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Vincent Hsiao

Professor Leila Sadat speaks during a UN Youth Envoy meeting Jan. 9. Her knowledge and experience relates to Youth Envoy’s goal of peace, justice and strong institutions. “I spent a lot of time at the UN,” Sadat said. “There are a lot of meetings. There are a lot of gatherings. There are a lot of things that are fun in addition to hard work.”

The United Nations Youth Envoy club invited Washington University law professor Leila Sadat to speak on her work related to international law Jan. 9 at the high school.

Ladue’s UN Youth Envoy, founded in 2022 by siblings Nethmi Amarakone (10) and then-senior Mahith Samarathunga, has donated about 500 books and 50 reading glasses to 1,500 students in Sri Lanka, as well as $2,000 toward food for orphanages in the South Asian country, according to Amarakone.

“We are planning to do the books and reading glasses project like we did last year to promote quality education,” Amarakone said. “We [also] brought Dr. Leila Sadat from Washington University to talk about the documentary called [Never Again:] Crimes Against Humanity. It aligns to promote peace, justice and strong institutions.”

Sadat has served as a special adviser to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands and co-founded and directs the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative at WashU. As a professor, she leads courses on international law.

“I teach this specialty,” Sadat said. “You’re the future, so pay attention in class, get good grades, listen to your teachers, go to law school [and] change the world.”