Courses
The program introduces law students and attorneys to evolving legal
concepts and structures in Europe and in the international arena. The program
consists of three courses:
- International Economic Law: The New European Legal Order;
- International Human Rights Law: Changing Concepts, Approaches, and
Enforcement; and
- International Institutions and Sustainable Development.
Each course is worth 3 credit hours. Total credits: 6 credits (2 courses, each worth 3 credits). Students must enroll for a total of 6 credit hours. All students enrolled in the program must take the International Economic Law course. They can then select either the Human Rights or the Environmental Law course.
International Economic Law provides the students with solid instruction on new legal concepts, jurisprudence and institutions reflecting the globalization of commerce. Particular attention will be given to the expansion and operations of the European Union and its Court of Justice, the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Trade Organization, and other agencies that impact international trade and commerce. International organizations in London, Brussels, Paris and Geneva will be visited.
International Human Rights discusses legal developments, court decisions and international agreements in human rights and humanitarian law generated by substantial changes in the international order, ethnic conflicts and warfare in various regions of the world, and the more active role undertaken by the European Union, the United Nations Human Rights and Refugees Branches, the International Labor Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, among others, in addressing these problems. Relevant international organizations in Brussels, Paris and Geneva will be visited.
International Institutions and Sustainable Development focuses on the international institutions responsible for promoting environmental law and sustainable development, including the OECD, the United Nations Environment Program, the World Trade Organization, and various non-governmental organizations. International environmental institutions in Paris and Geneva will be visited. Comparative Legal Systems: The program offers all students an introduction to the English and French legal and justice systems. An entire day will be dedicated to a visit to the historic Inns of Court, the Royal Courts of Justice, and the Criminal Courts. Students will be received at the Inner Temple where a barrister will deliver a lecture on the legal profession and legal practice in England. In Paris, the National School for Judges will offer a lecture on the French Justice system. Then two young practicing attorneys will discuss the legal profession and practice in France. The students will be received at the French Supreme Court (Cour de Cassation) and tour the magnificent building.
