Course Catalog

International human rights law established the norms, jurisprudence and legal infrastructure necessary to promote the implementation of international human rights standards. This course introduces key substantive and institutional issues and explores the establishment of standards, international human rights treaties, their implementation mechanisms and the expanding body of jurisprudence that make up this discipline at the crossroads of law and development.

Covers the formal structure of the international legal order; sources, uses and dynamics of law in international relations; use of force, war crimes; the status and functions of states, governments, international organizations, companies, and individuals; law of the sea, environment, jurisdiction, aliens, human rights, the diplomatic process and its protection, and treaties. Discusses theory and future directions of international law. This course is crosslisted with Politics.

Students will examine the legal process and the legal environment within which business must operate, as well as the interrelationship of government and business. Students develop an understanding of the methods by which legal decisions are formulated as they affect both individual rights and business transactions.

Briefly examines the great legal families in the world: Common Law, Civil Law, Socialist Law, and Islamic Law. Within the Civil Law family, emphasizes French Contract Law and then explores the law of the European Union. Studies the legal aspects of international business transactions and uses major international and European projects to examine the principles discussed.

Courses on different topics in the discipline, enriching the present course offerings. These classes are taught by permanent or visiting faculty. Topics vary each semester.”

This class critically examines the phenomenon of transitional justice, surveying the methods used, the problems inherent therein, and the assumptions underlying the application of transitional justice tools. We will work on case studies, looking at the main actors and institutions. Particular attention will be given to the Colombian transitional justice process. Students will be required to work individually and in groups.

This foundational course introduces the student to the nature, major principles, processes and institutions of the international legal system, the relationship between international and domestic law and the role of law in promoting world public order. Students will acquire an understanding of the conceptual issues underlying this discipline and a critical appreciation of how law interacts with contemporary world politics. Topics include the creation and status of international law, participation and competence in the international legal system, primary substantive norms such as the law regulating the use of force and enforcement procedures.