Thomas Buergenthal
Professor, George Washington University Law School

Thomas Buergenthal was born in Lubochna, Slovakia, in 1934 and came to the United States from Germany on December 4, 1951. He spent the Second World War in the Ghetto of Kielce in Poland as well as the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Sachsenhausen. He was a child survivor of Auschwitz. He graduated from Bethany College, West Virginia and he received his J.D. from the New York University Law School. He received his LL.M. and S.J.D. degrees in international law from the Harvard Law School. Professor Buergenthal is the Lobingier Professor of International and Comparative Law at The George Washington University Law School and the Presiding Director of its International Rule of Law Center. He is also the U.S. national member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, the first American to serve on that body. Prior to coming to GW, Professor Buergenthal held such prestigious academic positions, among others, as Dean of the American University Law School, and Director, Human Rights Program, Carter Center of Emory University. In addition to his academic career, Professor Buergenthal served 12 years as judge and a term as President of the Costa Rica-based Inter-American Court of Human Rights. In 1992-93, Professor Buergenthal served on the three-member UN Truth Commission for El Salvador, which investigated the large-scale violations of human rights committed in that country during its 12-year civil war. Professor Buergenthal is the author of more than a dozen books and a large number of articles on international law, human rights and comparative law subjects. He is currently Chairman of the Committee on Conscience of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council.