Mentorship is about helping others to understand the realities of the profession from my experiences, to make good choices and offer comfort when the choices made draw negative outcomes. Mentorship is also about an exchange of knowledge, so I would hope to grow from the exchange.
Gay McDougall
BASIL Mentor and former Vice Chair of the UN Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination
The Story
BASIL stands for Blacks of the American Society of International Law. We are a Task Force within the American Society of International Law (known as ASIL), an organization founded in 1906 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1950 to advance the study and practice of international law.
ASIL has shaped the field for more than a century. BASIL exists to make sure Black voices, Black scholarship, and Black leadership are part of that shaping, both within the Society and in the wider world of international legal practice.
Our Passion For Mentorship
Mentorship runs through everything BASIL does. Since 2014, our Speed Mentoring Sessions at the American Society of International Law's Annual Meeting have brought students and early-career professionals face to face with experienced practitioners across academia, government, private practice, and international organizations. Mentors have shared hard-won insight on career strategy, professional growth, and the unwritten rules of building a career in international law. Those moments have shaped careers, and many have grown into the relationships and opportunities that follow.
A Vision, A Pilot, A Beginning
The BASIL Virtual Mentorship Program is an extension of our long-standing commitment to mentorship. For years, our in-person gatherings have been central to that work. Conversations at the ASIL Annual Meeting, connections made over coffee in the hotel lobby, and doors of opportunity opened in receptions, in panels, and in moments of unplanned exchange. These encounters have launched careers and built relationships that have shaped a generation of international lawyers.
However, these encounters have also remained limited in their reach. Not everyone can absorb the cost of travel, registration, and time away from work or studies. A law student who cannot attend the Annual Meeting in person should not be excluded from BASIL mentorship. A young lawyer in Lagos or Bangkok should not be cut off from the diaspora because of geography. A first-generation law student should not lose out on the guidance that more resourced peers often receive as a matter of course.
This initiative is how we close that gap. By bringing mentorship online, in small groups, organized around themes that matter, and offered free of charge, we are making the BASIL community accessible year-round and across borders.
Built in collaboration with Konseye: The Mentorship Network, whose platform and experience in virtual group mentoring allow us to focus on what matters most, the program is designed to remove the barriers that have long shaped who builds a career in international law and who does not: barriers of geography, cost, and access to networks. If you are a student, an early-career professional, or an established lawyer looking to pivot or explore the field, we invite you to join us as a mentee and connect with international lawyers, jurists, and academics ready to share their time, insight, and experience.
Access has too often determined who builds a career in international law. This program is part of how we change that.
How The Initiative Works
Our initiative focuses on small-group mentoring that fosters real conversations and valuable learning experiences for participants.
Step 1
Create your free account and complete your profile (required to book). Tell us about your journey and interests in international law.
Step 2
Browse the mentors and upcoming sessions. View full profiles, areas of expertise, and the sessions they are leading.
Step 3
Reserve your seat. When a session fits your interests, stage, or curiosity, grab your spot — Sessions are capped at 5.
Step 4
Show up and stay connected. We send the link, invite, and reminders; you bring your curiosity. Stay connected and repeat.