2021 ND Law graduate awarded prestigious Permanent Court of Arbitration fellowship
Daniela Johnson Restrepo ’21 J.D. joined the Permanent Court of Arbitration as a fellow November 8. She is the first J.D. graduate from Notre Dame Law School to be selected for this prestigious placement, which is based at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
The PCA Fellowship Program offers recent law graduates and young legal professionals the opportunity to work at an international arbitration institution for one full year. Over the course of the year, fellows gain experience in the operations of the PCA’s International Bureau, with an emphasis on both the practical and legal aspects of international arbitration.
Johnson Restrepo earned her B.A. in political science and government at Harvard University in 2017.
As a law student, Johnson Restrepo worked as a research assistant to two of Notre Dame Law School’s international legal experts — Professors Roger Alford and Mary Ellen O’Connell. She also served as executive articles editor for the Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law, where her student note on modern day extradition practice was published.
“Daniela brings so much to this exceptional opportunity,” said O’Connell, the Robert & Marion Short Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School. “She has a multinational background and understood upon arriving at Notre Dame Law School the importance of preparing for work in the global legal marketplace. She took numerous relevant courses from international law to international arbitration and worked with me updating an international dispute resolution casebook.”
O’Connell said, “Daniela has already brought recognition to the Law School through her selection by the PCA. I am confident she will raise our stature even higher through her contributions in the coming months.”
The PCA was founded in 1899 to facilitate arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution between states. It is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, with offices in Mauritius, Buenos Aires, and Singapore.