LAW 508 - Corporations & International Law

2

Corporations are both central to state interests on the global stage, but also oddly estranged from the formal framework of international law. This seminar interrogates that curious paradox by examining the increasingly important role of corporations as independent actors within the schema of international law. From international environmental law, to international human rights law, to territorial disputes to international trade and investment, corporations are beginning to play a vital role in authoring, interpreting and implementing international law rules and prohibitions. This seminar will chart the promise of these developments but also explore reasons for concern. Students will each write a research paper on a topic of their choosing within the seminar’s umbrella.