2022-2023 WCL Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Course Descriptions
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Elective Courses The law school makes all reasonable efforts to offer the following electives on a periodic basis but cannot guarantee that each course or seminar will be available to all students who wish to take it during their law school careers. More precise information on the courses and seminars that will be offered in a given semester, including those not listed here, is available from the registrar during the preregistration and general registration periods. |
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LAW - 809 The United States Trade Regime
(3 hrs.)
Provides thorough exposure to the U.S. trade regime. Course coverage includes the legal (including constitutional) framework underlying U.S. participation in trade initiatives; the practical realities of power-sharing in the trade field between the political branches of the U.S. government; the relationship between international obligations and U.S. law in the trade field; the limited but important role of the U.S. judiciary in adjudicating trade matters; the basic U.S. statutory and regulatory frameworks for regulation of imports and exports, as well as export promotion; the process by which discretionary determinations occur day-to-day in the many areas of trade regulation that are not tightly governed by law; and various federal-state issues in the trade field arising from the federal structure of the United States. While substantive WTO law is not included, the course does focus significant attention on U.S. implementation of WTO norms and commitments as well as U.S. participation, both offensively and defensively, in WTO dispute settlement proceedings. The course also covers several domestic U.S. laws and policies that are directly related to trade and concludes with a unit on practical aspects of advocacy work in the international trade field in Washington, D.C.
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LAW - 810A Communications Law and Information Policy
(2 hrs.)
This course provides a general overview of the legal and public policy issues in domestic regulation of the communications industry. Areas of study include broadcasting, satellite, telephone, wireless, and broadband services.
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LAW - 811 Health Care Compliance Practicum
(2 hrs)
This course examines fraud and abuse in the delivery of health care and the practical applications of federal and state Anti-Kickback Laws, the federal physician self-referral law (Stark), the federal civil monetary penalty and exclusion laws, and the federal False Claims Act. The intersection of fraud and abuse laws with food and drug law and medical device and pharmaceutical regulation will also be probed. All content will be studied from the perspectives of compliance, transactions, and enforcement. The in-class time for this course will be structured to be primarily experiential in nature with the emphasis on conducting simulations, analyzing mock client hypotheticals and practicing oral and written communication and presentation skills. Instructor permission LAW-719B or LAW-648
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LAW - 817D International Rule Making & Dispute Settlement
(2 hrs.)
This course focuses on the rule-making role of international organizations. The unit on the WTO provides an overview of the substantive areas of international economic law covered in the text of the WTO Agreements, focusing on the WTO dispute settlement system. The unit on IP in the Multilateral System includes comparative study of international treaties on IP covering contemporary debates around the role of IP in development in collaboration with the WIPO academy, incorporating UNCTAD and other related bodies.
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LAW - 821A Legislation
(2-3 hrs.)
This course introduces students to the doctrine and theory of statutory interpretation in the modern regulatory state. The intention is to help students learn generalization skills that help in dealing with all types of statutes.
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LAW - 824WL Water Law
(3 hrs.)
This course examines federal and state water law, addressing issues of both water quantity and water quality. The course explores federal laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act; state doctrines of prior appropriation, instream water rights, and nuisance; and rules governing transboundary watercourses.
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LAW - 837 Commercial Leasing
(2 hrs.)
This course deals with leases extended to tenants in shopping centers and office buildings. Its focus is client-oriented, either from the perspective of tenants or landlords. It is a course on leasehold transactions, focusing on the negotiations for a lease. This is an important area within the practice of real estate transactions, one in which many attorneys in this region engage, and in which some specialize.
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LAW - 839 Sales
(2 hrs.)
Covers the rules and principles of Uniform Commercial Code Article 2 governing sales of goods. It serves as both a review of major principles from first-year contracts and an introduction to commercial law and the rights and liabilities of parties to sales contracts in contemporary commercial contexts. Students consider the scope and policy objectives of UCC Article 2 as they learn to apply provisions of the code to problems involving a wide range of issues such as contract formation, warranties, and performance obligations. This course covers some aspects of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and UCC Article 5 (letters of credit) to expose students to legal and logistical issues that arise as goods are bought and sold across national borders. The course also covers finance leases under UCC Article 2A (leases); engages students in distinguishing sales, leases, and secured loans; and introduces students to general principles and objectives of the UCC.
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LAW - 840 Secured Transactions
(3-4 hrs.)
In ordinary language, this course is about the law of lending and borrowing money, especially when there is collateral involved. More precisely, the course covers the law of secured lending, focusing on loans secured by personal property as governed by Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Students are introduced to the creation, perfection, priority, enforcement, and avoidance of security interests, and to the policies underlying the system of secured credit. Some attention is given to basic principles of finance and business, and to the extent time allows, to loans secured by real property (mortgages) and to transactional lawyers’ roles and skills. The course also covers some general principles of bankruptcy law as they relate to security interests. No prior knowledge of business, finance, economics, or bankruptcy is required.
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LAW - 844 Advanced Environmental Law: Liability and Torts
(3 hrs.)
The course focuses on advanced issues in liability under federal environmental law, particularly advanced issues relating to Superfund, and arising under the common law of torts. Additionally, the course presents issues of environmental federalism, including commerce clause and choice of law issues arising in environmental cases.
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LAW - 846 E-Commerce Law and Drafting
(2 hrs.)
This course focuses on the practical legal and drafting issues facing authors, developers, licensors, and licensees of software and/or of digital content. Topics include the provisions of a wide variety of contracts, licenses, and agreements; copyright, patent, and trade secret protection; privacy and security concerns; roles and responsibilities of system operators and service providers; “open source” and other business models; and the regulation of emerging technology of electronic commerce.
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LAW - 851 Climate Change and the Law
(3 hrs.)
This interdisciplinary course examines climate change, the most important environmental issues of our day. It focuses on the science of climate change, the U.S. domestic response, and international efforts to curb greenhouse pollution. The course will also include various simulations, including multilateral negotiations and federal moot courts. Finally, the course will consider whether and to what extent global warming represents a threat to our current social fabric and will analyze potential solutions or mitigation devices available to lawyers and other policymakers. While knowledge of environmental law is not mandatory as a prerequisite, statutory and administrative interpretation of various U.S. laws will be a central component of the course.
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LAW - 855 Patent Prosecution
(2 hrs. )
Focuses on the realities of the U.S. Patent Office and the specific issues relating to the preparing, prosecuting, and securing of a U.S. patent. The course is based on case law from the U.S. Supreme Court, Federal Circuit, Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, and Patent Office Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences. To prosecute patents properly and represent inventors before the U.S. Patent Office, knowledge of the above court decisions and how those decisions relate to each other in terms of similarities and inconsistencies is imperative. Prerequisite: Patent Law (LAW-688).
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LAW - 856 Corporate Finance
(3 hrs.)
Introduces fundamental concepts of corporate finance, the financing of corporate activities, and the basics of the internal capital structure of the corporation. The course focuses on the legal aspects of finance and capital structure. Prerequisite: Business Associations (LAW-611).
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LAW - 858 Aviation Law: Domestic and International Aspects
(2 hrs.)
Examines the legal framework for the international aviation industry, including the relevant multilateral agreements; the current debate over the future of bilateral aviation agreements and U.S. “open skies” policies; economic and competition rules governing the industry; airline alliances and other commercial arrangements; and international aviation safety, security, and liability issues.
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LAW - 861 Economic, Social, and Cultural Human Rights
(2 hrs.)
A close examination of the content and enforcement of the rights to food, water, housing, education, health, “social security,” and work, grounded in the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. The course examines the increasing case law, both international and domestic, demonstrating the justiciability of these rights and the relationship of ESCRs to globalization and other economic issues.
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LAW - 870 Temas Especiales en Derecho Internacional
(1 - 3 hrs.)
This course addresses sources and subjects of international law, the international responsibilities of states, peaceful settlement of disputes, and rights and obligations of individuals under international law. Open only to students who have not taken public international law in English or Spanish. (Taught in Spanish)
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LAW - 870B Litigation and Advocacy in Human Rights Law
(2 hrs)
This course offers diverse perspectives on international and domestic advocacy in human rights and the interaction between the two spheres, the role of NGOs and the importance of international mechanisms of supervision. It addresses the role of non-state actors in the development of international human rights law and the relevance of legal mechanisms and organs of adjudication in the work of the human rights activist. (Taught in Spanish)
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LAW - 870C Domestic Implementation of Human Rights Law
(2 hrs)
This course provides, an extensive look into the problems that the implementation of international obligations presents for States. The first part of the course provides a general introduction to constitutional and international law regarding international obligations of implementation and its counterparts at the domestic level. The second part examines particular challenges of implementation of international human rights obligations. The third part focuses on judicial implementation of international human rights duties by different tribunals and judges in Latin America. (Taught in Spanish)
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LAW - 872 Regulatory Law & Policy
(2 hrs.)
This course provides an overview of the regulatory process, including the rationale for regulatory programs and reasons for ending or deregulating them, how and why Congress creates or abolishes agencies, how agencies administer their statutory programs, and alternatives to traditional regulations. In addition, it will consider business regulation as a way to address market failures, including natural monopoly, externalities, or problems arising from costly or asymmetric information. Administrative Law (LAW-601) preferred.
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LAW - 885 Construction Law
(2 hrs.)
Construction law incorporates sophisticated legal issues with practice areas that reach across the U.S. economy. Construction matters routinely include contract law, labor relations, litigation and dispute resolution, government contracting, administrative law, and ethics. Private law firms, in house legal departments and government agencies continually hire graduates for their construction groups, yet students often have a negligible introduction to the field and are often not prepared for the nuances and scope of the work. In this class, we explore the law of the construction industry with case studies and student discussions, along with site visits and tours of subcontractor facilities
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LAW - 927 International Trafficking in Persons
(3 hrs.)
Examines the legal issues related to the trafficking of persons from an international and comparative perspective. Topics include forced labor, the exploitation of immigrant females for domestic services, the sale of children and irregular intercountry adoption, and the sale of wives legalized by transnational marriages. Students will consider the international trafficking prohibitions of the various international conventions, analyze legislative texts of domestic trafficking laws of selected jurisdictions worldwide, and analyze the U.S. statutes prohibiting trafficking in human beings.
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LAW - 929B Advanced Legal Research: Intellectual Property
(2 hr.)
This course provides the techniques and skills to research IP topics in a variety of settings, including law practice and clerking. In-class research assignments and database searching will be an integral component of the course. We will research in the topical areas of patents, trademarks, copyright, trade secrets, licensing and international IP. You will learn how to develop a research plan for different types of questions and how to identify the best and most-cost effective research sources.
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LAW - 933 Civil Rights and Remedies
(3 hrs.)
Federal courts have for many years struggled with the use of factors like race, sex, and disability when crafting remedies for civil rights violations. When there has been discrimination against groups or persons based on race, national origin, sex, or disability, courts have had to use these factors when providing remedies for that illegal conduct. Normally, under the law, race, national origin, sex, or disability should not be a basis for determining whether a person gets a job, education, housing, or any other governmental or private benefit or service. When courts must craft remedies for discrimination that has denied people benefits or services based on race, national origin, sex, or disability, courts have had to take care in crafting such remedies so as not to affect other people unfairly based on their race, national origin, sex, or disability (or lack of disability). The course will discuss ever-changing legal landscape of the permissible uses of race, national origin, sex and disability in the context of current civil rights litigation in areas such as school desegregation, affirmative action, employment discrimination, housing discrimination, voting practices, and police misconduct, as well as laws regarding the treatment of persons with disabilities.
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LAW - 962A Licensing Intellectual Property
(3 hrs.)
Millions of patents, trademarks and copyrights are in force around the world, but very few will ever be litigated. Why, then, do companies and individuals spend scarce resources to procure these intellectual property assets? The answer, in large part, is licensing. Licensing is the principal means for deriving commercial value from intellectual property today. In this course, we will explore the practice and theory of intellectual property licensing in industries ranging from computer software, electronics and biotechnology to music, consumer goods and multimedia. In addition to licenses, we will cover related IP-based transactions such as materials transfers, joint ventures, patent pools and mergers & acquisitions. Throughout the course we will address the substantive legal doctrines that affect IP transactions including misuse, exhaustion, bankruptcy, and enforcement. The class will include several practice-oriented exercises such as contract review, analysis and negotiation. A basic understanding of intellectual property law (either through the IP survey or one or more advanced IP courses) is required.
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LAW - 967 Immigration Issues: Employment and Family
(2 hrs.)
Specifically addresses family- and employment-based immigration topics and provides students with an in-depth, practice-oriented look at both the issues and the procedures involved in handling family- and employment-based immigration cases.
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LAW - 969 International Trade Law II
(2 hrs.)
The course builds upon what has been discussed in International Trade Law I by going beyond trade in goods to international trade in services (GATs) and trade aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS). The focus of discussions will be the WTO system while regional trading arrangements will be in terms of their relationship with the global trading system and can serve as focus for the papers. The latter part of the course focuses on the impact of international trade rules on governance (both domestic and global) including, but not limited to, its attempt to harmonize rules with emphasis on transparency in administration of trade regulation. It examines the conflicting values that the WTO system promotes (or is intended to promote), the different interests who seek to influence the WTO mandate and, given the legacy of colonialism, the implications of such efforts for North-South relations and global harmony.
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LAW - 972 Investment Treaty Arbitration
(2 hrs.)
This course focuses on issues arising out of international arbitration involving investment treaties, including bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and multilateral investment treaties such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Against the backdrop of arbitration decisions, this course deals with substantive issues, procedural considerations, and applicable law when handling these arbitrations in the development of international law.
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LAW - 972S Investor-State Arbitration
(1 hr.)
Provides an overview of arbitration under Investment Treaties, including NAFTA (chapter 11) arbitration and ICSID Arbitration of Disputes. The course also addresses ‘hot topics’ in Investor-State Arbitration including transparency and third party participation, denial of justice and resort to local courts, provisional measures, parallel proceeding and diplomatic protection, substantive issues in annulment proceedings, proposals for appeal mechanisms and enforcement if awards.
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LAW - 973 International Contracts and Sales
(2-3 hrs.)
This course covers many facets of the international commercial sales of goods. It is meant to be realistic and practical, and for that reason includes comparative as well as international law. The focus of the course is the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), with comparisons to domestic systems in both the common law (especially UCC Article 2) and the civil law (mainly French and German systems). The class also covers typical payment and credit terms with particular attention to letters of credit. In addition, the course addresses transportation of the goods and the risk of loss. The course emphasizes not only the different rules of domestic and international law but also the varying legal cultures, attitudes, and perspectives of the lawyers and businesses who participate in these transactions, as well as the commercial realities of doing business in multiple countries.
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LAW - 976 Business Immigration Law
(2 hrs.)
An in-depth review of the law, policies, and procedures regulating the entry of foreign nationals into the United States for employment purposes. Students will examine the various avenues and challenges under existing law for U.S. employers to hire and retain foreign national workers in light of periodic national personnel shortages, an increasingly global labor market, and pressures for legislative reform. Students will also familiarize themselves with the federal agencies which regulate the allowance of temporary and permanent immigration benefits in business, employment, and investment contexts and develop insight into the legal processes and procedures for obtaining those benefits. The course will also address related issues, such as post-9/11 security policies, undocumented workers, employer compliance with federal employment eligibility verification requirements, and, to a lesser extent, the intersection of immigration and employment law.
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LAW - 993 Adoption Law Policy and Practice
(3 hrs)
Examines the current legal regime governing both domestic and intercountry adoption. It will also delve into historical and current policy debates in the field, and explore how the current practice of domestic and intercountry adoption adheres to, and deviates from, the purposes of the laws and regulations applicable to the field. The course will also explore issues of human rights and children’s rights, exploring whether current law protects the interests of the parties, and how adoption necessarily involves complex issues of class, race, gender, and economic disparities. This course is practical and valuable for those who wish to practice family law, as well as those who serve populations of women that would consider placing children for adoption, and international populations that might be at risk of exploitation.
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Elective Seminars The law school makes all reasonable efforts to offer the following electives on a periodic basis but cannot guarantee that each course or seminar will be available to all students who wish to take it during their law school careers. More precise information on the courses and seminars that will be offered in a given semester, including those not listed here, is available from the registrar during the preregistration and general registration periods. |
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LAW - 635A National Security Law: Use of Force
(2 hrs.)
In this seminar we focus on the state’s use of force for the purposes of national security. We begin with an overview of the constitutional separation of national security powers. We look at the various sources of national security power and the constraints upon it. Rather than providing a superficial survey, this course will offer a more indepth analysis of the use of force, as well as U.S. detention and interrogation power.
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LAW - 676a Gender and International & Comparative Law
(2 hrs.)
Gender, International, and Comparative Law introduces students to women’s rights and LGBTQ rights within international and domestic legal frameworks around the world. Students will learn how gender constructs are shaped by and in turn shape domestic legal systems, as well as law and policy-making in international bodies. Using an intersectional, transnational, and comparative approach, students will explore topics such as the gender mainstreaming, legality of the person, access to justice, sexual and reproductive rights, women’s political participation, access to decision-making bodies, development paradigms, migration, and trafficking in persons.
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LAW - 678 The Law of Amateur Sports
(3 hrs)
The Law of Amateur Sports explores legal and regulatory issues involved in our nation’s unique and complex amateur sports law industry. In this course, we will examine youth, high school, and collegiate sport and consider how amateurism is defined and how it should be defined in the sports context.
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LAW - 679A Advanced International Investment and Commercial Dispute Resolution Seminar
(2 hrs)
This advanced research seminar focuses on topical and current issues involved in the resolution of international investment and commercial disputes. The seminar permits students to focus on multiple dispute resolution options (including mediation, arbitration, and litigation before national courts or international tribunals), the applicable law (including international law, national law, and private contracts), the theory, and the policy considerations within the area of international investment and commercial law disputes. English
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LAW - 682 Critical Race Theory
More than three decades ago, a new scholarly movement developed in the legal academy. This movement, Critical Race Theory, challenged the style and substance of conventional legal scholarship. Critical Race Theory is a diverse interdisciplinary field, which critiques the “objectivist” approach to the law and legal systems. Some of the better-known early advocates of this movement include Derrick Bell, Mari Matsuda, Charles Lawrence, Richard Delgado, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Patricia Williams. Critical race scholars have rejected traditional legal methods of addressing systemic racial inequities such as pursuing formal equality, individual rights, and colorblind methods. Instead, critical race scholars have sought to show that the law is socially constructed and as such is influenced by institutional and individual perspectives. Scholars have also argued that race, class, gender, and sexual orientation have always played a critical role in legal outcomes. In putting forth such arguments, critical race scholars often employed new styles for legal scholarship, which include storytelling and narrative. This course examines the genesis of Critical Race Theory and explores its possibilities and limitations. This investigation requires thinking carefully about race and racism, as well as classism, sexism, and heterosexism. The course should provide an opportunity to challenge basic assumptions about race, law, and racial justice. We will do so in a respectful and collegial environment. Topics we will study may include racial identity, the social construction of race, education, criminal justice, employment discrimination, and national security issues.
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LAW - 700C Contemporary Topics in Administrative Law
(2 hrs.)
This Seminar will survey 12 important and timely issues of administrative law-regulation, adjudication, rulemaking, and judicial review.
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LAW - 707 Advanced Constitutional Law
(2 hrs.)
Selected problems in constitutional law. Includes consideration of major recent decisions, as well as debates about modern constitutional theory.
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LAW - 707A The Supreme Court
(2-3 hrs.)
The focus of the course is the study of the Supreme Court as an institution: how the justices shape their docket and decide the cases. The aim is to provide a thorough understanding of the Court’s processes so that students may evaluate the way the justices do their work, what influences and pressures matter, when compromise is necessary and how that is accomplished, and what impact these factors have on substantive legal outcomes. Prerequisite: LAW-503 Constitutional Law
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LAW - 708 Race, Crime, and Politics
(2-3 hrs.)
Examines the historical development and practical impact of race and politics on the criminal justice system from initial street encounters with the police to the imposition of the death penalty. Selected case profiles, in-depth documentaries, and other materials are used to explore the problems of wrongful convictions and other miscarriages of justice. Students discuss and evaluate a variety of legislative and judicial reforms designed to eliminate and remedy the problems of racism in the criminal justice system.
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LAW - 712A Human Rights Litigation Seminar
(2 hrs.)
Provides students with the opportunity to participate in litigation involving myriad issues of law that synthesize and build on first-year doctrinal courses and require creative analysis and complex research. Work centers on several pro bono human rights cases, and students will draw upon torts, contracts, property, constitutional law, evidence, international law, civil procedure, federal courts, and criminal law, among other areas. Instructor permission required. Instructor permission required Human Rights Litigation Fieldwork (LAW-712B)
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LAW - 714 Advanced International Humanitarian Law
(2-3 hrs)
This course explores selected international humanitarian law topics of special relevance to current developments in the laws that govern armed conflict. This course also focuses on the contemporary international conflicts, future threats, and their impact on the application of International Humanitarian Law. English
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LAW - 715 Disability and the Law
(2-3 hrs.)
Explores the ways in which the legal system deals (and has dealt) with people with disabilities in such areas as employment, education, housing, institutionalization, transportation, and health. Students look at historical and contemporary depictions of people with disabilities, case law, and statutes, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Fair Housing Act Amendments of 1988.
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LAW - 718 Health Care Corporate Compliance and Governance
(1-2hrs)
This course examines corporate compliance and governance for health care organizations. Students will apply key compliance guidance and principles, including the seven elements of an effective compliance program, to case studies from the health care and pharmaceutical industries. With regards to corporate governance, the course will provide an overview of fiduciary duties and the specific challenges faced in the health care industry. English
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LAW - 719 Advanced Topics in Health Law
(2 hrs.)
Students will examine and debate various advanced issues in health law and food and drug law, such as: legal issues posed by developments in health care technology, financing, delivery, and reimburstment; and the regulation of food, drugs, dietary supplements, cosmetics, medical devices, human biologic products, animal food, animal drugs, and tobacco products. Prerequisite: Either Food and Drug Law (LAW 648) or Health Law and Policy (LAW 640) or with instructor permission
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LAW - 719B Health Care Fraud and Abuse: Contracting and Compliance
(3 hrs.)
This course examines fraud and abuse in the delivery of health care through discussions of the criminal and civil laws and regulations that combat various forms of health care fraud. This course explores the implications of the federal and state Anti-Kickback Laws, the federal physician self-referral law (Stark), the federal civil monetary penalty and exclusion laws, and the federal and state false claims acts. Emphasis will be placed on federal laws, but state law issues will also be considered. In addition, this course will consider voluntary and mandatory fraud and abuse compliance as well as the complexities and challenges that arie in developing and maintaining an effective compliance program.
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LAW - 719C Health Care Mergers and Acquisitions
(2 hrs)
This course covers the traditional medical liability system, providing practical insights into how to bring, pursue, defend and resolve a medical liability claim. The course will also examine tort reform and alternatives to the traditional medical liability system.
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LAW - 721 Law of the Sea
(2-3 hrs.)
Combines a traditional overview of the law of the sea with a focus on contemporary issues such as environmental preservation, fisheries management, public enjoyment, and resource exploitation. To achieve this balance, the course will explore a number of case studies, including the Spratley Island dispute involving China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines; the Caspian Sea hydrocarbon dispute; and the Malaysian-Indonesian dispute recently submitted to the International Court of Justice. Particular emphasis will be placed on the interrelationship between international law and policy, noting how law shapes policy outcomes and how policy choices shape the development of law.
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LAW - 725A International Protection of Human Rights
(2-3 hrs.)
Explores the interrelationships between U.S. and international law; contested or ambiguous moral values; and U.S. foreign policy ends, means, and processes as they affect efforts to defend and promote human rights. The course is designed to provide information on the substantive norms of human rights, the philosophic basis for the concept of rights and the leading points of controversy about the existence or character of certain rights that appear in conventional enumerations, the subtle and not-so-subtle ways in which ideological and material interests influence the definition and enforcement of rights, and the ways in which policy makers attempt to reconcile the demand for human rights enforcement with more traditional foreign policy objectives.
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LAW - 725B Gender and Human Rights
(3 hrs.)
The primary purpose of this course is to explore issues in international human rights law as they relate to concepts of gender, gender identity and intersectionality, as well as their application and enforceability. In a participatory way, the course will examine the underlying assumptions, principles, and approaches of universal and regional international human rights instruments and bodies regarding gender, relations, gender-based violence and discrimination. The course will review emerging issues in international human rights such as sexual reproductive rights, rights of women with disabilities, international protection of trans persons, among others. The evaluation will consist of a take-home exam or the drafting of an advocacy document.
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LAW - 725C Regional Approaches to Human Rights
(3 hrs.)
Studies the role of regional human rights protection organs (Courts and Commissions) and analyzes how these bodies function. The approach will be practice-oriented, in an attempt to familiarize prospective lawyers with how to gain access to these treaty bodies and how successfully to litigate cases before them. The course follows a comparative approach between the universal systems of protection devised at the United Nations’ machinery of human rights protection and the regional systems for the protection of human rights created in Europe, the Americas and Africa, as well as the emerging system in the ASEAN countries. There will be some analysis of proposals for improvement of the regional systems as well as of prospects for the creation of a regional system where none yet exists.
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LAW - 725R International Justice for Human Rights Violations
(2 hrs)
This course explores human rights accountability from different angles. First, the course examines the development of amnesty laws under international human rights law, the duty to investigate and prosecute, and the interaction between domestic and international human rights principles and procedures. Second, the course explores the advantages of universal jurisdiction. The course addresses development of international criminal tribunals. Overall, this course will examine the historical evolution of the notion of human rights accountability, and the related tensions between the pursuit of justice and realpolitik.
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LAW - 726 Development, Finance, the World Bank, and IFIs
(2 hrs.)
Study of the principal international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
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LAW - 731 Real Estate Planning
(3 hrs.)
Examines business planning and workouts for real estate transactions and contract, corporate, tax, bankruptcy, and real property law. The course is conducted through the problem method, with all problems centering on commercial transactions involving shopping centers, office buildings, or subdivisions.
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LAW - 737 International Institutions and Environmental Protection
(2 hrs.)
The course surveys the role law and lawyers play in international institutions that affect environmental protection and sustainable development. The course includes site visits to hear from practitioners at such organizations as the World Bank, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Organization of American States and the Center for Interntional Environmental Law.
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LAW - 739 Advanced Human Rights
(3 hrs.)
Considers the scope of a selected group of relevant human rights recognized in international conventions and analyzes how the protections afforded by those treaties operate in actual practice. Students analyze the case law developed by international supervisory bodies, such as the Human Rights Committee, under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights, under the American Convention on Human Rights, and the European Court of Human Rights, under the European Convention on Human Rights. Also, we will study selected decisions of domestic courts that apply international human rights law or raise human rights issues relevant for the topics covered in class. Next, they study the scope of the restrictions applicable to human rights obligations as well as the doctrines of deference applied by international bodies when supervising state compliance with those obligations. As part of this section, students focus on the notion of state of emergency and derogation of human rights obligations. Third, they analyze the scope of core rights protected by civil and political rights conventions, namely the right to liberty and security of person, the right not to be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the right to a remedy and the right to a fair trial. As part of the existing challenges to the protection of human rights, students explore the concept of universal jurisdiction and study the relationship between international human rights law and international humanitarian law, particularly in the context of the ongoing war against terrorism. Finally, students consider the scope of protection afforded to certain vulnerable groups.
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LAW - 739A Human Rights and Terrorism
(3 hrs.)
Examines the impact that key laws and policies adopted in the US and other countries after the 9/11 attacks have had globally on the rule of law, international human rights and, where applicable, international humanitarian law, (the law of armed conflict). Among the topics that students will explore are: Can respect for human rights actually assist counter-terrorism efforts? Are past experiences with terrorism relevant to the contemporary terrorist threat? Should terrorist suspects ever be subjected to torture? What are the significance and consequences of the US War on Terror? Have the enhanced powers of intelligence services world-wide and intelligence sharing contributed to serious human rights violations, such as torture? What impact have counter-terrorism measures had on the civilian justice system? Should military or special courts try terrorist suspects? The assigned reading are global in scope, drawing on cases from, inter alia, the US, the United Kingdom and human rights treaty bodies, such as the European Court of Human Rights, and the reports and publications of Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists and other respected NGOs.
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LAW - 739D Women and International Human Rights Law
(2 hrs)
This course addresses the challenges of achieving the international legal protection of the human rights of women. It reviews how international and regional human rights conventions, especially the American Convention on Human Rights, have been applied to prevent, punish and remedy the violations of women’s rights in different tribunals. It examines how the norm of the prohibition of all forms of discrimination against women has been applied, and how it might be more effectively applied in particular sectors. It explores how feminist theories, empirical data, and narratives might be used to expose women’s experiences of injustice. The course aims to go beyond a formalistic understanding of international legal obligations in order to examine different approaches to fostering compliance with the human rights of women in different cultures and religious traditions.
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LAW - 739S Human Rights and Development
(2 hrs)
These fields in theory, applied research and practice. Many bilateral and multilateral aid organizations, non-governmental organizations and development, workers now profess to implement “rights-based approaches” to development, which have been welcomed in some sectors, but not all. There will be a strong institutional focus to the course, with a close look at the roles and functions of United Nations development agencies, international development and financial institutions including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, transnational corporations and business entities, set against political debates on human rights and development in inter-governmental bodies. Finally, consideration will be given to accountability mechanisms at global, national and local levels, where innovative and practical synergies between human rights and development might be identified.
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LAW - 742 Poverty Law
(3 hrs.)
Focuses on the theory and practice of poverty law. The class begins with a consideration of what is poverty and how poverty is measured. It then explores how antipoverty policy in the United States has changed over time as well as some of the significant themes of poverty law, including deserving vs. undeserving poor, individual vs.collective approaches, in-kind vs. direct forms of support, and the power and limits of the law as a tool. The class covers the most significant poverty law cases and the move from federal to state litigation strategies. A range of antipoverty programs and topics: welfare, work housing health, edfduation, riminalization of poverty, access to justice, antipoverty market approaches, and human rights also are covered.
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LAW - 743 Regulation of Derivatives
(2-3 hrs.)
Current problems in laws and regulations affecting derivatives trading in financial markets, including exchange-traded and over-the-counter transactions. Topics include the interaction of securities and commodity trading regulations, regulation of market participants, powers of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to regulate and enforce compliance with the laws and regulations governing derivatives, developments in self-regulation, and private rights of action.
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LAW - 745 Pension and Employee Benefit Law
(3 hrs.)
Provides an introduction to the federal regulation of the pension system and evaluates the policy underpinnings of the current system of pension regulation. It will focus on the legal rights established to protect individual employees as well as the requirements designed to produce equitable treatment for rank and file employees. Although most of the applicable requirements are contained in the tax law, we also examine certain nontax questions, such as issues of age and sex discrimination in the pension system, medical care for retirees, and fiduciary responsibilities under ERISA.
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LAW - 746 Advanced Tax Policy
(2 hrs.)
Selected tax problems, including pension plans, foreign tax problems, advanced corporate tax, exempt organizations, tax policy, administration, estate planning, and problems of legal research unique to the field of taxation. Prerequisite: Federal Personal Income Tax (LAW-647).
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LAW - 774 Bioethics
(2-3 hrs.)
This course examines how the law reconciles conflicting values and interests in medicine, public health, and other life sciences. Topics include legal issues regarding the beginning and end of life, allocation of scarce medical resources, and compliance with regulatory requirements applicable to research on human and animal subjects.
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LAW - 775 Labor Migration and the Global Economy
(3 hrs.)
Explores the dynamics of labor migration in the global economy, and efforts by governments and international institutions to manage this migration. The course will examine and assess diverse law and policy interventions designed to maximize the potential benefits and minimize the related costs of labor migration for countries (of origin and of destination) and the migrants themselves. The course begins with an in-depth look of the patterns and practices of global labor migration into both formal and informal labor sectors, focusing on the emigration push and immigration pull factors that lead individuals to migrate and governments to facilitate and encourage the migration. The course also looks to the growing role of recruitment agencies in facilitating the migration in response to increased border controls worldwide and its impact on the conditions of migrant work. Having established an understanding of the dynamics of global labor migration, the course examines international, regional, and national legal frameworks targeting migrant work, with an eye to identifying the gaps in coverage and implementation challenges. The course then assesses alternative law and policy interventions proposed and implemented to better manage labor migration and protect migrant workers. The course will include a strong gender perspective on these issues, analyzing the causes of the increasing feminization of migration for work, including the feminization of poverty and the social construction of demand for migrant women’s labor.
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LAW - 783 Property and the Environment
(2-3 hrs.)
This course examines the law of property and its relationship to the environment. Students will be challenged to read and think in a sustained way about property and its relationship to environmental concerns. The course is divided into three parts: (i) property and the social or cultural environment, (ii) property and the built environment, and (iii) property and the natural environment.
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LAW - 795 Special Topics
(2-3 hrs.)
These seminars afford qualified students an opportunity to participate in selected non-recurring topics courses based on areas of faculty research. They are offered on an ad hoc basis with the subject matter of the seminar approved by the Office of Academic Affairs.
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LAW - 812 Elder Law: Policy and Practice
(2 hrs.)
Explores issues confronting the elder law practitioner and examines policy issues concerning law and aging in America. Students acquire a basic working knowledge of various elder law issues, including planning for incapacity, guardianship, social security, Medicare coverage, and long-term care planning. The seminar also focuses on public policy issues, such as autonomy versus the need for protective action, death and dying, and the extent of medical and income protection for the senior population.
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LAW - 813 Comparative Environmental Law
(3 hrs.)
This course presents different environmental protection laws, cases, and policies from the United States, Europe, and developing countries. The course covers the major components of a modern environmental legal system, including environmental impact assessment, access to environmental information, constitution-based rights to environmental protection, environmental courts, environmental standard setting, and environmental enforcement. The approach is practical, to emphasize the complexity and trade-offs inherent in designing and implementing environmental law and policy.
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LAW - 818 Contributions to the ICC
(1 hr)
The course will address organization of the ICC Court and its Secretariat; main aspects of the ICC Rules of Arbitration (2017 version) and, will use specific ICC cases to illustrate how procedural and substantive law issues are dealt with in practice in ICC arbitration.
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LAW - 821B Legislative Process
(2 hrs.)
The subject of this Class is the dynamic interaction of democratic process, individual leadership, political rhetoric, legislative institutions, the Constitution and the law governing elections. It is organized around a series of problems and inquiries designed to develop and sharpen one’s skills as a lawyer engaged in public activities and as an effective political organizer, leader or legislator.
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LAW - 822 Law, Policy, and American Intelligence Activities
(3 hrs.)
Examines the legal controls on the conduct of foreign intelligence activities by the United States, beginning with a review of what intelligence is and how it is obtained. The seminar also considers the history of United States intelligence activities in war and peace. Selected competing policy interests are identified and discussed as well. Litigation concerns inherent in national security cases also are examined.
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LAW - 828 Space Law and Satellite Communication Seminar
(3 hrs.)
Provides an overview of international and U.S. domestic law applicable to satellite communications, satellite remote sensing, launch vehicles, the space station, and other space projects. The focus is on international treaty interpretation, domestic licensing procedures for satellites and launch vehicles, launch service agreements, and satellite procurement contracts.
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LAW - 829 Trade and the Environment
(2-3 hrs.)
This course explores the legal issues arising from the interplay between international trade law and domestic and international environmental law. Topics include the trade-related limits on environmental regulations, the use of trade measures to enforce environmental standards under both international and domestic law, limits on environmental subsidies, and a review of trade-and-environment case law under the World Trade Organization and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The course may also explore environment-related decisions in international investment agreements. When taught for two (2) credits in the summer, the course will focus on regional trade issues in the Americas, including NAFTA.
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LAW - 830 Design Protection
(1 hr)
This concentrated survey will cover the protection of fashion design and industrial design (from furniture to graphical user interface) by means of intellectual property law (namely design patent, trademark, trade dress, and copyright law). This course will focus on existing protections in U.S. law, but we will also look at legislative proposals for additional protections (mostly in fashion) and make comparisons to the protection systems in other jurisdictions.
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LAW - 832 Intellectual Property Practice at the U.S. International Trade Commission
(2 hrs)
IP at the USITC examines the unique procedural and substantive issues that distinguish ITC IP investigations from litigation in US district courts. Taught by active ITC practitioners, the course seeks to provide practical litigation exercises. Students must take LAW 501 Civil Procedureor LAW 580 Introduction to American Legal Institutionsand at least one of the following classes prior to enrolling in this course:LAW 670 Intellectual Property Policy and Law, LAW 688 Patent Law, or LAW 609 U.S. Trademark Law. Other courses in International and Comparative IP and courses from the PIJIP summer sessions may also fulfill this requirement.
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LAW - 833 Trademark Practice and Procedure
(1 hr)
This course teaches students to apply their knowledge of trademark law to real-world trademark issues faced by trademark practitioners. Students will learn best practices for reviewing trademark clearance searches and preparing written clearance opinions, prosecuting applications and maintaining registrations, enforcing rights in a trademark through cease and-desist letter campaigns and other dispute strategies, and litigating trademark cases before the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and the courts. Students must take LAW 609 U.S. Trademark Law prior to enrolling in this course.
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LAW - 834 Public Health Law
(2-3 hrs.)
This course examines the legal powers and duties of the state to ensure the conditions required for people to be healthy. Students will also study individual rights and structural constraints as limitations on the power of the state to act in furtherance of the common good. Through case studies and simulations on topics such as sexually transmitted infections, antibiotic resistance, tobacco- and alcohol-related illness, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, exposure to environmental hazards, opioid overdose, motor vehicle and firearm fatalities, natural disasters, and infectious disease outbreaks, students will engage in study direct regulation, deregulation, tort liability, taxation, and spending as tools for promotion of population health, community wellbeing, and health equity.
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LAW - 835 International ADR: Global Sovereign Disputes Practicum
(3 hrs)
This course provides a series of practicums that allow students to understand and master the theoretical, practical, and strategic problems presented when a U.S. company becomes embroiled in a dispute with a foreign sovereign entity. Based upon a simulated fact-pattern with discrete modules, the course addresses the substantive and procedural aspects of resolving legal disputes with foreign states in various fora, including domestic courts, commercial and investment arbitration, and mediation. Students must take LAW 614 Alternative Dispute Resolution, LAW 661 International Business Transactions, LAW 675 Transnational Litigation, LAW 679 International Investment Law, LAW 789 International Commercial Arbitration: U.S. and Comparative Perspectives, LAW 972 Bilateral Investment Treaty Arbitrationbefore enrolling in this course. Taking this course without any of the co-requisites or pre-requisites requires permission of the instructors or WCL full-time arbitration faculty.
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LAW - 836 Computer Crime
(2 hrs.)
Explores the legal issues that judges, legislators, and prosecutors are beginning to confront as they respond to the recent explosion in computer-related crime. In particular, students consider how crimes in cyberspace will challenge traditional approaches to the investigation and prosecution of crimes that have evolved from our experience with crimes in physical space. Topics include the Fourth Amendment in cyberspace, the law of electronic surveillance, computer hacking, computer viruses, encryption, on-line economic espionage and intellectual property protection, cyber-terrorism, federal-state relations in the enforcement of computer crime laws, and civil liberties on-line.
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LAW - 838 American Courts: Structure, People, Processes, Politics
(2 hrs.)
Explores the factors that shape trial and appellate courts. These factors are of major public policy interest to all lawyers and of direct practical interest to lawyers who anticipate working in the courts temporarily as law clerks or regularly as litigators. The seminar examines court organization and structure, including court personnel; the judicial selection process and roles of executive officials, legislators, political parties, the bar, judges, and would-be judges; and the ethical rules that govern judges and mechanisms for dealing with judicial disability and misbehavior. It also considers the public and private sources of education for (and influence of) judges about basic aspects of judging as well as complex scientific and technical matters, the processes and politics of adopting and amending rules of procedure, and other such topics.
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LAW - 850 International Criminal Law
(3 hrs.)
Surveys both substantive and procedural aspects of international and transnational criminal law. Examines historical origins as well as contemporary trends in the development of international crimes. Identifies the elements of major offenses including piracy, slavery, drug trafficking, terrorism, war crimes, environmental pollution, money laundering, genocide, and aircraft hijacking and explores the incorporation of international criminal law in domestic codes. Students examine the jurisdictional and enforcement responsibilities of international, transnational, and national agencies and tribunals. An overview of international and national enforcement mechanisms and techniques and of the procedures affecting the rights of offenders and victims is included. Prerequisite: Criminal Law (LAW-507).
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LAW - 853 Advanced Energy Law
(3 hrs)
This seminar studies current energy law topics - topics that are at the forefront of public policy and debate. It focuses on the modern legislative and regulatory framework, and how federal and state regulators and policy leaders work cooperatively - or uncooperatively - to balance economic, environmental, and societal values.
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LAW - 854 International Energy Law
(3 hrs)
This course aims to provide you with an understanding of the basic principles of International Energy Law and how an independent body of knowledge is developing in this field. We will focus on how public and private international law consider the various actors, socio-economic interests, and environmental concerns associated with the exploitation of energy sources, and attempt to provide targeted legal tools and instruments that regulate energy production and consumption.
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LAW - 862 Derechos Humanos, Ambiental Desarrollo
(2 hrs)
The first part of the course focuses on the link, interdependence and international protection of human rights and environmental rights through the analysis of principles, law, doctrine and paradigmatic cases. The second part of the course exposes students to human rights issues stemming from the process of economic development, including the relationship between the right to development and human rights.
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LAW - 863 Derechos Humanos y Cortes Internacionales/Human Rights and International Tribunals
(3 hrs)
This course explores the history of international justice, the development of contemporary international courts, and the impact and relevance of these courts in the field of human rights. This course also focuses on the history of the creation of the European Human Rights System, its evolution, and its operation with and access to the European Court of Human Rights. Spanish
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LAW - 864 Public Procurement Corruption Risk & Mitigation: World Bank Practice
(1 hr)
Corruption in public contracting adds to the cost, distorts decision-making and fair competition, wastes public funds, jeopardizes sustainable development and displaces basic public services. This course analyzes procurement corruption-risks and red flags, how the World Bank and other multilateral aid agencies detect, investigate and sanction corruption, challenges for contractors and defense counsel, and the oversight role of civil society.
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LAW - 865 The US Anti-Corruption Framework: Laws, Rules & Norms
(1 hr)
This course explores key U.S. constitutional provisions, laws, regulations and institutions - as well as voluntary norms – intended to foster integrity and to prevent and sanction corruption, particularly in the public sector. It will analyze U.S. criminal laws, including on bribery and money laundering; preventive measures to promote transparency and accountability, such as ethics standards, access to information and whistleblower protection; and problematic areas, such as conflicts of interest, lobbying and campaign finance. English
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LAW - 866 Doing Business Abroad: Foreign Bribery Law & Compliance Practice
(1 hr)
Analyze the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the laws of other countries criminalizing foreign bribery, focusing on statutory provisions, prosecution, cases and settlements, and learn about private sector compliance and integrity programs and best practices and their implementation in challenging environments. Expert lecturers from the U.S. government, private
firms, corporations and non-profits bring first-hand experience to the discussions. English
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LAW - 867 Practical Aspects of Arbitration
(1 hr)
This workshop is designed to provide students with essential advocacy skills required to participate in an arbitration, including the cross-examination of witnesses. Participants will gain their skills by acting as counsel for a party to a mock arbitration under the rigorous scrutiny of a leading arbitration practitioner.
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LAW - 882 The Role of the Federal Prosecutor
(2 hrs.)
Explores the powers and responsibilities of the federal prosecutor. Focuses on how decisions are made by federal prosecutors throughout different stages of the criminal justice system, in light of legal, policy, practical, and ethical considerations. Using actual cases as well as federal statutes, guidelines, and other materials, the course will discuss the factors that influence the decisions and discretion of the federal prosecutor. The course also will examine the interaction between and among federal, state, and foreign jurisdictions, in particular the interests of competing sovereigns in the investigation and prosecution of criminal activity. Prerequisites: Criminal Law (LAW-507) and Criminal Procedure I (LAW-508). Recommended, but not required: Constitutional Law (LAW-503) and Evidence (LAW-633).
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LAW - 884 International Debt Workouts
Simulation of a cross border debt restructuring, course involves the out-of-court workout of a distressed corporation in an emerging economy. Students will act as attorneys representing a multi-national bank. Objective are to experience: 1- the legal framework related to international debt restructuring, 2- the principles and best practices of international debt restructurings, 3- legal risk analysis skills and document structuring as applied to a troubled international financial transaction, and 4- cross border negotiation strategies. Students must take LAW 611 Business Associationsprior to enrolling in this course.
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LAW - 886 Global Perspectives on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(2 hrs)
This course examines the contribution of international human rights law and process to the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, with an emphasis on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The course explores such issues as non-discrimination and reasonable accommodation, the campaign to ban institutionalization, violence against women and girls with disabilities, legal capacity, inclusive education, the health rights of people with disabilities, and disability inclusive development.
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LAW - 896 Law and the Visual Arts
(3 hrs.)
Introduces students to the full range of legal issues that arise concerning works of art, the art market, and the art world. Topics to be covered include the fate of works of art in wartime, the international trade in stolen and illegally exported cultural property, artistic freedom, censorship and state support for art and artists, copyright, moral rights and trademark rights, collectors and the art market, and art museums and their collections. Students will consider how the law has dealt with the profound question of what is art and also examine the practical legal problems of visual artists and the commercial art world relating to the protection, acquisition, exhibition, and sale of art works. Major themes of the course will be the policy balance between public and private interest, the impact of law on heritage, and the role that law plays in shaping cultural policy.
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LAW - 915 Legal Ethics for Trial Lawyers
(2-3 hrs.)
This class surveys the ethical terrain for litigators in both the criminal and civil context. The course uses case law, bar opinions, and role play exercises developed by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) to allow students to identify and resolve ethical issues through simulated exercises. This course is a practical, exercise driven course that sensitizes students to the common conflicts that arise in litigation, informs them of the rules that govern their conduct, and allows them to work through conflicts in a safe environment where mistakes are not costly to themselves or their clients. LAW-550 Legal Ethics (LAW-550) or LAW-551 Professional Responsibility: Theory and Practice
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LAW - 924 Advanced Copyright Law and Policy
(2-3 hrs.)
Focuses on recent and current controversies before Congress, the courts, and federal agencies. Topics covered include the effect of technological developments on copyright law and policy, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and more recent legislative proposals, an exploration of the legislative process in developing copyright policy, and the effect of the DMCA and other proposals on such traditional copyright principles as the doctrines of fair use and first sale. The course will explore these policy issues through and examination of relevant legislative history, statutory text, judicial review, and scholarly commentaries. Major themes of the course include the balance between public and private interest, incentive and control, technology and authorship, ownership and reasonable use, the impact of the law on society, and the role law plays in shaping cultural policy.
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LAW - 929 Advanced Legal Research
(2 hrs.)
This course builds upon basic legal research skills and prepares students to conduct sophisticated legal research in upper level courses and law practice. Topics include understanding sources of legal authority, finding and evaluating primary and secondary sources, conducting legislative history and administrative law research, using practice materials, and doing specialized topical research. Students also receive advanced training on online legal databases. Students will learn to evaluate and use various resources and develop research strategies and efficient research skills. .
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LAW - 929G Advanced Legal Writing: Gender & the Law
(2 hrs.)
The course is structured as a writing workshop/seminar. Students work through the process of selecting and researching a topic, developing a thesis, creating an annotated bibliography, drafting the paper, and, finally, revising and perfecting the paper into a quality product. While all papers will address some aspect of the intersection of gender and law, nearly all course readings will focus on the research and writing process. Students will engage in in-class exercises and weekly assignments to help them select an interesting and timely topic, develop a strong thesis, structure compelling arguments, write clear and lively prose, and get published. Students will receive extensive feedback from classmates and the instructor, as well as comment on other students’ work. Each student will select thier own topic, such as reproductive justice, family law, gender and development, women’s health, immigration, LGBTI rights, war crimes, criminal law, women’s human rights, masculinity studies, domestic violence, politics and governance, discrimination, trafficking, social welfare, or any other subject that has a nexus with gender.
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LAW - 978 Responses of International Law to Conflict-Based Sexual and Gender Violence
(2 hrs.)
Provides an overview and evaluation of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international criminal law relating to women and conflict. Specifically, the course will explore how women in times of conflict are treated under the various categories of the laws of war, such as civilians, combatants, detainees, refugees, and internally displaced persons, but also question whether these laws are sufficient to encompass the considerable variety of ways women are affected by conflict. In particular, the course will examine feminist critiques of IHL and consider the links between conflict and issues such as women’s inequality and inequitable economic and social conditions, and query whether these conditions lead to new and different types of discrimination against women in times of conflict. The course will also look at the developing jurisprudence dealing specifically with gendered violence from the ad hoc international criminal tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia and the “hybrid” or internationalized courts, as well as the provisions specifically relating to women in the Rome Statute and the practice of the International Criminal Court in implementing these provisions. The course will also examine from a critical feminist perspective, the consequences, both intended and unintended, of the prosecution of sex-based and gender-based crimes by these courts and tribunals.
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