Julie A. Mertus

American University

Julie Mertus is an associate professor and co-director of the MA program in ethics, peace and global affairs at the School of International Service, American University.

A graduate of Yale Law School, her work focuses on ethno-national conflict, human rights, refugee and humanitarian law and policy, gender and conflict and post-war transitions. Her geographic expertise is in Central and Eastern Europe, with a specialty on the former Yugoslavia, but she has also participated in human rights projects in such diverse places as Vietnam, Brazil, China and South Africa.

Her prior appointments include: senior fellow, U.S. Institute of Peace; human rights fellow, Harvard Law School; writing fellow, MacArthur Foundation, Fulbright Fellow (Romania), and counsel, Human Rights Watch.

Featured Work

DEC 6, 2002 Article

Legitimizing the Use of Force in Kosovo

Kosovo was not the first military campaign termed a "humanitarian intervention." But it did rekindle debate on whether and when a state or group of ...

Julie Mertus

OCT 16, 2001 Podcast

Considering Elections in Kosovo: Lessons Learned from Bosnia

An edited transcript of remarks delivered by Julie Mertus, an expert on international law and the Balkans, at a 10/16/01 Council-sponsored Balkans Forum at Georgetown University.

Julie Mertus

OCT 16, 2001 Transcript

Considering Elections in Kosovo: Lessons Learned from Bosnia

An edited transcript of remarks delivered by Julie Mertus, an expert on international law and the Balkans, at a 10/16/01 Council-sponsored Balkans Forum at Georgetown University.

JAN 6, 2001 Article

Human Rights Dialogue (1994–2005): Series 2, No. 5 (Winter 2001): Human Rights in Times of Conflict: Humanitarian Intervention: Articles: A Credibility Problem in Kosovo: The Undermining of Local Human Rights Culture

The international community’s failure to respond earlier to human rights violations, its refusal to explain its actions in terms of human rights motivations, and ...