Course Section | Columbia Law School

Section Description Provided by Instructor

International investment arbitration, also known as "investor-state" arbitration, represents a significant development in international adjudication. This seminar will focus on the nuts and bolts of the investor-state arbitral process rather than the development of the related body of international law. In the development of adjudication under international law, the fact that a foreign investor, such as an individual or a corporate entity, may have standing to enforce international law obligations against a host state, and then receive monetary compensation, is a relatively new and transformative phenomenon. These arbitrations typically occur under international law before select tribunals of individuals which include some of the highest regarded practitioners in the international law community. The mix of commercial and international arbitration practice and rules, with public international law and the ever present tension between public policy and private interest, make international investment arbitration a particularly topical course of study. In particular, students interested in a general introduction to international adjudication, or those who have already taken the investment law or policy courses, should consider this seminar as a means to delve further into this fascinating area of international law practice.

Evaluation will be based on class participation and 10 reaction papers to be written by each student during the semester.