WASHINGTON - John L. Woods Jr., Howard University law professor and principal of Woods Global Dispute Resolution, was appointed this month by U.S. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., to the World Bank-International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Panel of Arbitrators and Conciliators. ICSID is the world’s leading international arbitration institution devoted to investor-state dispute settlement. Woods will serve a six-year term, expiring in 2030. 

Founded in 1966, the ICSID is the world’s leading institution devoted to international investment dispute settlement and administers most international investment cases. ICSID provides for settlement of disputes by conciliation, mediation, arbitration or fact-finding. The ICSID process is designed to account for the special characteristics of international investment disputes and the parties involved, maintaining a careful balance between investors' and host states' interests. 

“I am humbled that I was selected by President Biden to serve in this capacity.  From the quest to sustain industrial peace, to formulating equitable solutions in addressing international investment disputes, the world is increasingly leaning in and leveraging ADR to resolve both domestic and cross-border conflict.  I am excited to serve and contribute to advancing this effort,” said Woods. 

Mr. Woods’ career in international law and dispute resolution spans over 20 years.  He has provided legal, international development, and dispute resolution services in areas such as transportation, construction, professional sports, labor, commercial transactions, securities, international investment, and real estate throughout the U.S., Caribbean, South America, Central America, Europe, and Africa. 

In 2024, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholars Award for the Garvey-Nkrumah Development Incubator, a cross-cultural development program that he founded. This initiative is a technical assistance, capacity building and training program in support of Africa and Caribbean development efforts. It is coordinated in partnership with a consortium of U.S., Caribbean, and African colleges and universities as well as international governmental organizations. 

“I am immensely proud to congratulate Professor Woods on his appointment to the World Bank ICSID Panel. This remarkable achievement is a testament to his exemplary expertise, dedication and impact on the field of international law and underscores the caliber of professional expertise that defines our faculty. Professor Woods will undoubtedly contribute invaluable insights and during his six-year term, furthering Howard’s legacy of leadership on the global stage,” said Lisa A. Crooms-Robinson, interim dean of the Howard University School of Law. 

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