Paul Stephan is a distinguished legal scholar and professor at Columbia Law School. He holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and both an M.A. and B.A. from Yale University. With an extensive academic career beginning in 1979 at UVA Law, he has taught internationally in countries including Australia, Brazil, China, and Russia. His expertise lies in International Business, International Arbitration, and Soviet and post-Soviet Legal Systems. In addition to his teaching, Stephan has published numerous works, including 'The World Crisis in International Law' and has focused recent research on the intersection of big data and international disputes. He has served in prominent roles such as Counselor of International Law at the U.S. Department of State and has contributed significantly to the American Law Institute's Restatement of Foreign Relations Law. Stephan remains actively engaged in legal debates and policy advising related to international law and sanctions against Russia, contributing to various media platforms and maintaining a Substack account.