Sumudu Anopama Atapattu is a distinguished Sri Lankan-born international jurist specializing in human rights, environmental law, and climate change. She currently holds the positions of Teaching Professor, Director of the Global Legal Studies Center, and Executive Director of the Human Rights Program at the University of Wisconsin Law School law.wisc.eduWikipedia.

🎓 Education & Early Career

• Earned her LL.M. (First Class Honours) and Ph.D. in International Environmental Law from the University of Cambridge, supervised by Sir Christopher Greenwood Texas Law+7Wikipedia+7rwi.lu.se+7.

• Qualified as an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, where she graduated top of her class, winning the prestigious Sir Lalitha Rajapakse Memorial Prize in 1986 Wikipedia+3rwi.lu.se+3rwi.lu.se+3.

• Served as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo (1995–2002), introducing environmental law courses at the undergraduate level Wikipedia+9rwi.lu.se+9Wikipedia+9.

🌍 Academic & Professional Roles

• At UW Law since 2002: began as a Visiting Scholar, later joined as Lecturer, Associate Director, and now Director of Research Centers Texas Law+2rwi.lu.se+2rwi.lu.se+2.

• Held Fulbright scholarship (2000), with visiting positions at NYU Law and George Washington University Wikipedia+1rwi.lu.se+1.

• Appointed Lead Counsel for Human Rights and Poverty Eradication at the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law, Canada.

• Affiliations include the Raoul Wallenberg Institute (Sweden), and advisory roles for journals like McGill International Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy Texas Law+3Wikipedia+3law.wisc.edu+3rwi.lu.se+2rwi.lu.se+2law.wisc.edu+2.

• Visiting professorships across the globe: Doshisha University (Japan), Justus Liebig University (Germany), Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Spain), GIS**sen University, among others ycej.yale.edu+3law.wisc.edu+3law.wisc.edu+3.

📚 Scholarship & Publications

Sumudu Atapattu has authored or co-edited over 10 books and 70 academic papers, including:

• Emerging Principles of International Environmental Law (2006)

• Human Rights Approaches to Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities (2015)

• International Environmental Law and the Global South (2015)

• Human Rights and the Environment: Key Issues (2019)

• Cambridge Handbook of Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development (2021)

• UN Human Rights Institutions and the Environment (forthcoming 2023) Wikipedia+12law.wisc.edu+12Wikipedia+12

🏆 Awards & Recognition

• Exceptional Achievement Award from the Sri Lanka Foundation (2012) Wikipedia+1rwi.lu.se+1.

• Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholarship, a Benefactor Studentship at St John’s College, Cambridge, and a Senior Fulbright Scholarship rwi.lu.se+2law.wisc.edu+2law.wisc.edu+2.

🌐 Expert Engagement & Advocacy

• Actively involved in UN expert consultations, multiple COP climate conferences, and Raoul Wallenberg Institute-led workshops on climate and environmental justice in Asia law.wisc.edu+1law.wisc.edu+1.

• Featured on PBS Wisconsin (2024) highlighting how climate change and environmental injustice threaten fundamental human rights such as the rights to life, health, shelter, and movement PBS+2PBS Wisconsin+2PBS Wisconsin+2.

  “...these are the same communities that are disproportionately affected by climate change, which is a justice issue as well.” PBS Wisconsin

🔬 Areas of Focus

• Environmental Rights & Justice

• International Sustainable Development Law

• Climate Change & Human Rights, especially concerning climate-induced migration and small island nations

✏️ Summary

Dr. Sumudu Atapattu is a globally recognized scholar and advocate at the intersection of human rights and environmental law. Her work centers on how climate change undermines basic human rights and disproportionately harms vulnerable communities. Through academic leadership, influential publications, and active policy engagement, she amplifies the voices and rights of those most affected by environmental degradation.