Justice Anthony Kennedy and Dr. Madeleine Albright Headline the CEELI Institute’s 20th Anniversary Celebration

On December 8th, the CEELI Institute’s 20th Anniversary celebration was held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. The celebration brought together friends, colleagues, alumni, and many others connected to the Institute since its inception. Retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright both shared insights and recollections of their own experiences with the CEELI Institute and the earlier ABA/CEELI project. Justice Kennedy also announced the establishment of the CEELI Institute’s Sandra Day O’Connor Rule of Law Award, which will be bestowed annually to individuals who, like Justice O’Connor, sought to advance the Rule of Law across the globe.

The reception also provided an opportunity for the CEELI Institute to share its work and impressive expansion with friends and colleagues in the US, where our impact is not always as immediately apparent as in those parts of the world where we conduct our activities. The celebration marked an impressive milestone for the CEELI Institute, but equally important, it was an occasion for recommitting to work that is yet to be done in advancing the Rule of Law. Both speakers zeroed in on the troubling trend toward authoritarianism and disregard for the Rule of Law being seen around the world today. As noted by Secretary Albright, the work of the CEELI Institute “is more important than ever.” The Institute looks forward to continuing to pursue our mission of advancing the Rule of Law globally.

The full recording of the event is available on our YouTube channel.