International Law

This course will provide the global studies student with an introductory understanding of the role of public international law in international affairs. Each session will focus on an important aspect of the discipline and will reveal how and why international law affects world affairs in such a profound way. Among the questions addressed are: How are disputes between states settled and what mechanism does international law provide for their resolution? What are the sources of international law? Who is bound by it? How is it interpreted? When may a state apply its own laws extraterritorially? The course will examine key international legal institutions such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) as well as core substantive areas including: use of force, law of the sea, law of territory, human rights, and the global environment. Discussions emphasize the importance of international law in history and in current international relations.