Categories: International and Comparative Law

Instructor(s)

Huneeus, Alexandra

Course Data

Room 3253
MW 11:00am-12:20pm

Pass/Fail: No

Past Grade Distributions (Fall '22 and onward)
Spring 2023 ZPO

Course Description

The course provides an introduction to public international law. We begin with an introduction to the international legal system, which differs from our national legal system in intriguing ways. As we learn the primary rules and institutions that govern this unique legal system, we ask the fundamental questions: Where does international law come from? Whom does it govern? How is it enforced? How is it different from domestic law? Once we master the basics, we turn, in Unit II, to the question of how this international system interacts with our more familiar national legal system. While our main focus will be on foreign affairs law of the United States, we will also look at other countries’ foreign affairs law. In Unit III, we turn to specific substantive areas of international law, focusing on current topics, such as the international response to the crisis in Syria (humanitarian law and international criminal law).

Learning Outcomes - At the end of the course, students will have acquired a basic understanding of:
1. International law, including major policy concerns;
2. Doctrinal analysis of source materials, including close reading of cases and treaties, and application to facts;
3. The historical development of international law and international legal institutions.

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