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Photograph of Katherine Guernsey

Katherine Guernsey Adjunct Professorial Lecturer School of International Service

Degrees
LLM, International and Comparative Law, George Washington University Law School, JD, Ohio Northern University, BS, business administration. Ohio Northern University

Bio
Katherine Guernsey is an adjunct professor at American University where she teaches courses in human rights. Professor Guernsey holds a Juris Doctorate from Ohio Northern University and an LL.M in International and Comparative Law from the George Washington University Law School. She has been a member of the Ohio Bar since November 2000 and a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States since June 2004. Professor Guernsey works as a consultant and legal counsel providing international law, human rights, disability and international development expertise to a variety of governmental, non-governmental and inter-governmental actors. She recently joined the United States International Council on Disabilities as the Director of Education and Outreach. She is also a Practitioner in Residence and Professorial Lecturer with the American University Summer Human Rights Institute.
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities

Research Interests

Professor Guernsey is interested in public international law, human rights, and disability.

Professional Presentations

       
  • Panelist, “International Impact of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.” Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, April 17, 2009.
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  • Presenter, briefing on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, requested by staff of the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the Department of Labor.
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  • Presenter, “Are We Ready? Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.” The World Bank Group, February 24, 2009.
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  • Guest speaker, “The New International Disability Rights Treaty and Why the Disability Community   Should Care.” Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, September 17, 2008.
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  • Presenter and co-trainer, “Considering the Implications of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for Iraq.” American University Center for Global Peace & Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights, January 19-22, 2008.
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  • Presenter and co-trainer, workshop for governmental and non-governmental representatives on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Baguio, Philippines, December 18-19, 2007.
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  • Guest speaker, Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, October 19, 2007.
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  • Guest speaker, “Accessibility and the Cultural Arts.” Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, November 6, 2007.
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  • Presenter, Workshop for Bank staff on “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Its Principles and Impact on the infrastructure sector.” The World Bank Group, June 14, 2007.
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  • Presenter, Workshop for Bank staff on “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Its Principles and Impact on the Education sector.” The World Bank Group, May 16, 2007.

Selected Publications

       
  • Change Your Life With Human Rights. (With Penelope J.S. Stein.) The Harvard Project on Disability, 2008.
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  • “Disability and Development: What Role for Communication?” in Development Communication Sourcebook (with Marco Nicoli, Paolo Mefalopulos, editor). The World Bank, 2008.
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  • Human Rights. YES! Action and Advocacy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (with Joelle Balfe, Valerie Karr & Janet Lord, Nancy Flowers, Editor). University of Minnesota, 2007.
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  • The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (with Sally Chaffin). Jurist Annotation, October 2007.
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  • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Its Implementation and Relevance for the World Bank (with Marco Nicoli and Alberto Ninio). World Bank Social Protection Paper No.0712, June 2007.
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  • Disabled Peoples’ International Online Implementation Toolkit (with Council of Canadians with Disabilities.) DPI, March 2007.
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  • Making Inclusion Operational: Legal and Institutional Resources for World Bank Staff on the Inclusion of Disability Issues in Investment Projects (with Marco Nicoli and Alberto Ninio).World Bank Law and Development Working Paper Series No.1.
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  • Disabled Peoples’ International Online Ratification Toolkit (with Council of Canadians with Disabilities). DPI, August 2006.
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  • New United Nations Human Rights Convention. Access Press, Vol. 17, No. 15, May 2006.
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  • Enjoyment of the Right to Participation in Political and Public Life by Persons with Disabilities: Illustrations of  Implementation from the United States (with Janet Lord). National Council on Disability, August 2005.