The Florida State University College of Law will host Mary Robinson — Ireland’s first female president, renowned climate justice advocate and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights — as the 2025 speaker for the D’Alemberte & Palmer Lecture in International Human Rights.
Robinson will speak on “The Rule of Law in International Human Rights” at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, at FSU Law in Auditorium 101. The event is free and open to the public.
“We are honored to welcome President Robinson to FSU Law,” said Erin O’Hara O’Connor, dean of the FSU College of Law. “I hope our students and the community will tune in to learn from her vast experience in the critical areas of human rights and climate control. We are grateful to Patsy Palmer for making this transformative series possible, which will allow us to bring international speakers to the College of Law to advance the cause of international human rights.”
Robinson is widely regarded as a pioneering leader and one of the world’s most influential advocates for human rights, climate justice and the rule of law. As president of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, she became the country’s first female head of state and reshaped the role of the presidency during a period of profound social, economic and political change.
As United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 to 2002, Robinson led efforts to bring global attention to the rights of marginalized populations and worked to strengthen human rights frameworks worldwide. She continues to be a powerful force for justice as Chair of The Elders, a group of independent global leaders founded by former South African President Nelson Mandela, and as a tireless advocate for climate action, gender equality and sustainable development.
In her lecture, Robinson will share her insights on the intersection of climate change and human rights, drawing from her decades of experience as a leader. She will share what has contributed to the erosion of the rule of law and propose solutions for restoring justice, accountability and respect for human rights, both nationally and globally. Robinson will discuss the role of leaders in strengthening governance systems that promote peace, sustainability and human rights.
A graduate of Trinity College Dublin and Harvard Law School, Robinson is a former chancellor of the University of Dublin (Trinity College) and has taught at both Trinity College and Columbia University. She holds honorary doctorates from over 40 prestigious universities and has received numerous accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama, who praised her as “an advocate for the forgotten and the ignored.”
The D’Alemberte & Palmer Lecture in International Human Rights is made possible by Patsy Palmer, Esq., and was established to educate the community about the critical field of international human rights, inspire FSU Law students and contribute to the global discussion on human rights issues. Previous speakers in the lecture series include Ambassador David Scheffer, the first U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues (2024), and former General Counsel of the U.S. Navy Alberto J. Mora (2023). For more information, visit law.fsu.edu/humanrightslecture.