International & Comparative Law Courses and JD Concentrations

These courses explore the international and domestic laws that regulate or influence interna­tional activity among countries, international institutions, businesses, and individuals. The four key survey courses are International Law, International Business Transactions, International Trade Law, nd Comparative Law.The remaining advanced courses focus on a wide range of issues in both public and private international law and comparative law as well as the domestic law of other countries.

JD candidates may earn Recognition of a JD Concentration in International and Compar­ative Law by successfully completing a minimum of 12 credits from the list of courses below, including at least two credits of experiential learning and a writing requirement. All students must take International Law (6520), one course designated as “comparative” with an asterisk (*), and two credits of experiential learning, noted below with two asterisks (**).

Students can also meet the two credits of experiential learning required for the JD con­centration by pursuing Moot Court (6644) or Field Placement (6668) focused on international or comparative law. The writing requirement for the JD concentration can be met in the same manner as GW Law’s legal writing requirement (see page 13). A journal note, seminar paper, or independent writing assignment can count towards the JD concentration. The writing re­quirement must be focused on a topic related to international and comparative law. Students interested in this concentration must notify the program director during their 2L year. Note: Students cannot obtain concentrations in both International and Comparative Law and National Security and U.S. Foreign Relations Law. Students cannot obtain concentrations in both International and Comparative Law and National Security and Cybersecurity Law.

For more information, please contact Associate Dean Rosa Celorio at [email protected].


Courses

Foundation Courses

  • International Law (6520)
  • International Business Transactions (6522)
  • International Trade Law (6526)
  • Comparative Law (6532)*

Advanced Courses

  • International Taxation (6312)
  • Trade and Sustainable Development (6435)
  • Immigration Criminal Enforcement (6367)
  • International Environmental Law (6454)
  • International Climate Change Law (6455)
  • International Copyright Law (6473)
  • Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in the U.S. International Trade Commission (6489)
  • International and Comparative Patent Law (6490)*
  • International Intellectual Property (6491)
  • Comparative Public Procurement (6508)*
  • Procurement in International Development (6516)
  • International Money Laundering, Corruption, and Terrorism (6521)
  • The International Competition Law Regime (6523)
  • Advanced International Trade Law (6527)
  • International Litigation (6528)
  • International Organizations (6530)
  • International Family Law (6533)
  • Law of the European Union (6534)*
  • Islamic Law (6535)*
  • Immigration Law I (6538)
  • Immigration Law II (6539)
  • Refugee and Asylum Law (6540)
  • International Banking and Investment Law (6542)
  • Chinese Law and Legal Institutions (6543)*
  • International Investment Law and Arbitration (6544)
  • International Project Finance (6545)
  • International Law of Human Rights (6546)
  • Regional Protection of Human Rights (6547)*
  • Space Law (6548)
  • Chinese Business Law (6549)
  • Law of the Sea (6550)
  • Law of War (6552)
  • U.S. Export Control Law and Regulation (6553)
  • International Criminal Law (6554)
  • Comparative Constitutional Law (6555)*
  • International Arbitration (6556)**
  • Introduction to Transactional Islamic Law (6557)*
  • International Negotiations (6558)**
  • Nation Building and the Rule of Law (6559)
  • Public International Law Seminar (6562)
  • International Business Transactions Seminar (6564)
  • Comparative Law Seminar (6565)*
  • Human Rights Lawyering (6568)**
  • International Human Rights of Women (6570)
  • Immigration Clinic (6630)**
  • Civil and Human Rights Clinic (6633)**
  • Dispute Resolution (6682)
  • U.S. Foreign Relations (6871)
  • International Women's Rights Lawyering Practicum (6574)**
  • International Arbitration in Latin America (6581)*

**In addition to the courses listed above, credits obtained through the GW–Oxford Summer Program in International Human Rights Law and Munich Intellectual Property Law Summer Program may be counted toward the 12-credit requirement. Credits earned through other study abroad programs also may qualify, with approval of the program director.

For a complete and updated list of courses that meet the International & Comparative Law concentrations’ requirements, please refer to the bulletin:


JD Concentration in International Business Law

JD candidates may earn a JD Concentration in International Business Law (IBL) by successfully completing at least 12 credits in Business and Finance Law (BFL) from among the list of BFL-designated courses, and at least 12 credits in International and Comparative Law (ICL) from among the list of ICL-designated courses above, for a combined minimum of 24 total credit hours1.

As part of the required 24 credits, students must complete at least four credits of Corporations (6250), three or four credits of International Law (6520), one course designated as “comparative” from among the list of ICL-designated courses, two or four credits of experiential learning2, and two or four credits graded on the basis of a research paper that meets the standards of the JD Upper-Level Writing requirement3.

Jointly listed BFL and ICL courses are not eligible to double count toward the combined minimum of 24 total credit hours, except as otherwise provided with respect to the experiential and writing requirements.

The experiential requirement may be satisfied through either two credits of a jointly designated BFL and ICL experiential course, or four credits comprising two credits of a BFL-designated experiential course and two credits of an ICL-designated experiential course.

The writing requirement may be satisfied through two credits of an IBL-related research paper written in conjunction with a two-credit section from among the list of BFL-designated or ICL-designated courses, or with the advance approval of the BFL and ICL Program Directors, an IBL-related research paper may be written for a journal, independent legal writing, or a course not included on the BFL or ICL course lists.  The writing requirement may also be satisfied by writing two separate research papers: a BFL-related research paper meeting the requirements of the BFL JD Concentration and an ICL-related research paper meeting the requirements of the ICL JD Concentration.

Course Descriptions