Dear Colleagues:

If I may, I need your attention right now. As you may already know, ASIL’s Arthur C. Helton Fellowship Program, now in its sixth year, provides grants to students and young lawyers that enable them to participate in overseas fieldwork on issues in international human rights law, humanitarian affairs, and related areas.  Over the past five years, ASIL, through its contributors, has been able to fund the projects of 44 future leaders in the field of international law.  I invite you to look at the diverse profiles of the 2009 class of Fellows at www.asil.org/heltonfellows09.cfm, representing only a portion of the projects we have been able to support over the past five years.  I write also to ask for your financial support of this wonderful program, to help us build the next generation of advocates for human rights. 

Arthur C. Helton, a long-time human rights lawyer and member of the Society, is remembered best for his advocacy on behalf of refugees.  On August 19, 2003, while in Baghdad conferring with UN officials about the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, he died in the suicide bombing that killed 21 others, and left 150 persons wounded. In recognition that Arthur contributed to international law in every conceivable way—through advocacy, teaching, scholarship, mentoring, commitment, and personal sacrifice—the ASIL Honors Committee recommended the creation of the Arthur C. Helton Fellowship Program. 

Arthur lived his beliefs that one person can make a difference in combating indifference and that limited resources can and must go a long way.  The Society and its supporters have honored Arthur by providing law students and young lawyers the small amounts that can stand between them and their first opportunities to become effective human rights advocates and scholars. 

Will you help us make that happen again this year?  The 2010 Helton Fellowship Committee will meet the third week of March to choose this year’s Fellowship recipients from the deserving group of 43 applicants we’ve received. The number of fellowships ASIL is able to award will be determined by the amount in our Helton fund at mid-March.  This imminent deadline means that your donation or pledge, made within the next two weeks, will have a direct impact on the size and quality of the 2010 class of Helton Fellows. Let your contribution now be a sign of your commitment to the realization of international human rights.

ASIL is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, and so your donation to the Helton Fellowship Program is tax deductible as allowed by law. You can make an online donation by visiting us on the web at www.asil.org/annualfund and designating “Helton Fellowship” in the “Donation Description” field.  To donate by mail, please send a check in US dollars to ASIL, P.O. Box 79516, Baltimore, MD 21279-0516, USA with “Helton Fellowship” clearly marked in the memo field.  To make a pledge, please send your pledge amount and contact information to ASIL Communications and Development Assistant Bridget Jameson at development@asil.org.

Thank you for considering this timely opportunity to make a real difference for this year’s Helton candidates.  Your support of these future leaders will have an immediate impact and be much appreciated.  

Best regards,

Lucy Reed
President