Legal Studies

This course focuses on the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to negotiate, execute, and monitor the performance of international commercial contracts. This course provides undergraduate law students with a comprehensive understanding of the life cycle of international commercial contracts. It covers key aspects such as contract formation, interpretation, performance, non-performance, remedies for breach, exemptions, and dispute resolution. By the end of the course, students have a strong foundation in the principles and practices governing international commercial contracts, enabling them to effectively draft, analyze, and negotiate such contracts.

This course provides students with knowledge of the fundamental concepts, principles, processes, and rules of public international law as well as a more in-depth knowledge of selected areas of the law. This course covers different aspects of general international law, including the sources of international law, statehood and international legal personality, the law of international responsibility, and dispute settlement. It also examines more specialized areas of public international law, with a focus on jurisdiction, immunities, the use of force, and human rights, land and sea, and the environment. The course addresses theoretical debates and uses practical examples of international law in action, many of them relating to contemporary events in international relations.

This course examines contemporary issues in outer space at the the intersection of outer space law, telecommunications, science, security and defense. It covers how to navigate and apply the Outer Space Treaties to contemporary issues including rocket launches, scientific missions, satellite mega-constellations, space debris, rescue of astronauts, space tourism, electronic satellite warfare, the settlement of the Moon and Mars, and use of space resources. The course provides an opportunity to develop and propose new regulation and policy in order to address burgeoning challenges, as well as the ability to advocate for change and support the global community in realizing the benefits of space activities. The course provides an understanding of the geopolitical history of the space race; the international framework governing activities in outer space, including the Outer Space Treaty (1967), the astronaut Rescue Agreement, and allocation of radio frequencies and orbits by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU); the application of principles in the Outer Space Treaties to real-life case studies; the political forces shaping EU and international space policy; and the escalating risk to global peace and security in a space arms race.

This is a special studies course involving an internship with a corporate, public, governmental, or private organization, arranged with the Study Center Director or Liaison Officer. Specific internships vary each term and are described on a special study project form for each student. A substantial paper or series of reports is required. Units vary depending on the contact hours and method of assessment. The internship may be taken during one or more terms but the units cannot exceed a total of 12.0 for the year.

What if pop culture is not only about entertainment but also raises critical issues about our human condition? For instance, Taylor Swift's lyrics often rely on introspective work between choices and values. Game of Thrones reminds us of the pervasiveness of violence in our societies. The current ‘sneakers hype’ reveals how our bodies are expressions of status and identity. This course examines TV series, movies, music, fashion, and other ‘popular objects’ to explore ethical and philosophical questions connected to our times.

This course examines economic analysis applied to law. Topics may include: efficiency of law, rules of liability, tort rights and remedies, criminal sanction, legislative processes as resource allocating and income distributing mechanisms. 

This course addresses the core topics in medical law: clinical negligence, consent to treatment, and confidentiality. These are the legal and ethical issues that arise in all healthcare interactions, and therefore the topics that arise most commonly in practice. The course focuses on mastering the black letter law aspects of these topics, but also on delving into the theoretical principles that underpin them. 

This course seeks to immerse students in a professional work environment. Students have the opportunity to observe and interact with co-workers, and learn how to recognize and respond to cultural differences. Students compare concepts of teamwork and interpersonal interactions in different cultures as experienced on the job. Seminar work helps students apply academic knowledge in a business setting and identify opportunities to create value within the company. Students research a specific topic related to their work placement and present their findings in a final research report.

This course offers a study of international human rights. The first part of the course focuses on the major features of international human rights law as part and parcel of general international law. Topics in the first part of the course include the philosophical and political bases for the international human rights movement; the ongoing debate over universality, culture, and human rights; relevant sources; different categories of rights; and the nature and scope of the application of rights. The second part of the course explores the content of various substantive human rights, such as civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. The third part of the course considers judicial, quasi-judicial, and non-judicial mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights at the international and regional levels. In this part of the course, students discuss the United Nations system, and the regional human rights systems of Europe, Africa, and the Americas. The final part of the course examines several relevant developments and challenges regarding international human rights law, such as terrorism and counterterrorism, poverty, and environmental degradation. Students read weekly readings, participate in class discussions, complete a paper and an exam, and participate in a mock court. The course requires that students have completed the UCU course on International Law or an equivalent as a prerequisite.

This service-learning course combines a structured curriculum and extensive partnership with a local community-based organization to offer tangible community service. Here, student community service includes direct
engagement as well as a research-based action plan addressing a specific challenge or goal identified by a community-based organization. Students begin by exploring key community-based organizations: examining their
mission, vision and goals, and the place of the organization in the local community. Each student then works with an assigned partner organization and invests at least 90 hours partnering with the organization, working with them
and investigating ways to solve a challenge or issue the organization has identified. Student service-learning includes exploring the proximate and ultimate drivers of the organization's chosen challenge, and the organization's
infrastructure, resources, limitations and possibilities for reducing barriers to achieving the organization's self-identified goals. In concert, coursework probes the role of community-based organizations in both local and global
contexts, common challenges of community-based organizations in defining and implementing their goals, the role of service-learning in addressing these issues, and effective ways for students to help them achieve their mission,
vision, and goals. Coursework also guides the student's service-learning experience by helping students develop sound international service ethics, provide tools to investigate solutions to common development issues, aid in
data analysis and presentation, and provide best practices to illustrate findings and deliver approved joint recommendations orally and in writing. Throughout, students use service-learning as a means to expand their global awareness and understanding, explore shared aspirations for social justice, and develop skills to work with others to effect positive change.