Sir Eli Lauterpacht–An Oral History

Sir Eli

 So, how much of a public international law wonk are you?  If, like me, you are fascinated not only by the structure and substance of international law, but also the personalities that helped shape it, then you need to check out this oral history done by the Squire Law Library of Cambridge University with Sir Elihu Lauterpacht QC.  There are six interviews from January to May 2008 that you can listen to (or read the transcripts here if you prefer) devoted to a variety of topics (e.g., Early Years, Professional Career, Scholarship, Personalities).  Obviously, Sir Eli’s own contributions to the practice and study of international law are enormous–he served as Australia’s legal adviser, founded the Lauterpacht center at Cambridge, and along the way appears to have litigated nearly every major ICJ case from Nottebohm to the Nuclear Test Case.  But, for me, the more fascinating parts of the interviews are the personal recollections–recounting the story of how his father–the giant of international law, Sir Hersh Lauterpacht–found his way into the field at the urging of Dr. (later Lord) McNair (who also apparently chided a young Sir Eli for literally wanting to have his cake and eat it too while having tea together at the Lauterpacht home).  Listeners will learn how Sir Eli and Sir Gerald Fitzmaurice shared a flat together for a brief period, or how a young Steve Schwebel and Sir Eli started a life-long friendship.  And, along the way, there’s mention of a vertiable who’s who of public international law from the last hundred years, including such luminaries as Waldock, Jenks, O’Connell, Jennings, McDougal, Lachs, and Weil.