ASIL Honorary Member Sir Ian Brownlie Dies

It is with great sadness that I report to the Society’s membership the death of Sir Ian Brownlie, a longstanding member and patron of the Society and leader in our field.  According to press reports, Professor Brownlie was killed in a car accident in Egypt January 3, 2010.  In 2004, the Society recognized Professor Brownlie with its “Honorary Member” award, bestowed upon “a person not a citizen of the United States who has rendered distinguished contributions to service in the field of international law.”  In the best tradition of the Society, Professor Brownlie combined excellence in both practice and scholarship.  Most of us learned international law in his classroom or from his books, and we can only aspire to his achievements as counsel.  As the ASIL Honors Committee put it in its 2004 citation:  “In all Professor Brownlie has done he has brought clarity of mind, critical intelligence, an understated sense of humor and the highest professionalism."  We feel a great loss today and send our condolences to his family, friends, and many students.

Lucy F. Reed, President