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Dermot M. Groome graduated law school at the Boston College Law School and was admitted to the New York Jurisdiction to practice in 1987. After law school attorney Dermot M. Groome began his experience as a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office he worked there for six years. His experience also includes mentoring interns at the Dickinson School of Law at Penn State University. He also mentors law students in The Hague. The Hague is basically the seat of government where several European countries are represented. He believes that a career in international criminal law is something that happened because he did not set boundaries on his career. Instead, he followed his interests and this article takes a look at where those interests led Dermot M. Groome in international criminal law.
Dermot M. Groome said he would never have imagined that after graduation from the Boston College Law School he would someday be prosecuting heads of state for human rights abuse in international criminal law cases. Indeed, that is what Attorney Groome did. From 2000 till 2005 he worked for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at the United Nations. He was best known for his work as a senior trial attorney who was responsible for the Bosnian indictment against Slobodan Milosevic. Milosevic was a Serb leader who ICTY charged with many international criminal law crimes against humanity during wars in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo.
One of the more famous trials for Attorney Groome was Popovic et al. Popovic was an assistant commander of security on the staff of the Bosnian Serb Army (VRS). Popovic and six associates were charged by the ICTY with genocide initiating intent to destroy Bosnian Muslims. The conviction came about through many strategies but the best evidence was delivered through tracing DNA. His case proved there was one primary grave site after the genocide and body parts were later moved to smaller graves to cover up the atrocities.
Attorney Dermot M. Groome now speaks on these world changing trials as a legal scholar. His experience as a prosecutor, investigator, and in international criminal law fighting for human rights were solidified through the ICTY trials. It was during this time he prosecuted some of the most senior officials of former Yugoslavia for international crimes. In his lectures regarding the trials he discusses the investigation, prosecution, and the trials of high profile cases and his challenges during each case.
From 2005 to 2007 Attorney Groome took time off from the world of prosecuting at an international level and taught at the Dickinson School of Law. After his experience at the United Nations in International law, he started internship programs for law students so they could experience the difference that could be made for human rights in International Criminal Law. He has since returned to ICTY to carry on as a senior prosecutor and currently handles the Milan Lukic case. Lukic, a former member of the Bosnian Serb parliament is accused of killing more than 100 Bosnian Muslims in the conflict from 1992-1995. Dermot Groome continues his work because he believes it changes the world and promotes peace when political leaders know they can be convicted for their atrocities.
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