Rate My Professor Donald Rothwell

Donald Rothwell is Professor of International Law at the ANU College of Law, Australian National University, where he has held the position since 2006. He holds the degrees of BA, LLB (Hons) from the University of Queensland, LLM from the University of Alberta, MA from the University of Calgary, and PhD from the University of Sydney. Prior to his appointment at ANU, Rothwell served as Challis Professor of International Law and Director of the Sydney Centre for International and Global Law at the University of Sydney from 2004 to 2006, having taught there since 1988.

Rothwell is recognised as one of Australia’s leading experts in international law, with a focus on the law of the sea, the law of the polar regions, the use of force, and the implementation of international law within Australia. He is the author or co-author of 28 books and over 200 book chapters and articles. Notable publications include The International Law of the Sea (with Tim Stephens, 2nd edition 2016), Islands and International Law (2022), International Law in Australia (co-edited with Emily Crawford, 2017), and International Law: Cases and Materials with Australian Perspectives (3rd edition 2018). Rothwell serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Brill Research Perspectives in the Law of the Sea and has held roles including Rapporteur of the International Law Association Committee on Baselines under the International Law of the Sea (2012–2018). He was appointed an inaugural ANU Public Policy Fellow in 2012 and elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law in 2015. He received the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Advancing the Reputation of the University through Media in 2015 and is a frequent commentator on international law issues in Australian and international media.