International Law

This course delves into the fundamentals of international law. It introduces students to the institutions, doctrines, and methodologies of public international law, and provides the foundation for all subsequent specialized courses. International law covers a vast sea of substantive areas, ranging from the use of force, the law of armed conflict, and international criminal law, to international economic law (trade and investment) and human rights, to the law of the sea and international environmental law. While this course will expose you to most of these substantive areas along the way, it will not be taught as a general survey. The ambition of the course is rather to teach you the deep structure of the system, and to equip you with the key critical tools to teach yourself any substantive area of international law you encounter throughout your careers. We will focus primarily on the sources of international law, the subjects of international law, and the mechanisms for responsibility and accountability within the international legal order. These methods will then be illustrated through case studies in two key areas: the use of force and international economic law.

Grading and Method of Evaluation:
Letter grade with pass/fail option. Final exam.