LL.M. (Duke University), LL.M. (IE University and The Hague Academy of International Law)

María José Alarcón Santillán is an international lawyer and scholar specializing in public international law, state responsibility, climate change law and investment arbitration. She holds bar admissions in New York, Spain, and Ecuador, and was recently admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales.

María José is currently Regional Leader for International Courts and Tribunals at the Columbia Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and serves as Counsel in the IUCN’s submission before the International Court of Justice on climate change. Her academic engagements include contributions as Associate Professor of International Environmental Law and research roles at Leiden University, Duke University, and the Kluwer Arbitration Blog.

She has advised states in disputes before ICSID, ITLOS, PCA, and the ICJ and has published extensively on investment arbitration, investment treaty reform and climate litigation. Her work blends practice and academia to address legal challenges at the intersection of environmental sustainability, international dispute resolution, and human rights. Fluent in Spanish, English, and French, she is committed to advancing legal scholarship and policy in support of global climate justice.