Durham Law School PhD Student Attends Prestigious ASIL Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Lexie Gao, a first-year PhD student at Durham Law School, recently had the opportunity to attend the American Society of International Law (ASIL) Annual Meeting held in Washington, D.C., from 16 to 18 April 2025. The conference, themed “Traditions and Transitions in International Law,” brought together leading scholars, practitioners, and students from around the world.
Lexie learned about the opportunity through her supervisor, Professor Lei Chen. After expressing her interest in attending, she received generous support from Professor Volker Roeben, Dean of Durham Law School, who submitted her name for complimentary registration, enabling her to attend the event without a registration fee. Additionally, she received funding from the Durham Law School PGR Research Support Fund, which helped cover part of her travel expenses.
“The process happened incredibly quickly, and I truly felt the full support and encouragement from the Law School,” Lexie shared.
The 2025 ASIL Annual Meeting featured six thematic tracks covering a wide range of international law topics. Lexie’s research aligns most closely with the Transnational Litigation, Arbitration, and Dispute Resolution track, but she also greatly benefited from sessions under other tracks, such as International Trade, Investment, Finance, and Tax. Each day of the conference offered a full schedule of substantive panels, networking and social events, interest group meetings, etc., fostering both academic and professional exchange. Engaging with these diverse panels expanded her perspective and inspired her to rethink the design and analytical depth of her research approach.
“It was a truly inspiring experience. I had the chance to learn about cross-cutting issues in international law, meet scholars whose work I’ve cited and connect with many aspiring legal minds from around the world. Seeing their passion for justice made me even more enthusiastic about my own research.”
Lexie expresses her heartfelt thanks to Durham Law School for making this opportunity possible. She looks forward to applying the insights gained to enrich her PhD research.