Public International Law - LAW 309

This course introduces students to the legal rules and institutions that govern the international political system. The course provides a formal introduction to International Law and emphasizes the relationships between law and politics in the behavior of states, institutions, and individuals in International Law. International Law is both more relevant and more interesting today than ever before. This course examines how International Law is created, how it operates, and what effect it has on these and other issues in contemporary international relations. The first part of the course examines the nature, sources, and methods of International Law, the relationship between International Law and Domestic Law, the determination of international responsibility and the revolution of international disputes, and the bases of national jurisdiction over international conduct, the key institutional actors, and the relationship between International Law and international systems. In the second part of the course students will have the opportunity to study select substantive fields of International Law, including the rise of force and the laws of war, human rights, international criminal law, and international trade law. Where relevant, the course will follow current events.

Language of Instruction: English (legal terms, however, are also given in Arabic and French).