Benedict Kingsbury

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened the NYU School of Law Institute for International Law and Justice Conference in Honor of Thomas M. Franck, from which the papers in this Conference issue resulted, with a delightfully warm tribute to Tom as “an invaluable advisor, a wonderful friend, and someone who makes even the most dry problems fun!” This combination of deep personal affection for Tom and respect for his extraordinary contributions to international law and its institutions was a theme in every one of the multitude of accolades delivered at that event by current students, by dozens of former students who had the privilege of working with Tom as Junior Fellows of the Center for International Studies, and by leading international lawyers from many countries. American Society of International Law President Anne-Marie Slaughter highlighted Tom’s contributions to the ASIL, Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham attested to the esteem in which Tom is held in his native Canada, Alain Pellet documented Tom ‘s qualities as a litigator in the International Court of Justice, and longtime colleagues John Sexton and Norman Dorsen spoke eloquently of Tom’s leading roles in the development of New York University and its Law School. Dean Richard Revesz, who joined the Law School faculty as a young assistant professor in fields of law quite different from Tom ‘s, expressed his appreciation for Tom’s support as a men­tor: “Tom was interested in my work before there was any work to be interested in.”