World Justice Project Welcomes New Chief Engagement Officer

WASHINGTON, DC (15 April 2019) – The World Justice Project (WJP) today announced that Ted Piccone will be joining the organization as Chief Engagement Officer. In this role, he will be responsible for building and strengthening the WJP’s global network of rule of law practitioners and for leading WJP’s efforts to advance the rule of law through strategic partnerships, convenings (including the World Justice Forum), coordinated advocacy and campaigns, and support for locally-led initiatives with promise for replication and scaling. He will be located in WJP’s Washington, D.C. office starting later this month.

Mr. Piccone comes to WJP from the Brookings Institution, where he served for over a decade as a senior fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy and Latin America Initiative in the Foreign Policy program. He is an expert in global democracy and human rights policies and U.S.-Latin American affairs with wide-ranging experience in international relations and law, nonprofit leadership, and policy research and analysis. 

“We are delighted to have Ted coming on board to lead WJP’s global efforts to stimulate rule of law change,” said Elizabeth Andersen, WJP Executive Director. “From a distinguished career straddling government service, civil society activism, and think tank scholarship, he brings to this work deep expertise on issues relating to democratic governance and human rights and a proven record of making a difference.” 

“At this time in world affairs, the rule of law is facing fundamental challenges in both non-democratic and more established democratic countries. I can think of no more important mission than to strengthen respect for the core principles of justice and equal rights that allow citizens to live in peace,” Mr. Piccone said. “The World Justice Project is a dynamic global leader in this field and I’m excited to carry forward its vision.” 

Mr. Piccone brings to WJP over 30 years of experience at the intersection of law, foreign policy and human rights. An honors graduate of Columbia Law School and the University of Pennsylvania, he served eight years in the Clinton administration as a senior advisor on Latin America at the National Security Council, the State Department and the Pentagon. In addition to his role as a senior fellow at Brookings, he performed stints as the deputy director and acting vice president of its Foreign Policy program, with responsibility for managing research plans, outreach and strategic partnerships around the world. His scholarship has included books, articles and op-eds on such topics as the effectiveness of the United Nations human rights system, the role of rising democracies in the international liberal order, and new approaches to U.S.-Cuban relations. He will remain affiliated with Brookings as a nonresident senior fellow in the Foreign Policy program. 

After leaving government service, Mr. Piccone co-founded the Democracy Coalition Project, an independent nongovernmental organization that carried out research and advocacy to support civil society’s engagement in foreign policy decision-making. He also served as the first Washington office director for the Club de Madrid, an association of over 100 former heads of state and government devoted to strengthening democratic leadership and governance around the world. In addition to private practice and a clerkship in the federal district court of New Jersey, he served as counsel to the United Nations Truth Commission for El Salvador and as a human rights legal fellow in Chile. He currently teaches as an adjunct professor at the Washington College of Law’s Academy for International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at American University.

ABOUT THE WORLD JUSTICE PROJECT:
The World Justice Project (WJP) is an independent, multidisciplinary organization working to advance the rule of law worldwide. Effective rule of law reduces corruption, combats poverty and disease, and protects people from injustices large and small. It is the foundation for communities of justice, opportunity, and peace—underpinning development, accountable government, and respect for fundamental rights. Learn more at: www.worldjusticeproject.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:
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(206) 792-7676