GC REAIM Expert

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Jessica Dorsey, J.D., LL.M., is an Assistant Professor of International and European Law at Utrecht University. She is a US- and Dutch-educated international lawyer with expertise in international humanitarian law, human rights law and public international law. Her current research focuses on the legitimacy of military targeting operations in light of increasing autonomy in warfare, with a specific focus on how transparency, accountability and the rule of law contribute to this legitimacy. 

Jessica is also a renowned legal scholar and practitioner on issues related to the use of force, especially in the context of drone warfare, having worked in the field for more than 15 years. She has written expert advisory reports on the use of armed drones for the European Parliament and Chatham House, among other institutions, and she has consulted in various capacities with UN Special Rapporteurs on Human Rights and Counterterrorism in the context of armed drones, legal frameworks and civilian protection. As a member of a consortium, she currently advises the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands on issues related to Protection of Civilians (PoC) policy, including efforts to reflect PoC principles in relation to the integration of AI in Dutch military operations.   

At Utrecht University, she leads the Realities of Algorithmic Warfare project, is the Director of the International Law Clinic and is part of the core team of the Open-Source Global Justice Investigations Lab. Additionally, Jessica is an Executive Board Member of Airwars and Chair of the Dutch Airwars Foundation, an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, The Hague and the Managing Editor of the distinguished international law blog Opinio Juris. With her expertise on drones, algorithmic warfare and civilian protection, she has been cited in various international media, such as CNN, Al Jazeera and Reuters along with other outlets in the Netherlands, Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Italy, the United States and Canada.