Foundations of International Law: Why It Matters to Arizona Lawyers

Hilary E Sadler Related Seminars and Products

Caroline Elizabeth McGroder Related Seminars and Products

Caroline E. McGroder is an Attorney at Beus O’Connor McGroder PLLC, a premier boutique law firm concentrating on High Stakes Litigation and Plaintiffs Catastrophic Injury & Wrongful Death. Ms. McGroder is a member of the firm’s Plaintiffs’ Catastrophic Injury & Wrongful Death practice.

For more than a decade, Ms. McGroder has fought to secure the rights of victims and their families in several high-profile, complex catastrophic litigation and wrongful death cases. Previous clients include family members of the Yarnell Granite Mountain Hotshots, sexual assault and abuse survivors, a US Navy Seal who testified in the widely publicized Bowe Bergdahl desertion hearing, the wrongful hazing death of a college fraternity member, disaster victims, as well as countless catastrophic motor vehicle and medical malpractice cases.

An advocate for social justice and victims’ rights, Ms. McGroder is both humbled and honored to represent those who have suffered unimaginable tragedy and loss because of negligence. As a plaintiff’s attorney, Ms. McGroder brings her endless passion and unwavering persuasion to every case and is steadfast in her commitment to social advocacy through the civil justice system.

A proud graduate of Xavier College Preparatory, Ms. McGroder received her BA from Creighton University in American Studies. Upon graduation, Ms. McGroder headed East to Washington, DC where she worked as an aide to the late Senator John McCain. After several years in Senator McCain’s office, McGroder returned to Arizona to attend law school. A champion of victims’ rights early on, McGroder supplemented her law studies with a clerkship at a prominent law firm in their Wrongful Death and Catastrophic Injury Division. Following graduation, McGroder continued her crusade in securing justice for her clients, working as an Associate on complex litigation cases.

In 2016, Ms. McGroder returned to Washington to study at American University’s Washington College of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude and received a Master of Laws in International Human Rights.

Ms. McGroder’s deep passion for human rights ultimately led her to defend and advocate for survivors of enslavement by religious extremist groups, as well as international victims of mass
atrocity crimes.

During her tenure in Washington DC, Ms. McGroder worked closely with the US State Department, where she received federal Top-Secret Security Clearance. With the US State Department, Ms. McGroder worked on a transnational justice initiative involving criminal prosecution for mass atrocity crimes, including cases devoted to international human trafficking, genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Ms. McGroder was trained to prosecute these cases at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, an experience she found both rewarding and life-affirming. In 2017, Ms. McGroder traveled to Abuja, Nigeria to prosecute the well-known religious extremist group Jama’atu Ahli is-Sunnah lid-Da’wati wal-Jihad, commonly known as Boko Haram.

Soon after, Ms. McGroder returned to Arizona where she worked as an Assistant Attorney General in cases involving child abuse, child sex crimes, and neglect in the state’s Child and Family Protection Unit.

A firm believer in healing, change, and accountability, Ms. McGroder has made it her life’s mission to stand up for those whose lives have been irrevocably altered by tragedy to ensure their voices are heard and bring those responsible to justice.

Joyce Williams Related Seminars and Products

Joyce Williams, Esq. is the founder and managing attorney of Armooh-Williams, PLLC, a global boutique law firm specializing in international law, project finance, economic sanctions, trade compliance, and immigration law. With over seven years of experience leading her practice, Joyce provides expert legal counsel to multinational corporations and government entities on complex cross-border issues. She has represented clients before crucial U.S. agencies, including the Department of Justice, OFAC, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Joyce’s distinguished career includes advising on international climate law under global frameworks like the UNFCCC, implementing NDC strategies for developing countries, and lecturing on international law at institutions such as the University of Macau. She also brings unique insights from her time with UNCITRAL in South Korea, enriching her perspective on Asia-Pacific trade law. Recognized by the American Bar Association for her advocacy in human trafficking and supply chain security, Joyce is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

With experience in public speaking and as a panelist, Joyce’s expertise makes her a leading voice in applying international law within the U.S., including state-specific practices in Arizona.

Shirley Jean Spira Related Seminars and Products

Professor James E. Rogers College of Law

Travis Paul Roberts Related Seminars and Products

Travis Paul Roberts is an Attorney at Beus O’Connor McGroder PLLC, a premier boutique law firm concentrating on High Stakes Litigation, Plaintiffs Catastrophic Injury & Wrongful Death, and Transactional Matters. Mr. Roberts is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Transactional practice.

Mr. Roberts has over nine years of experience as an attorney. He served as an attorney in the U.S. Army, advising on regulatory compliance and transactions, overseeing internal investigations, and litigating scores of criminal and administrative cases. He deployed three times—twice to Iraq and once to Korea—and advised on international and humanitarian law. He regularly counseled with high-ranking military commanders on matters of compliance and ethics in high-pressure situations. In transitioning out of the military, he excelled in ASU’s Sports Law and Business program, gaining a deep understanding of cutting-edge legal issues facing athletes, sports teams, and other entities at the collegiate and professional levels. Since leaving the military, he has gained significant experience in high-stakes, complex commercial litigation, focusing on intellectual property, products liability, personal injury, and contractual disputes involving Fortune 500 companies.

He is fluent in Spanish.

Valentina Okaru-Bisant Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Valentina Okaru-Bisant is the is the CEO, Founder, General Counsel and Social Entrepreneur at Afrocosmo Development Impact, LLC, Maryland, USA( ACDI). She is also a US and Nigerian attorney, professor, manager, entrepreneur, columnists, author, mentor, coach, philanthropist and former diplomat with over 15 years experience working in academia, law firm, private and multilateral organizations. We (@ACDI) have impactful results in business, trade, economic development, environment, infrastructure, energy, gender and water sectors. Val has authored extensively (scholarly and business publications) in those sectors. We ( ACDI) provide advisory, transactions and street law form of capacity building services to small & medium enterprises, private and public entities in trade, environment and economic development. We also work in USA, Afro-Caribbean and African diaspora space. ACDI hosts, organizes and executes many high -level large and small meetings & conferences.

Val is an adjunct business and trade professor and taught for over 10 years at the Catholic University of America. She also taught at the George Washington University, the Elliott School of International Affairs, Washington DC.

She was one of the pioneering members of Jean-Roger Mercier’s initial World Bank project environmental and social impact review team that categorized and reviewed project compliance with World Bank operational procedures/ policies. She & her team initiated the process of formulating World Bank operational policies, including OP 7.50 (international waters), OP 4.01 (environmental assessment and OP 4.12 (involuntary resettlement). She & her World Bank team (Pauline Boerma and Mike Garn) also monitored & supervised the $300 multi-donor financed RUSAFIYA water supply project. Within the framework of the project, they introduced the concept of public/private partnerships and community based participation to World Bank management ( as referenced in Maggi Black, Learning What Works, A Twenty Year View on International Water & Sanitation Cooperation).

She is a graduate of a Stanford law School, California; the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Massachusetts and the London School of Economics, England.