The US Declaration of Independence at 250 years and the rule of law

Steven M. Richman holds a law degree from New York University School of Law and is a member of Clark Hill PLC, based in Princeton and New York, with a national and international litigation across broad areas of commercial and business practice, as well as arbitration and appellate practice. He is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and California. Book publications include the Photography Law Handbook, and has written and spoken extensively in the areas of international law, business and human rights, contracts, litigation and arbitration, and professional responsibility. He is a past chair of the American Bar Association’s International Law Section, serves in the ABA House of Delegates, and is the ABA Representative to the United Nations. He is the Chair of the International Bar Association’s Bar Issues Commission and chairs the Business and Human Rights Commission of the UIA (International Association of Lawyers). He also serves on the New York City Bar Association Business and Human Rights Committee and its international council. He has extensive cross border dispute resolution experience in both litigation and arbitration. He serves as a neutral on the American Arbitration Association consumer panel, and is on the mediation list for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. He is also on the Lawyers Advisory Committee for the federal court in New Jersey. He has served as an American Bar Association advisor to the Uniform Law Commission on asset freezing orders as well as on the Hague Judgments Convention, Singapore Mediation Convention, and the Choice of Courts Agreements Convention. He has spoken and written extensively on cross border ethics, arbitration, enforcement of judgments and interim relief issues. Publications in the area of business and human rights include Ethical Issues for Business Lawyers Under the United Nations Guiding Principles, 51 Int'l Law. 423 (2018) and the chapter titled Lawyers’ Ethical Obligations and Human Rights Due Diligence in the book A Guide to Human Rights Due Diligence for Lawyers (ABA 2023). He is the ABA Representative to the Uniform Law Commission Supply Chain Transparency Study Committee, and past member of ABA Center for Human Rights Advisory Council, and a special advisor to the ABA Rule of Law Initiative board. He is a recipient of the American Bar Association’s International Law Section Leonard J. Theberge Award for Private International Law (2022) as well as the Section’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2023). Contract information: Steven M. Richman Clark Hill PLC Suite 102 210 Carnegie Center Princeton, NJ 08540 609.785.2911 srichman@clarkhill.com

Julie COUTURIER was admitted to the Paris Bar in 1995. She holds a DEA in general private law from Paris I and was sworn in on March 1, 1995. She began her career as an associate at Roubache et Moiron-Braud. In 1996, she became an associate at Fischer, Tandeau de Marsac, Sur & Associés until the end of 2003, before becoming a partner from 2004 to 2017. She is now a partner in JCD Avocats, the law firm she founded, which specializes in enforcement, property and real estate law. Julie Couturier is a permanent guest of the UJA de Paris (of which she was treasurer and then vice-president) and an honorary member of the FNUJA. She was also a member of the Paris Bar Council from 2009 to 2011, during which time she served as secretary to Bâtonnier Jean Castelain. In 2003, she joined the board of directors of the Droit & Procédure association, which she chaired from 2013 to 2015. She teaches a number of courses on enforcement procedures, including the "Enforcement Procedures" course at the EFB. Since 2007, she has also co-hosted a workshop on current enforcement issues as part of the Campus Paris program organized by the Paris Bar. Julie Couturier was elected Bâtonnière of the Paris Bar Association for the 2022-2023 term. On December 15, 2023, she was elected President of the Conseil national des barreaux for the 2024-2026 term.