INTERNATIONAL LAW

Catalog description

Public International Law is the body of law that governs relations between states in the international system and increasingly regulates the treatment of individuals and corporations by states. This course introduces students to the rules, procedures, institutions, and actors involved in the development, interpretation, enforcement, and adjudication of international law. It provides a foundational understanding necessary for the practice of international and transnational law. We will examine how international law is created, interpreted, and applied, and explore how it influences (or fails to influence) the behavior of nation-states and how the law interacts with domestic law, with a particular focus on U.S. law. In addition, the course will offer a brief introduction to specific fields within international law. Emphasizing current challenges, the course will draw on contemporary issues in the international system to illustrate the operation of the international legal order.