Community - Juliet Sorensen - Profile
Juliet S. Sorensen, director of the Rule of Law Institute (ROLI) and the Program in Rule of Law for Development (PROLAW), has worked as an assistant U.S. attorney and executive director of Injustice Watch.
Juliet Sorensen
How to make a better world
Under Juliet S. Sorensen’s leadership, Loyola advances the rule of law
Across the world, from Seattle to Shanghai and Lagos to Lima, a singular concept applies to all global citizens. It’s called the rule of law, and it guarantees equal access and responsibility to the law for everyone. Although the rule of law is often thwarted—think of bribery, ethical violations, exploitation—the concept itself is universal.
Clinical Professor of Law Juliet S. Sorensen, director of the Rule of Law Institute (ROLI) and the Program in Rule of Law for Development (PROLAW), knows this well. During her years as a Peace Corps volunteer, an assistant U.S. attorney, an international human rights lawyer and as executive director of Injustice Watch, Sorensen became passionate about strengthening the rule of law.
In 2023, the School of Law invited Sorensen to speak at a ROLI symposium. “I had the opportunity to observe firsthand the breadth and depth of expertise across disciplines,” Sorensen says. “It signaled to me the university’s profound commitment to the importance of the rule of law itself and as a socially impactful concept.”
Sorensen, who joined the School of Law in August 2024, shares some of the exciting plans ahead.
Leverage Interdisciplinary Efforts
Sorensen calls ROLI “the mothership.” With three centers and an academic research arm, ROLI is an interdisciplinary hub for teaching, research, and programming related to the rule of law and development.
At the behest of the International Criminal Court, Office of the Prosecutor, ROLI hosted a public lecture in November 2024 on the systemic oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan. Sorensen partnered with student organizations across the University to promote the event and also convened a workshop on gender persecution issues. She plans to develop additional ways for experts, students, and the public to learn from one another.
“We have a very high postgraduate job placement rate. These jobs are difficult to come by, and it’s due to the strength of the program and its faculty that our alumni are getting these jobs.”
Obtain a Rare Designation
One of Sorensen’s major goals would open doors for students and faculty at the United Nations. She’s overseeing ROLI’s application for Special Consultative Status, a designation bestowed by the UN’s Economic and Social Council on select civil society organizations and academic institutions.
This honor provides access to nearly all UN entities, including the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, and the Office on Drugs and Crime. ROLI students and faculty would be able to attend and even participate in UN proceedings.
“Only a small handful of law schools in the U.S. have this status,” Sorensen says. “It would put us where we belong, which is in the front row of international academic centers focused on the rule of law.”
PROLAW equips students with leadership skills in law and development. The hybrid program starts online, followed by a semester in Italy at Loyola’s John Felice Rome Center and a summer capstone project.
Elevate PROLAW’s Reputation
PROLAW, which is ROLI’s degree-granting arm based in Rome, equips students with leadership skills in law and development. The hybrid program starts online, followed by a semester in Italy at Loyola’s John Felice Rome Center and a summer capstone project.
“PROLAW is one of the crown jewels of the law school, but it tends to be a well-kept secret,” Sorensen says. “I’d like to help it become better known.”
In addition to its practice-oriented curriculum, Sorensen points to the program’s unique return on investment as a major benefit. Alumni from the MJ and LLM programs represent more than 60 countries, and their impact reverberates around the world. Graduates can be found working on rule of law issues in Ukraine, tackling legal and economic progress at the African Union, and heading up the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation.
“We have a very high postgraduate job placement rate,” Sorensen says. “These jobs are difficult to come by, and it’s due to the strength of the program and its faculty that our alumni are getting these jobs.”
Make the World a Better Place
The rule of law should ensure legal accountability, due process and transparency anywhere in the world. In reality, this often doesn’t happen. Whether it’s human rights violations, weakened judicial systems or a rise in authoritarianism, there’s no shortage of concerning trends.
New, solution-based approaches are needed, and ROLI’s global reach and interdisciplinary approach make it uniquely positioned to lead this effort.
For example, Loyola is hosting the Morris I. Leibman Conference on Global Migration and the Rule of Law, convening leading experts from around the world. “Migration is an age-old phenomenon,” Sorensen says. “We hope to explore root causes of migration, exacerbating contemporary stressors, and a rule of law framework that is appropriate, inclusive, equitable, and practicable.”
Sorensen isn’t naïve about the challenges ahead. “We are living in a time when even countries with strong democracies are seeing forces that shake those institutions down to their core,” she says. But in the face of daily headlines, she remains optimistic. “We must double down on the rule of law,” Sorensen says. “That’s where Loyola comes in.” –Kelsey Schagemann (January 2025)
Across the world, from Seattle to Shanghai and Lagos to Lima, a singular concept applies to all global citizens. It’s called the rule of law, and it guarantees equal access and responsibility to the law for everyone. Although the rule of law is often thwarted—think of bribery, ethical violations, exploitation—the concept itself is universal.
Clinical Professor of Law Juliet S. Sorensen, director of the Rule of Law Institute (ROLI) and the Program in Rule of Law for Development (PROLAW), knows this well. During her years as a Peace Corps volunteer, an assistant U.S. attorney, an international human rights lawyer and as executive director of Injustice Watch, Sorensen became passionate about strengthening the rule of law.
In 2023, the School of Law invited Sorensen to speak at a ROLI symposium. “I had the opportunity to observe firsthand the breadth and depth of expertise across disciplines,” Sorensen says. “It signaled to me the university’s profound commitment to the importance of the rule of law itself and as a socially impactful concept.”
Sorensen, who joined the School of Law in August 2024, shares some of the exciting plans ahead.
Leverage Interdisciplinary Efforts
Sorensen calls ROLI “the mothership.” With three centers and an academic research arm, ROLI is an interdisciplinary hub for teaching, research, and programming related to the rule of law and development.
At the behest of the International Criminal Court, Office of the Prosecutor, ROLI hosted a public lecture in November 2024 on the systemic oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan. Sorensen partnered with student organizations across the University to promote the event and also convened a workshop on gender persecution issues. She plans to develop additional ways for experts, students, and the public to learn from one another.
Obtain a Rare Designation
One of Sorensen’s major goals would open doors for students and faculty at the United Nations. She’s overseeing ROLI’s application for Special Consultative Status, a designation bestowed by the UN’s Economic and Social Council on select civil society organizations and academic institutions.
This honor provides access to nearly all UN entities, including the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, and the Office on Drugs and Crime. ROLI students and faculty would be able to attend and even participate in UN proceedings.
“Only a small handful of law schools in the U.S. have this status,” Sorensen says. “It would put us where we belong, which is in the front row of international academic centers focused on the rule of law.”
Elevate PROLAW’s Reputation
PROLAW, which is ROLI’s degree-granting arm based in Rome, equips students with leadership skills in law and development. The hybrid program starts online, followed by a semester in Italy at Loyola’s John Felice Rome Center and a summer capstone project.
“PROLAW is one of the crown jewels of the law school, but it tends to be a well-kept secret,” Sorensen says. “I’d like to help it become better known.”
In addition to its practice-oriented curriculum, Sorensen points to the program’s unique return on investment as a major benefit. Alumni from the MJ and LLM programs represent more than 60 countries, and their impact reverberates around the world. Graduates can be found working on rule of law issues in Ukraine, tackling legal and economic progress at the African Union, and heading up the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation.
“We have a very high postgraduate job placement rate,” Sorensen says. “These jobs are difficult to come by, and it’s due to the strength of the program and its faculty that our alumni are getting these jobs.”
Make the World a Better Place
The rule of law should ensure legal accountability, due process and transparency anywhere in the world. In reality, this often doesn’t happen. Whether it’s human rights violations, weakened judicial systems or a rise in authoritarianism, there’s no shortage of concerning trends.
New, solution-based approaches are needed, and ROLI’s global reach and interdisciplinary approach make it uniquely positioned to lead this effort.
For example, Loyola is hosting the Morris I. Leibman Conference on Global Migration and the Rule of Law, convening leading experts from around the world. “Migration is an age-old phenomenon,” Sorensen says. “We hope to explore root causes of migration, exacerbating contemporary stressors, and a rule of law framework that is appropriate, inclusive, equitable, and practicable.”
Sorensen isn’t naïve about the challenges ahead. “We are living in a time when even countries with strong democracies are seeing forces that shake those institutions down to their core,” she says. But in the face of daily headlines, she remains optimistic. “We must double down on the rule of law,” Sorensen says. “That’s where Loyola comes in.” –Kelsey Schagemann (January 2025)