Understanding the “Rule of Law” – and Why It Matters To Us All with Dr. Juan Carlos Botero
February 9th, 2017
Over the last year, the rule of law has been discussed in the news more than ever, both at home and abroad. But what does it actually mean—and why does it matter? Join the World Affairs Council for a conversation with Dr. Juan Carlos Botero.
As Executive Director, Dr. Botero will speak about the World Justice Project and their work to promote the rule of law around the globe, including findings from their latest WJP Rule of Law Index. Widely cited by the media and others, the Index relies on more than 100,000 household and expert surveys to measure how the rule of law is experienced in practical, everyday situations by the general public worldwide.
Learn more about the WJP Rule of Law Index here.
About the speaker:
Dr. Botero is the World Justice Project's Executive Director and former Director of the Rule of Law Index, where he has led the development of the Index project and co-authored the report since its inception in 2008. Dr. Botero’s previous experience as a researcher at Yale University and consultant for the World Bank focused on comparative legal research and developing cross-country indicators for the World Bank’s Doing Business report. Previous experiences include service as the Director of the Colombian Government Trade Bureau in Washington D.C., Chief International Legal Counsel of the Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Deputy-Chief Negotiator of the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, member of the Advisory Board of the Colombian Antitrust and Consumer Protection Agency, and Judicial Clerk at the Colombian Constitutional Court. He has been a professor or guest lecturer in several countries, and is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Justice. His academic publications focus on the areas of rule of law, access to justice, and labor regulation. A national of Colombia, Dr. Botero holds a law degree from Universidad de los Andes, a Master of Laws (LLM) from Harvard University, and a Doctorate of Juridical Science (SJD) from Georgetown University.