American Jurist Named President of the International Court of Justice

On February 8, the ICJ announced the election of H.E. Judge Joan Donoghue (United States), a member of the court since 2010, to the position of President of the ICJ.  Donoghue will serve as President for a three-year term. Prior to joining the ICJ, Donoghue served in a series of U.S. State Department positions, culminating with a stint as the senior career attorney in the Department during the Obama Administration. 

Notably, H.E. Judge Donoghue is one of only three women sitting on the 15-judge court. The lack of gender diversity on the court has been labeled a “matter of urgency” by those calling for reform of the ICJ’s judicial selection processes.