Hélène Ruiz Fabri studied law and political science at the University of Bordeaux and received her doctorate there in 1989. In 1990, she obtained the Agrégation for public law. After holding professorships at the universities of Caen, Cergy-Pontoise and Paris XIII, she became a Professor for public international law at the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in 1997. From 2006 to 2010, she was President of the European Society of International Law, from 2010 to 2013 dean and initiator of the École de Droit at the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and from 2003 to 2014 Director of the Mixed Research Unit on Comparative Law of Sorbonne Law School (CNRS/Paris 1). In addition, she regularly teaches and conducts research at universities in the United States.