David Caron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David D. Caron
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| Judge of the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal | |
| In office 2015 – 2018 (death) |
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| Preceded by | Charles N. Brower |
| Succeeded by | Sir Christopher Greenwood |
| Judge ad hoc of the International Court of Justice | |
| In office 2014 – 2018 (death) |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 June 1953 Connecticut, United States |
| Died | 20 February 2018 London, England |
| Alma mater | United States Coast Guard Academy, University of Wales, University of California, Berkeley, Leiden University |
| Occupation | Professor, Judge |
David D. Caron (born June 28, 1952 – died February 20, 2018) was an American lawyer, professor, and judge. He was a very important person in the world of international law. He taught law at the UC Berkeley School of Law and was the head (dean) of the law school at King's College London.
Caron also served as a judge on two major international courts. He was a member of the Iran–United States Claims Tribunal, which handles legal disagreements between Iran and the United States. He was also a special judge (called a Judge ad hoc) at the International Court of Justice, which is the main court of the United Nations. People who knew him said he was one of the best international lawyers and judges in the world.
Erwin Chemerinsky, the Dean of Berkeley Law, said that Caron wrote about many different parts of international law. He was especially interested in how countries and people solve problems and disagreements in international courts. Caron was also a leader in the field of international environmental law. This includes topics like the laws about the ocean and how to deal with climate change.
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About David D. Caron
His Early Life
David D. Caron was born in Connecticut, USA. He was the youngest of three children. His parents had moved to the United States from Quebec, Canada. When he was a teenager, Caron worked in tobacco fields during the summer.
After high school, he wanted to join the United States Coast Guard Academy. His first application was turned down because of a medical reason. To get in, he had to have surgery to fix his jaw. His dental surgeon even wrote to the Coast Guard about how determined he was to become a cadet.
His Education and Coast Guard Career
At the United States Coast Guard Academy, Caron studied physics and political science. He was the leader of the cadets in 1974. After graduating, he worked on a Coast Guard ship called the Polar Star. He helped navigate the ship in the Arctic and was also a diving officer for salvage missions. Later, in San Francisco, he helped protect the marine environment in California.
In 1979, Caron received a special scholarship called the Fulbright Commission scholarship. This allowed him to study at the University of Wales in Cardiff. After that, he decided to study law at the University of California, Berkeley. He once said that he loved learning and was always curious. He realized he wanted to study law to understand "why people don't work – and how you could help them." While working as a legal assistant at the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, he also earned a PhD in Law from Leiden University in the Netherlands.
Becoming a Law Professor
After finishing law school, Caron first worked as a legal assistant at the Iran–United States Claims Tribunal. He helped two judges there, Richard M. Mosk and Charles N. Brower.
When he returned to California, Caron worked as a lawyer for a short time. Then, in 1987, he became a professor at Berkeley Law School. He taught there for the rest of his life. He was known as a distinguished professor of international law.
Caron received several awards for his excellent work in teaching and writing about law. In 1991, he won the Deak Prize for outstanding work by a younger academic. In 2000, he received the first Stefan A. Riesenfeld Award, which honors important contributions to international law. From 2010 to 2012, he was the President of the American Society of International Law.
Between 2013 and 2016, he was the Dean (head) of the law school at King’s College London. He left this role to become a judge at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal, but he still kept his connections to both law schools.
His Work as an Arbitrator and Judge
David Caron often worked as a lawyer or an expert in international courts. He became a barrister, which is a type of lawyer in London.
He became very skilled as an international arbitrator. An arbitrator is like a referee who helps solve disagreements between different parties, often countries or large companies. For example, he was a Commissioner with the U.N. Compensation Commission in Geneva. This group helped resolve claims (requests for money) from the Gulf War in 1990.
His Passing
David Caron passed away in London on February 20, 2018, after a short illness. Just three days before, he had been working as a judge at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal.
His Legacy
Many people remembered David Caron and his important work. On March 23, 2018, a special service was held in London to celebrate his life. Baroness Rosalyn Higgins, a former President of the International Court of Justice, hosted the event.
The American Society of International Law dedicated its annual meeting in April 2018 to his memory. The Society also created the David D. Caron Fund. This fund helps young scholars who are studying international law.
In September 2018, UC Berkeley School of Law held a memorial and conference in his honor. The conference was about "The Elegance of International Law." The discussions from this conference were published in two law journals that Caron had worked closely with.
