14/02/2025

Joan Donoghue becomes a member of Twenty Essex

We are pleased to announce that Judge Joan Donoghue, former President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has this week joined Twenty Essex in London as an arbitrator. Judge Donoghue served as Judge of the ICJ from 2010–2024, and as its President from 2021–2024.

Prior to her election to the ICJ, Joan served in the United States Department of State for about 20 years, working on diverse international legal matters, eventually serving as the principal deputy legal adviser from 2007–2010. Other prominent roles include time as deputy general counsel of the US Treasury Department (1999–2000) and as general counsel in a major US financial services company (2003–2005).

Joan has also sat as a member or president of investor-state tribunals and ICSID annulment committees, and from 2016 to 2024 was a US designee to the ICSID Panel of Arbitrators.

Joan has taught courses in international law and international investment law at several law schools and within the training programme of the United Nations. She is currently a visiting professor in the law school at the University of California, Berkeley, and for the 2025/26 UK academic year will be the Arthur Goodhart visiting professor in legal science at the University of Cambridge.

She has published on a range of topics in public international law and dispute settlement, most recently serving as a co-editor of By Peaceful Means: International Adjudication and Arbitration (Oxford University Press, 2024).

Joan currently serves as honorary president of the American Society of International Law and as vice president of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.

The announcement of Joan’s move to join chambers was made at State of Play, the annual public international law event hosted by Twenty Essex, on Thursday 13 February, at which Judge Donoghue made opening remarks on the role of and challenges facing international courts.

Twenty Essex has an exceptional and longstanding history in public international law, including past members such as Arnold (Lord) McNair, Sir Hersch Lauterpacht, Sir Arthur Watts and Professor David Caron, and current members including Sir Michael Wood KC, Sir Daniel Bethlehem KC and Lord Verdirame KC, as well as senior international arbitrators and judges, including The Hon Charles N Brower, who served successive appointments as judge ad-hoc of the ICJ.

In a joint message, Philip Edey KC and Charles Kimmins KC, co-heads of chambers, commented:

“We are fortunate and delighted to welcome Joan Donoghue to Twenty Essex. Joan’s expertise and reputation in public international law is of the very highest order, and we are thrilled that she has elected to initiate this new chapter in her career as an arbitrator member of these chambers. We are tremendously proud of our world-class arbitrator team, and know that Joan’s arrival will only add to the deep pool of excellence, experience and insight that both provides leadership for the most significant international arbitrations, and contributes so much to chambers’ unique character.”

Leading public international law barrister and arbitrator Sir Daniel Bethlehem KCMG KC, who introduced Judge Donoghue to the audience at the State of Play event said:

“Judge Donoghue is one of the most accomplished and respected jurists of international law today. We are delighted that she has chosen Twenty Essex as her professional and intellectual home for the next exciting chapter in her illustrious career. She will no doubt quickly become a fixture on the international arbitral circuit and, more than that, an insightful and authoritative contributor to the development of international law in what promises to be a time of change.”

Joan Donoghue added:

“I am honoured and excited by the opportunity to join Twenty Essex as an arbitrator. The settlement of disputes peacefully and in accordance with law is one of the highest callings for international lawyers. All of us in the field must give our very best in individual cases, and must also bring vision and insight to broader endeavours that engage with the many challenges facing the world today. It will be my privilege to contribute as a member of Twenty Essex.”

Contact the arbitrators’ practice management team to find out more.