Legal Research: International and Foreign

Legal Research: International and Foreign - Professor Kian Pakdel

• Course Number: LAW-597
• Course Type: Highly Specialized
• Credits: 1
• Enrollment Limit: 20
• Description: This course explores strategies for conducting research in Foreign, Comparative and International Law, primarily using electronic resources. The course begins by examining the sources of international law, including treaties, cases from international courts and tribunals, documents from international organizations, and scholarly publications. We will also explore finding the law of foreign nations, gaining an understanding of civil legal systems, and learning “work-arounds” when the sources are not in English. Using a problem-based approach, the class will incorporate the following topics while reviewing the sources of international law: international environmental law, international litigation and dispute resolution, international trade and investment law, and international human rights. This class is a requirement for the international law certificate.
• Prerequisite: none
• Evaluation Method: Regular exercises and short quizzes, class participation (through online discussion and, potentially, synchronous video chats), and a final research project on a topic related to international or foreign law of the student’s choosing. The final project may be related to a student’s Capstone or other writing requirement, clinical experience, internship/externship, or other work.
• Capstone: no
• WIE: no