LAW 514 - Laws of War

514

This mini course will introduce students to the legal norms that govern when and how states may use force in international relations. We will begin by reviewing the historical development of the law of armed conflict from antiquity to the close of World War II. With this foundation in place, our attention will turn to the international treaties and customs that currently regulate states’ recourse to force (jus ad bellum) and the means and methods of armed conflict (jus in bello), as well as the domestic constitutional provisions and statues that inform U.S. military action. Using case studies from Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iraq, Libya, Nicaragua, Syria, Ukraine, Vietnam, Yemen, and the former Yugoslavia, the class will consider specific topics such as the legality of preemptive military action, counter-terrorist drone strikes, and humanitarian intervention.