Law Special Topics

• Course Number: LAW-299
• Course Type: see section specific details
• Credits: 1-3
• Enrollment Limit: Determined by Registrar
• Description: An in-depth study of a special topic not part of the regular curriculum. Please see the course description page for the details on the section specific course descriptions.
• Prerequisite: none
• Evaluation Method: See section details below
• Capstone: see section specific details
• WIE: see section specific details

 

Law Special Topics: Cross-Border Legal Systems - Fall 2026

Professors Susan Felstiner, Vadym Roshkanyuk, and Sukhan Stanislav Stanislavovych

• Course Type: Highly specialized and experiential

NOTE: you must notify the Registrar’s Office to manually apply this section to the Highly specialized and experiential requirements

• Credits: 1
• Description: This course compares the common law and civil law approaches to contract formation, focusing on US and Ukrainian/European Union approaches, with the goal of bridging the two legal cultures in the context of a cross-border transaction. This course is a virtual collaboration between Lewis & Clark Law School and the Uzhhorod National University, with up to ten students from each school. The course will be taught in English, although a few classes may be simultaneously translated from Ukrainian to English.

The course will first compare and contrast the foundational theories of the civil and common law, focusing on the different approaches to contract formation and interpretation. It will then analyze how those doctrinal differences affect drafting choices in cross-border transactions. Students will apply their knowledge in one or more drafting and negotiation exercises. The course will also explore the lawyer’s duty to the client in each legal system.

The course will allow students to engage deeply with a meaningful comparative issue, through which students will gain a deeper understanding of the foundational principles of their own legal system. Students will develop cross-border drafting and negotiation skills. Through collaboration with Ukrainian counterparts, students will enhance their cultural awareness and their cross-cultural communication skills. The course design will avoid duplicating the core doctrinal territory of our other business law curriculum, such as Business Associations I and II, International Business Transactions, and International Dispute Resolution. The focus of the course design is to equip students with knowledge and skills to assist clients with cross-border transactions, such as US investment in Ukraine in the post-war era.

• Capstone: no
• WIE: no