Symeon Symeonides - Biography#

Symeon Symeonides was born and raised in Cyprus. He studied at the University of Thessaloniki Law School, from where he graduated in record time with two degrees, one with a grade of 10 (the highest in the school’s history), and the other with a grade of 9. He continued at the Harvard Law School, from where he received an LL.M. and a Doctorate in Juridical Science (S.J.D.). He began his teaching career in Thessaloniki, continued at Louisiana State University, and then at Willamette University, where he is today. While teaching for 44 years, he served as vice chancellor and then as dean for 19 years. He taught at The Hague Academy of International Law (twice) and lectured in more than 50 universities in the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

He published 28 books and 131 articles (in 7 languages). He was honored with two Lifetime Achievement awards and five scholarly prizes. He served for two terms as president of the International Association of Legal Science, the American Society of Comparative Law, and the Section on Conflict of Laws of the Association of American Law Schools. He drafted the choice-of-law codifications of Louisiana, Puerto Rico, and Oregon and an international model law (for the Institut de droit international), participated in drafting EU Regulations and two international conventions, and provided legislative advice to three governments in Europe, and one in Africa.

He is a dual citizen of Cyprus and the US.