Dr Federica Paddeu

Federica Paddeu is an Associate Professor of Law and Derek Bowett Fellow at Queens’ College, University of Cambridge, and a fellow of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law. She holds a BA in law (Abogado, cum laude) from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas, as well as LLM (First Class Honours and Clive Parry Prize) and PhD (Yorke Prize) degrees from the University of Cambridge. She also holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PGDipLATHE) from the University of Oxford

Federica’s research interest cover various areas of general international law, especially the law of State responsibility, countermeasures, the law on the use of force, international investment law, and recognition of Governments in international law. A monograph based on her PhD dissertation, Justification and Excuse in International Law: Concept and Theory of General Defences, was published by CUP in 2018. Federica has written extensively on defences in the law of State responsibility, and their application across different areas of international law including investment law, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and cyber-space. Her work has been published in leading international law journals, including the American Journal of International Law, European Journal of International Law, the British Yearbook of International Law, Leiden Journal of International Law, and the Journal on the Use of Force in International Law.

At Cambridge, Federica teaches international law and English criminal law at the undergraduate level, and has taught in graduate courses on the law on the use of force, international investment law, and general international law. She has held visiting positions at the Faculty of Law of the University of Vienna, Université Paris 1 (Panthéon-Sorbonne), and Universidad de La Sabana.

Federica serves on the Public International Law Advisory Board of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, the Board of the European Society of International Law, and the Steering Committee of the London Conference on International Law. She was previously Director of Studies for the British Branch of the International Law Association. She is also a member of the editorial board of the Max Planck Yearbook of UN Law and the Latin-American and Caribbean Journal of International Law.

Federica is admitted to practice in Venezuela, as a member of the Caracas (Distrito Federal) Bar, where she worked at Baker&Mackenzie. She is a member of the Academic Research Panel at Blackstone Chambers.

Teaching

Supervisions in International Law (Part IB and Part II), and Criminal Law (Part IA)

Director of Studies at Queens’ College (Parts IA, IB, II) & Deputy Senior Tutor

Other appointments and affiliations

European Society of International Law (ESIL) - Member of the Board (2022- )

British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) - Member of the International Law Advisory Panel (2021- )

International Law Association (British Branch) - Director of Studies (2018-2022)

Blackstone Chambers - Member of the Academic Research Panel (2015- )

Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards

2025: Crausaz Wordsworth Interdisciplinary Fellowship in Philosophy (Michaelmas term 2025)

2019: CRASSH Early Career Fellowship (Michaelmas term 2019)

2015: Yorke Prize (Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge), in recognition of the ‘exceptional quality’ of PhD dissertation ‘which makes a substantial contribution to its field of legal knowledge’

2009-2014: Maria Luisa de Sanchez (Girton College, University of Cambridge) and Cambridge European Trusts Scholar

2008: Clive Parry Prize in International Law (Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge)

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidate - 2009-2013

Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge

Cambridge European Trusts and María Luisa de Sánchez Scholar

Master of Laws (LLM) - 2007-2008

Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge

First class honours and Clive Parry Prize (Overseas) for international law

Abogado (cum laude) - 2000-2006

Facultad de Derecho, Universidad Católica Andrés Bello. Caracas, Venezuela

Teaching experience

October 2010 -

Girton College, University of Cambridge

Supervisor in international law

October 2011-July 2012

Pembroke College, University of Cambridge

Supervisor in international law

Research and work experience

August 2008 - September 2009

Lauterpacht Research Centre for International Law, University of Cambridge

Research associate to Prof James Crawford

September 2004 - February 2006

Baker & McKenzie (Caracas office)

Law clerk in labour law

March 2001 - September 2003

Baker & McKenzie (Caracas office)

Law clerk in criminal law and labour law departments

Other

Founder and Secretary of the Cambridge Pro Bono Project (CPP)

Coordinator of the CPP Research Project for the Inter-American Court of Human Rights

Languages

Italian and Spanish (mother tongues)

English (fluent)

French (good)