Ambassador David Scheffer

David John Scheffer is an American lawyer and diplomat. His professional background includes serving as the first United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues during President Bill Clinton’s second term. He has held academic positions teaching international law and war crimes at several universities, including Northwestern, Georgetown, Columbia, Duke, and George Washington University. Most recently, he served as the Mayer Brown/Robert A. Helman Professor of Law at Northwestern University School of Law, where he directed the Center for International Human Rights from 2006 to 2019.

Scheffer’s career has involved significant work in international law and human rights. During his time as ambassador, he participated in the creation of several international criminal tribunals, including those for the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and the Special Court for Sierra Leone. He also led the U.S. negotiating team in United Nations talks on the International Criminal Court. His expertise includes the history and mechanics of international justice, a focus reflected in his memoir, *All the Missing Souls: A Personal History of the War Crimes Tribunals*, published in 2011. Furthermore, he has been involved in monitoring international justice efforts, notably through the Cambodia Tribunal Monitor website, which provides information on the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.

His academic and diplomatic work has led to recognition, including a 2013 Berlin Prize Fellowship at the American Academy in Berlin. Scheffer continues to engage with contemporary issues in international law, such as his 2024 criticism of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.