International and Comparative Law, and Globalization
Globalization is changing the world politically, economically, culturally, and legally. Our Global Legal Studies Program has been created to prepare students for lawyering in the global era.
Curriculum
- Courses: Our international curriculum is designed to help students develop an international perspective on all sorts of legal issues, from securities regulation to human rights. Students usually begin by taking either Public International Law or International Business Transactions as a foundation for more advanced work. We also encourage independent research projects on international legal issues.
- Interdisciplinary work and joint degrees: IU has long been a leader in international studies, and we encourage law students in the global legal studies program to take international courses from the Kelley School of Business, the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the Russian and East European Institute, the African Studies Program, the Middle Eastern Studies Program, Central Eurasian Studies, and East Asian Studies.
- Immigration Law Practicum (B556): This companion to Immigration Law (B669) focuses on representation of asylum applicants and of businesses seeking to bring skilled labor to the United States. Students also gain experience in the work of obtaining immigrant and non-immigrant visas.
- Study Abroad: We encourage students interested in global legal studies to take advantage of one of our many study-abroad programs.
- International Students: For almost 100 years, we have been providing graduate education to lawyers and students from around the globe. Each year we welcome dozens of students from many foreign countries to our graduate program.
Student Activities and Opportunities
- The Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies focuses on interdisciplinary research on law and globalization. Student editors work with the editorial board in selecting student articles and notes, and undertake most of the editorial work in preparing articles for publication.
- Snyder Scholarship: Students may compete for the Snyder Scholarship, which funds a summer internship at the Lauterpacht Research Centre for International Law at Cambridge University.
- The International Law Society sponsors guest speakers and informal discussions and provides opportunties to meet attorneys practicing in the international arena. The society also sponsors a team for the Jessup International Moot Court Competition every spring.
Faculty and Scholarship
- Permanent Faculty: Several of our faculty members specialize in international law, including Professors Hannah Buxbaum (international business transactions), Paul Craig (European Union law), David Fidler (international law and public health, weapons of mass destruction), and Christiana Ochoa (human rights and international law). Many other faculty members teach international courses in their subject areas, including Fred Aman, Fred Cate, William Hicks, Joseph Hoffmann, Marshall Leaffer, John Scanlan, and Elisabeth Zoller.
- George P. Smith Distinguished Visiting Professorship-Chair/Visiting Faculty: The George P. Smith Distinguished Visiting Professorship-Chair brings visiting nationally and internationally renowned scholars to the school on a regular basis. Holders of this professorship have included Justice Michael Kirby, of the High Court of Australia, Sir David Williams, vice chancellor emeritus of the University of Cambridge, and Tzu-Yi Lin, of Taiwan University, among others. This professorship is funded by a generous gift from Professor George P. Smith II, JD'64, of Catholic University of America Law School. In addition, we regularly host visiting professors from other countries who teach in the area of international law. Professors Paul Craig (Oxford University) and Elisabeth Zoller (University of Paris) have been regular visitors for several years.
- The Earl Snyder Lectureship in International Law, a collaboration between the School of Law and Cambridge University, funds an annual lecture on international law by a prominent scholar or practitioner. The site of the lecture alternates between Cambridge and Bloomington.
- Conferences: Every spring the Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies sponsors a major conference on issues connected with globalization and publishes the proceedings.