John Ramming Chappell is from Albuquerque, New Mexico and received his B.A. in International Studies and Arabic from the University of Mississippi, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He is now pursuing a joint J.D. and M.S. in Foreign Service at Georgetown University. John is particularly interested in progressive foreign policy and international law with a focus on conflict, human rights, and climate change. As an undergraduate, John spent a year in Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and the UAE. While overseas, he completed research projects on grassroots water democracy in the Sahara Desert and U.S.-Jordan relations. John also worked as a political organizer in Mississippi, where he founded a voting rights nonprofit, advised political campaigns, launched a successful racial gerrymandering lawsuit, and advocated for the removal of a Confederate statue. He previously worked at the Middle East Institute and has been a policy fellow with Foreign Policy for America and National Security Action. John speaks several Arabic dialects. In his free time, John enjoys cooking traditional New Mexican dishes and reading literature.

"I chose MSFS for the relationships I knew I could build here. Georgetown offers unparalleled opportunities to connect with international affairs professionals and leaders, both on the Hilltop and in the broader DC community."

Publications

John Ramming Chappell, President of the United States, Destroyer of World’s: Considering Congress’s Authority to Enact a Nuclear No-First-Use Law, 12 American University National Security Law Brief 45 (2022), Read it here. 

Annie Shiel & John Ramming Chappell, DoD Can’t Move Forward on Civilian Casualties Without Looking Back, Just Security (Apr. 19, 2022), Read it here.

Brittany Benowitz & John Ramming Chappell, Human Rights, Civilian Harm, and Arms Sales: A Primer on U.S. Law and Policy, Center for Civilians in Conflict & American Bar Association Center on Human Rights(Feb. 15, 2022), Read it here.

John Ramming Chappell & Emma Svoboda, Must Russia Abstain from Security Council Votes Regarding the Ukraine Crisis? Lawfare (Feb. 11, 2022), Read it here. 

John Ramming Chappell, The State of COVID-19 in MENA Prisons, Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (Sep. 2, 2021), Read it here. 

John Ramming Chappell, Making Race, Minting Guineas: Why Four Countries Share a Name, The Footnote (Oct. 25, 2021), Read it here.

John Ramming Chappell, U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia send a message of impunity — Congress should step in, The Diplomatic Pouch (Aug. 5, 2022), Read it here.