Donald R Rothwell is Professor of International Law, and Deputy Dean at the ANU College of Law, Australian National University where he has taught since July 2006. His research has a specific focus on law of the sea, law of the polar regions, and implementation of international law within Australia as reflected in over 200 articles, book chapters and notes in international and Australian publications.

Rothwell has authored, co-authored or edited 20 books including most recently Rothwell, Oude Elferink, Scott and Stephens (eds), The Oxford Handbook of the Law of the Sea (OUP, 2015); Erik J. Molenaar, Alex G. Oude Elferink, and Rothwell (eds), The Law of the Sea and the Polar Regions: Interactions between Global and Regional Regimes (Martinus Nijhoff, Leiden: 2013), and Law of the Sea (Edward Elgar, 2013).

Major career works include The International Law of the Sea (Hart, 2010) with Tim Stephens, and The Polar Regions and the Development of International Law (CUP, 1996). Rothwell is also Co-Editor of the Australian Year Book of International Law. Since 2012 he has been Rapporteur of the International Law Association (ILA) Committee on ‘Baselines under the International Law of the Sea’.

He has taught a range of courses including Law of the Sea, International Dispute Resolution, International Law and Use of Armed Force, International Humanitarian Law, Military Operations Law, and Public International Law.

Rothwell was previously Challis Professor of International Law and Director of the Sydney Centre for International and Global Law, University of Sydney (2004-2006), where he had taught since 1988. He has acted as a consultant or been a member of expert groups for UNEP, UNDP, IUCN, the Australian Government, and acted as advisor to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

In 2012 Rothwell was appointed an inaugural ANU Public Policy Fellow, and in 2015 elected as Fellow to the Australian Academy of Law.