Ukrainian Students Train for Justice at CEELI Summer School

Vladyslava Boiko was barely an adult when Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022. But even as a teenager, she knew how to contribute to protecting Ukraine’s threatened democracy.

“I decided to…study law,” recounted Boiko, now 21, a Master’s student of law at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. “For me, law has always been about truth, justice and helping society – defending people from perpetrators, from criminals.”

More than three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine continues to mount a robust defense – not just on the battlefield, but increasingly, in its courtrooms and legal institutions. Since the war’s outset, international legal experts have worked to lay the groundwork for future prosecutions of atrocities committed in the country.

In mid-July, that effort came to Prague, as Boiko joined more than 30 Ukrainian law students at the CEELI Institute’s fourth annual summer school, Legal Skills in a Time of War.

Hosted at the historic Villa Grébovka, the two-week training brought together legal scholars, prosecutors and human rights lawyers from the United States and across Europe – such as Judge Kimberly Prost of the International Criminal Court – to train the next generation of legal advocates working toward accountability in Ukraine.

Participants tackled topics ranging from evidentiary challenges in war crimes prosecutions to trauma-informed witness examination.

“Law for me is more than a job; it’s a tool for restoring justice,” reflected Nadia Shymkiv, 21, a law student from Lviv and one of the program’s attendees. Before the war, Shymkiv wanted to pursue commercial law. “Now, I want to be a proactive citizen of my country and protect the values we have been fighting to defend,” she added.

The summer course was designed to give her the tools to succeed. During one session, a human rights lawyer conducting the panel explored the complexities of verifying war crimes, including the use of open-source intelligence – information that can be difficult to confirm or might be classified.

Another session, led by Dmytro Koval, Co-Executive Director of Truth Hounds, a human rights organization, addressed the murky legal terrain of environmental destruction during war. In one exchange, Koval challenged students to consider the classification of Russia’s destruction of Ukraine’s Kakhovka Dam, in June 2023. Was it a war crime, an environmental crime, or both? International law’s terminology – “widespread, long-term and severe damage” – was parsed in detail.

Hannah Kostiv, 21, from Kharkiv, often wrestles with these types of ambiguities. As an aspiring lawyer, Kostiv believes her country is just beginning to assert itself on the international legal stage.

“There are so many initiatives to develop international legal standards in Ukraine,” Kostiv noted. “All of us here – young and aspiring lawyers – are part of that process.”

Kostiv found value in the program’s trauma-informed approach to lawyering. “War leaves traces even on the strongest of us,” she acknowledged. “Learning how to be sensitive when examining witnesses is crucial.”

By the program’s end, students spoke of transformation – legal, personal, and professional. For Boiko, the experience was life-changing.

“The first week was intense, challenging. But learning from the best professionals has been an honor,” she said. “I’m not the same person I was two weeks ago. I’ve made great friends, built a network, and broadened my outlook on what justice means.”

Before her trip to Prague, Boiko hadn’t left Ukraine – or slept soundly – since the start of the war. “When we say goodbye to friends back home, we say, ‘Have a peaceful and silent night,’” she described. “Out of habit, I even started saying it here to tutors and colleagues.”

As Ukraine continues its fight, these students are preparing not only to defend their country’s values – but to rebuild its future through law. “One of my aspirations in life is to become a person well versed in international law, and to contribute to the process of seeking justice for war crimes in Ukraine,” explained Kostiv. Programs like CEELI’s summer school are a vital piece of that effort.