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From the Law Centre to the United Nations, law professor ’s nearly four-decade career has had a remarkable impact.

An expert in national human rights institutions, ombuds institutions, children’s rights institutions, international human rights law, international trade law and international business law, she has taught and published widely in these areas. 

Reif has also lent her expertise to organizations such as the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) and assisted human rights and classic ombuds institutions globally.

“I was a faculty member for 38 years so I will miss a lot: wonderful colleagues and staff, working with new law students every semester, the law centre as it has evolved over the decades and Steve and his cafe in the new student lounge,” she says. “ I could say that I will also miss the campus and the amazing library collection, but I will continue to visit in the coming years.”

As Reif says good-bye to the faculty and begins her next chapter, we asked her to share some parting reflections on her career.

As you look back at your work as a teacher and researcher, what are some of the things that bring you the most pride? Are there any moments that stand out for you?

I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching law students and supervising graduate students over the years and I hope that I contributed to developing their interests in and knowledge of international law.  

I am happy that I always emphasized improving legal writing and analysis skills, class discussion and experiential elements even before this became more common in the classroom given their relevance for professional careers.  

Along with my colleague Elaine Hughes, we created the International Environmental Law course in the 1990s, and I created the International Human Rights Law course in 2001 and the International Trade Law course some years after that. 

I am proud of my over 60 publications, along with their research impact, especially those on the connections between international human rights law and domestic human rights institutions and on business and human rights linkages.

Many have been published in Europe and the US, including my book on Ombuds Institutions, Good Governance and the International Human Rights System (2d ed, Brill/Nijhoff, 2020) and several articles in the Harvard Human Rights Journal. 

A number of moments stand out for me, ranging from the academically exciting to the “should I be worried?”: making presentations at UN Headquarters in NYC and to national human rights institution representatives at the UN’s Palais des Nations in Geneva, attending IOI meetings in an Islamabad hotel while crossing paths with Taliban leaders there for other meetings, and watching the inauguration of Argentina’s first Defensor del Pueblo in their national parliament building with uniformed military leaders seated in the front rows.

What inspired you to make ombuds institutions a focus of your research?

It was one of those opportunities that came out of the blue. The IOI was headquartered at our law school and a few years after I joined the Faculty I was asked to take the position of Editor of the IOI. This was in 1989, as Latin American and new Central and Eastern European countries were transitioning to democracy and establishing human rights institutions, especially novel human rights ombuds institutions. I was also seconded for one year to serve as the lawyer to the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Ombudsman office.  

My exposure to these traditional and new institutions and the work they were doing inspired me to look at the relevant international and domestic human rights law and theoretical perspectives, something no one had done yet. It was also the early years of the notion of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) including some human rights ombuds, and I was able to incorporate this in my work.

What are your thoughts about the advancement of women’s rights and children’s rights and the work that still needs to be done?

There have been considerable improvements in the international human rights law protections for women’s rights and children’s rights during the past 40 years through the expansion of treaty law protections.There has also been some improvement in the realization of these rights in some countries around the world, including through law, court protection and the work of non-judicial human rights institutions such as NHRIs and children’s rights ombuds. 

Even in the best of times and places though, positive change for women’s rights, children’s rights and the rights of sexual and gender minorities can be hard to find.  Further, the continuing democratic recession has produced a recession in the respect for and protection of these rights.

What are your plans for retirement?

I consider this to be the next chapter of my life rather than retirement!  

I plan to devote some of my time to continuing to write about international law.  I have commitments to write several journal articles and book chapters on business and human rights and on gender and national human rights institutions.  I’m also working on a book project for a more general audience on the links between gardens and international law. 

I’m also really looking forward to spending more time with my husband Carl, and our family and friends, continuing to travel and doing other fun things.