For years, ILSA has helped students organize and finance international law conferences in cooperation with universities and other educational and professional organizations. Conferences consist of academic panel discussions related to timely issues of international law and information about international legal opportunities for students. Conferences are a tremendous occasion for students to network with international law practitioners, academics and other law students from around the world.

The International Law Students Association will be hosting a conference in Belo Horizonte, Brazil from August 13-16, 2008 in cooperation with GEDI (the International Law Society of the Universidad Federal de Minas Gerais and one of the 2007 Best All Around ILSA Chapters), as well as other International Law Societies from Brazilian Law Schools . This will be the first time ILSA holds a conference outside of the United States. The conference theme is "Universalism and Regionalism in International Law: Challenges and Perspectives towards Cooperation and Conflict Resolution." The Conference will examine the role and influence of regionalism in shaping the development of international law and policy, as either contributing to the fragmentation of international law or promoting the recognition of regional differences and fostering cooperation among states. In addition, the Conference will explore the affect of regional economic and political agreements on international relations and the continuing development of international law.

The ILSA Conference - Brazil will hold three sub-events:

Seminar - presentation and discussion of papers on five thematic groups: International Trade; Development and the Environment; Human Rights and Humanitarian Law; Regional Dispute Resolution; and the Law of International Relations. For submission of papers and more information click here.

Colloquium - lectures on law and international relations given by esteemed professors and practitioners. More information will be available: click here.

CUFTA Competition - moot court competition simulating a dispute resolution system from a regional trade organization, with the problem incorporating Conference themes. For the Dispute Case, Rules and more informations click here.

Apart from GEDI, other International Law Societies from the city of Belo Horizonte cooperate with the organization of the event and respective members form the Conference Committee, in particular the International Law Societies: GEDIN (Universidade FUMEC), GEDINP (Centro Universitário Newton Paiva), NEDIN (Faculdades Estácio de Sá), GRUPEDI (Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais) and IOSC (International Organizations Society Club).

The Conference Committee also coordinate conference-planning efforts with the organizers of the 73rd Biennial Conference of the International Law Association (http://www.ilabrasil.org.br/?lang=en), which will begin August 17, 2008 in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.