Runako Kumbula Allsopp

The Project

Runako monitored and analyzed international trade law and policies that threatened U.S. health and safety laws.

The World Trade Organization implements and enforces international trade laws that sometimes undermine U.S. health and safety laws.  Because these decisions take place in an international tribunal which allows little to no public access, ordinary U.S. citizens often have no input or participation in this process. The project is designed to advocate for a more democratic and transparent approach to the development of international trade law and policies.

Fellowship Highlights

During Runako’s Fellowship, she drafted the first comprehensive manual which profiled all international standard-setting institutions and initiatives. She also had the opportunity to serve as a member of the first U.S.–European working group on toxic chemical reform. Runako also served as a panelist at the American National Standards Institute Annual Convention.

Next Steps

Runako is an Assistant Attorney General in the Legal Counsel Division of the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.  In this role, she advises the Mayor, the Attorney General, the D.C. Council, executive agencies and boards and commissions on a variety of legal issues.  Prior to her current role, Runako worked as Deputy General Counsel to the Mayor of the District of Columbia; spent several years as a fraud prosecutor and worked as both an appellate and trial court law clerk.

Media Coverage