Faculty and Administration Profiles

Karen Ann Widess

About

Karen Ann Widess served as Head of Program Development and Compliance for the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) from 2006 through 2010, where she coordinated the activities of the internal committee for the selection of projects and oversaw the staff of the Program Development and Compliance Unit in developing program and projects involving numerous counties and rule of law development issues and diverse donor agencies and organizations. She has over 25 years of experience in the rule of law technical assistance field, working for both donors and implementing organizations.  In that regard, she has designed as well as fundraised for and managed complex projects in often politically and physically difficult and sensitive environments, and in wide range of rule of law areas. These include, among others, land, property and agricultural reform; banking and finance; infrastructure building; economic and political empowerment of women; free media and press; electoral law compliance; human rights compliance; institutional strengthening and leadership building. Prof. Widess is currently pursuing a PhD in Rule of Law Project Management (Socio-legal studies) at the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK, where she also teaches seminars in fundamentals of property law.

Degrees

BA, Political Science, University of California, Berkeley

JD, University of Southern California Law School

Post-graduate Diploma in International Law, London School of Economics, UK

Courses Taught

Rule of Law Project Management, Rule of Law for Development Program