Legal Studies

Topics in this Family Law course include: family relationships; family and marriage; marital crises (separation, dissolution, and annulment); filiation; parental authority; support; new institutions for the protection of minors; foster care and adoption; juvenile criminal law.

This course studies legal rules on data protection — i.e., a set of norms that specifically govern the processing of data relating to persons (personal data) in order to protect, at least partly, the privacy and related interests of those persons. The main focus of the course is on European data protection law, primarily the European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), Article 8 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Article 7 and 8 of the the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, along with case law pursuant to these instruments. Special attention is given to the core principles of data protection law, along with rules on "data protection by design" and automated decision making.

Constitutionalism is an idea that governmental power should be restrained by fundamental law. Many countries possess a written constitutional code, which is often seen as the fundamental law. This course examines how the idea of constitutionalism emerged in Japan and what it means today. The course also compares the Japanese constitution with constitutional law from other countries. 

Students complete an internship with a local organization or company. Each placement includes oversight and regular check-ins with an internship supervisor from the company or organization. The Internship Methodology Seminar accompanies the internship placement and offers a platform for reflection, enhancement of skills, and development of cultural competence. It focuses on practical skill application, cultural understanding, and adaptability within professional environments to provide a bridge between academic learning and real-world experience.

This course unfolds the institutions, treaties, procedures and practices of intergovernmental organizations, providing perspectives on the evolving rules and normative standards defining international human rights, the actors involved, and the processes and means by which they are monitored and their implementation is promoted. Students gain knowledge about institutions and procedures, selected rights and the obligation of states; and analyze challenges and achievements of the international human rights regime through country studies.

This course examines the Spanish labor market before the economic crisis began in 2007 and implications of the crisis. It explores labor rights and the reality post-crisis as well as the impact of COVID-19 on the labor market and the aftermath. Finally, it discusses future labor market challenges such as the digital economy and robotization. 

The course explores corporate power and how it influences law-making and law- enforcement. Students study the key drivers of corporate crime/harm, along with their social impacts. Students also examine the basis of corporations’ structural and agency power, and corporate influence on the production and dissemination of science. The examination of the causes of corporate crime/harm will focus on organizational and structural factors, while investigation of the social impacts of corporate crime/harm focuses on the negative effects on human health, wellbeing, and the environment. Finally, students examine the social responses to corporate harm, including public shaming and corporate sentencing.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. This course is also taught under the title 'International Law and Sustainability'

The course addresses the following topics:

• The “what”, “who” and “where” of contemporary international environmental law:
  • What does international environmental law deal with?
  • Who makes international environmental law?
  • Where is international environmental law made and where is it applied?
• The origins and evolution of international environmental law;
• The sources of international environmental law;
• The institutional contexts (MEAs);
• Accountability, liability, responsibility and dispute settlement;
• Interactions with other bodies of international law, with special regard to international human rights law, international economic law and the laws of warfare.

Throughout the course, the law governing the utilization of transboundary water resources is given special attention in order to show the practical functioning of international environmental law. Other specific substantive areas of international environmental law will be illustrated, with special regard to the marine environment, biodiversity and the fight against climate change. At the end of the course, students will have acquired: The international origin and basis of rules and principles of domestic environmental law; The content of rules and principles on the international protection of the environment; The sources of international environmental law; The interactions between international environmental law and other branches of international law, eg human rights law and investment law; How to develop a research on international environmental law.

Drawing upon criminological, sociological, historical, political economy, penal theory, intersectional and decolonial perspectives, this course critically examines why and how societies punish criminal wrongdoing. It provides students with a thorough understanding of the main theoretical perspectives on punishment and their application to contemporary issues in penal policy.