2023
Cody Corliss
Associate Professor , WVU College of Law
Photo by WVU College of Law .
CATHY BONNSTETTER
A CASE OF BAD DIRECTIONS to a library launched West Virginia University ( WVU ) College of Law associate law professor Cody Corliss ’ s career . In 2005 , when Corliss was studying in the Netherlands as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar , he needed a book from the Peace Palace Library in The Hague , a 15-minute train ride from his university town . Due to faulty directions , he ended up at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia ( ICTY ), took a seat in the public gallery and watched the war crimes trial of the late Slobodan Milosevic unfold .
“ I started my education in international law in the public gallery that day ,” Corliss says . “ This affirmed my intent to go to law school . I went off to Cornell with some moonshot idea that maybe one day I too could work in international law for the U . N .”
After Corliss ’ s inspirational courtroom accident , the New Martinsville , WV , native headed to Cornell University to start law school . By that time , he was a well-traveled scholar with a master ’ s degree in history from the Universiteit Leiden in the Netherlands and a degree in comparative religion from Harvard . Even though he was armed with an impressive academic past , the classes proved arduous at first .
“ I was totally rocked by the rigor of the 1L law school experience ,” Corliss says . “ I went into law school thinking , I did very well in college and had just completed a competitive fellowship program ; how hard could law school be ? After that initial shock , I came to embrace the challenge of researching , thinking and writing in an entirely different way .”
After graduating in 2009 , Corliss returned to the Mountain State to become a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Margaret Workman , who he says has been an amazing mentor and source of inspiration throughout his legal career .
“ Justice Workman was a trailblazer ; a young Circuit Court judge , the first woman elected to statewide office and author of groundbreaking and thoughtful legal opinions ,” he says . “ She taught me how to think about the law and its impact on the citizens of West Virginia . Justice Workman is more than just a brilliant jurist ; she is an amazing human who has inspired me with her compassion for others , and I am blessed to call her my friend .”
Corliss then moved to the Pittsburgh law firm , K & L Gates , before bringing his career full circle as a lawyer for the U . N .
Ten years later , Corliss was back in the Netherlands in that same courtroom prosecuting war-time criminals at two U . N . international criminal tribunals , the ICTY and the United National International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals .
His work focused on the shelling and sniping of civilians in Sarajevo during the Balkan conflict where military snipers targeted innocent people going about their daily lives . Corliss says that , while this work was often emotionally challenging , he embraced the chance to play a part in holding people accountable for such heinous crimes .
“ I ’ m proud that my work as a war crimes prosecutor has helped prove that the default for violations of international law isn ’ t impunity ,” he says . “ It wasn ’ t that long ago that gross violations of international humanitarian law weren ’ t punished . Today , citizens around the world expect and demand prosecutions for genocide , war crimes and crimes against humanity . The prosecutors at these ad hoc international criminal tribunals proved that such perpetrators could be prosecuted , and I had a few small roles to play in that .”
Corliss received the Martin Luther King , Jr . State Holiday Commission ’ s Living the Dream Award for his work promoting human rights . The award stemmed from his time as a war crimes prosecutor .
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE