Course | Columbia Law School

This seminar will explore the role of lawyers in addressing international law challenges in a variety of governmental settings, focusing on the ways that international law is made, interpreted, applied, and enforced outside of courts. The class is co-taught by Professor Sarah Cleveland, formerly of the Office of the Legal Adviser of the U.S. Department of State, and Sir Daniel Bethlehem, former Legal Adviser to the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Students will be exposed to the myriad ways that international law making and compliance impact the daily operations of different components of national governments and international governance institutions, including the UN. Students will also be exposed to the dynamic role of different components of governments in intra-government decision making (in the US including the State Department, the Justice Department, the White House, and Congress). The seminar will also will consider the roles of the UK and US governments in developing international law in the U.N. and other multilateral fora. The seminar will be organized around substantive topics, including treaty making, interpretation, and application by the Executive and legislature; interpreting and applying the laws of armed conflict, and confronting counterterrorism challenges. Two seminar sessions will be devoted to each particular topic - the first for preparatory reading, and the second session with a guest legal expert. (Guest speaker sessions will be held under Chatham House Rules). Admission is with the permission of the instructors: a prior course in an area of public international law, U.S. foreign relations law, or U.S. national security law is required.