Celebrating World Bank Legal Alumni’s Ongoing Impact

Fresh off the energy and inspiration of its Law and Justice Development Week, the World Bank's Legal Vice Presidency (LEG) continued its celebration of excellence and impact by awarding its annual LEG Alumni Award on November 6, 2025.

Now in its third year, these awards not only highlight the outstanding achievements of those who have served in LEG, but they also recognize their continued contributions to advancing law, justice, and development after their departure from the World Bank. This year, the LEG Alumni Committee, composed of both current and former LEG staff members, selected two recipients who reflected the continuing impact that the award celebrates.   

Antonio Parra was chosen for his outstanding post-retirement contributions to international investment law and arbitration. After leaving the Bank, where in his final role he was the Deputy Secretary-General of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), he earned his PhD and authored The History of ICSID, taught at the Heidelberg Center for Latin America, and served as Secretary-General of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration.  

Nicolette DeWitt, who served as the Chief Counsel of LEG’s Operational Policy Practice Group, was recognized for her continuing contributions to international development law and institutional governance. After retiring from the World Bank, she played a pivotal role in developing the core contractual, operational policy, and accountability frameworks for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and served on its Sanctions Panel.

As part of the tradition with these awards, the recipients are invited to give a keynote presentation to the current staff of the Legal Vice Presidency.

Antonio and Nicolette join a growing list of former World Bank legal colleagues who have been recognized since the inaugural awards in 2023:

• Natalie Lichtenstein, former Assistant General Counsel for Institutional Affairs, who helped establish the AIIB and served as its first General Counsel, and has continued to publish, teach at academic institutions, and serve on academic advisory boards.
• Salman M. A. Salman, former Lead Counsel, who has continued as a global thought leader, writer, editor, and lecturer on international water law and governance, which have earned him multiple awards including the prestigious IWRA Crystal Drop Award.
• Andrés Rigo Sureda, former Deputy General Counsel for Operations, who has continued his career with international tribunals, held key roles in internal justice systems of several international organizations, and published and lectured on investment arbitration and international law.
• Elizabeth Adu, former Deputy General Counsel for Operations, who has devoted her post-retirement years to advancing gender equality, forest conservation and sustainable management and other causes, including as member of the boards of organizations such as the Institute for African Women in Law and CIFOR-ICRAF.
• David Freestone, former Deputy General Counsel for Advisory Services, who continues to be a leading voice in international environmental and climate change law, having served on international commissions and continued teaching and authoring seminal works on marine and climate governance.

Through this award, the LEG team recognizes the ongoing impact of its network of alumni, while inspiring current LEG staff to imagine new possibilities they have to influence positive change through their roles.

Building Bridges Between Alumni and Staff

The LEG Alumni Event is also an opportunity to share stories, rejuvenate relationships, and cultivate a stronger network of changemakers across generations of LEG staff. Current staff exchange perspectives with colleagues who helped build the foundations of the Legal Vice Presidency, while alumni experience a joyful reunion as they re-connect with old friends and engage with current LEG staff who are following in their footsteps and charting new courses.

“Attending the LEG Alumni Event has become one of the highlights of the year for me,” noted Elizabeth Adu. “I was truly honored to receive the award last year. During the event I was able to reconnect with old friends and colleagues and I was re-energized by interacting with the young lawyers.”  

For Salman M.A. Salman, the event has “no doubt, rejuvenated my relationship with LEG and reinforced my conviction that the relationships and connections between my two worlds (LEG and post-LEG) are really inseparable.” David Freestone was also “delighted that this annual event still flourishes and that it now draws on all the vast experience of its alumni.”

As LEG keeps evolving with the times, LEG Alumni Event serves as a reminder that our strength lies in our people—past, present, and future—whose shared vision continues to advance law, justice and development.