the International Who's Who of Commercial Arbitration since 2008
• Recipient of the "New Voices" award from the American Society of International Law (ASIL) for groundbreaking empirical analysis

Professor Franck has extensive professional experience that informs her academic work. She has served at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and practiced international dispute settlement with prestigious firms including Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now Wilmer Hale) in Washington, DC and Allen & Overy in London. She is qualified to practice law in England and Wales, Minnesota, and the District of Columbia. Her professional activities include service on the Executive Council of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration, active membership in the American Society of International Law, membership in the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and election to the American Law Institute.

Professor Franck has presented her research to major international organizations including APEC, IADB, ICSID, and UNCTAD, and has spoken internationally across five continents. She organized the Joint Symposium on International Investment and Alternative Dispute Resolution in collaboration with UNCTAD, demonstrating her leadership in connecting academic research with practical policy applications.