The Robert G. Storey International Award for Leadership was established in 1990 in recognition of Dean Storey's dedication to peace, justice, and the rule of law in the international community, and to commemorate his commitment to The Center for American and International Law, to the Institute for International and Comparative Law, and to the Academy of American and International Law. The award is presented to a past participant of the Academy who has demonstrated the qualities of leadership and integrity that were embodied in Dean Storey.

Robert Gerald Storey (1893-1981), founder and first President of The Southwestern Legal Foundation, practiced law in Dallas, served overseas as a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force in World War II, was Executive Trial Counsel for the United States at the Nuremberg Trial of major Axis War Criminals, and in 1947 founded the Southwestern Legal Foundation, serving as President (without compensation) from 1947 to 1972. He served as Dean of SMU School of Law from 1947 to 1959, President of the American Bar Association 1952-1953, President of the Inter-American Bar Association 1954-1956, Member of the Commission to Reorganize Executive Branch of U.S. Government (Hoover Commission) 1953-1955, Member and Chairman, Board of Foreign Scholarships (Fulbright Commission) 1956-1962, and Vice Chairman, United States Civil Rights Commission 1957-1963. He served and received awards from numerous local, state, national and international organizations. In 1969 the World Peace Through Law Center presented him its World Lawyer Award in Bangkok, Thailand.

The first Storey Award was presented in 1990 to Chief Justice Marcelo B. Fernan of the Philippines. Chief Justice Fernan was a 1974 participant in the Academy of American and International Law. The 1991 Storey Award was presented to Dr. Mochtar Kusuma-Atmadja of Indonesia, a 1968 Academy participant and a former Foreign Minister and a former Minister of Justice of his country. The 1992 recipient was Dr. Antonio Brancaccio, a 1967 Academy participant and the Chief Justice of Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation. The 1993 recipient was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, Sergio Abreu. Minister Abreu was a 1980 participant in the Academy. The 1995 Robert G. Storey Award was presented to Rene Blattmann, the Minister of Justice of Bolivia, who attended the Academy in 1980. The 1996 recipient was Raul I. Goco, Solicitor General of the Philippines. Solicitor General Goco attended the Academy in 1967. The 1997 recipient was the Honorable Antonio Cassese, President of the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Mr. Cassese attended the Academy in 1970. The 1998 recipient was The Honorable Didier Opperti, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay and subsequently President of the United Nations General Assembly. The 2001 recipient was the Honorable Kunio Hamada, Justice, Supreme Court of Japan and former President of Asia Pacific Bar Association. The 2003 recipient, The Hon. Santi Thakral attended the Academy of American and International Law in 1973, shortly after he began his extraordinary judicial career. He first became a judge in 1968 and first became a judge of the Supreme Court of Thailand in 1979.

The 2004 recipient, Beatriz Merino, a 1982 alumna of the Academy recently served as Prime minister of Peru. She previously held positions as both a Congresswoman and Senator in the Peruvian goverment. Currently, Ms. Merino is a consultant in the Public Sector Group of the World Bank.

The 2008 recipient of the Storey Award was Jose Luis de Salles Freire who is the founding partner in the Brazilian law firm of Tozzini Freire Advogados. Mr. Freire attended the Academy in 1975.