Legal Studies

The course gives students an introduction to some key legal areas relevant to business law. It teaches important aspects of business law, looking at business relationships, agency, and the business organization. 

This course provides the basic knowledge of different forms of international standards, how those standards are made and enforced, and how and why they have impacts on what countries do at home and abroad. It covers international rules governing issues such as human rights, trade, climate, and the use of force in resolving disputes between countries and how they affect the day-to-day lives of people and communities all over the world.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrolment is by permission of the instructor. The course provides in-depth knowledge of European legal foundations, their origin in Roman law, and their subsequent development in Common law and Civil law. Under this framework, the Roman Law's heritage in modern legal systems is investigated, working backward in search of the common legal bases on which the harmonization projects in the European law lays on. In this context the course investigates the persistence of rules and principles of roman law in the present system, working backward in search of the common legal bases that are the basis of the unification of the private projects in contemporary law. At the end of the course, students understand the roots of the European legal traditions, and in particular, they the legal rationale of institutions such as contracts and obligations and their differences under various national contexts.

Constitutional law concerns some of the most fundamental questions about the nation, society, and individuals. It is a body of law governed not only by the wording of the text itself, but also by the implementation and interpretation thereof as contained in specific laws, administrative acts, legal judgments, doctrines, etc. By providing students with the basic tools necessary, this course enables their own formulation and development of their own ideas concerning constitutional issues in Japan.  The course covers the context and history of the constitution; the renunciation of war; the emperor, and the protection of human rights.   

This advanced international relations course focuses on the European Union and its role on the international scene. It provides an overview of EU foreign policy in its variety. It addresses in particular the legal and policy framework of the EU external action providing an analysis of the competences and tools available to the EU to conduct its foreign policy, such as the conclusion of international agreements and the participation of the EU to other international organizations. The course also covers specific policies in which the EU plays an important role, such as Common Commercial Policy (CCP) and Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The interaction between the EU and other international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization is also studied. This course has a strong focus on EU law; prerequisite knowledge of EU government branches and EU law is recommended.

This course introduces the basis of privately run maritime trade; the threats faced by ship owners, ports, and seafarers; and the systems in place to protect them. It tells the story of mercantile trade on the world's seas focusing on the modernization and formalization of the merchant fleet in the 20th and 21st centuries; its governing systems under UN agreements; and its practical business considerations versus the geopolitical priorities of governments and the intentions of criminals and terrorists to profit from shipping's loss, from gray zone aggression to kidnaps at sea. The course draws upon international maritime law and trade agreements, international business standards, and national level government policies. Throughout, it maintains a practical approach on what these issues mean for the seafarer, the ship owner, the policy maker, and the consumer to illustrate the real-life impact of maritime polices – and the very real impact when there are no policies – as well as the career paths available in the maritime sector.

This course connects fashion to law through different expanses. It offers an analytical and critical perspective by indulging in the creative intricacies of the fashion industry to applying it to the rigid, robust nature of politics and law. It covers law and civil rights from the 18th to 21st century through key expressions of fashion, gender law, environmental and sustainability law, intellectual property, new technologies, social and labor law.

Equality is a value that commands wide support and it is commonly guaranteed by national constitutions and human rights instruments. Yet differences emerge over the appropriate role for law in combating discrimination and when equality demands the same treatment or recognition of diversity. The enduring salience of equality has been reflected in social movements, such as MeToo or Black Lives Matter. Students examine Equality Law from a national, international, and comparative perspective. The course introduces students to the legal framework on equality found in Irish Law and European Law (EU and ECHR). It examines key topics, such as the prohibited grounds of discrimination, the forms of discrimination prohibited by the law, and the role for law in promoting equality.

This course provides a platform for new thinking about international legal and institutional arrangements in the world of an urgent need for responsibility for the future. It also presents what role the United States and Europe play in this process. It considers whether global governance - a dynamic process in which legal, political, and economical arrangements unleash interests, change the balance of force, and lead to further reinvention of the governance scheme itself - and wider responsibility are possible.