This seminar provides a detailed overview of the substantive and procedural aspects of international human rights law. Topics may include: • Fundamental rights to freedom, family, and bodily integrity, as well as other rights to health and education, cultural expression, and the like. • International and regional human rights instruments and systems, the obligations of states and individuals to uphold human rights, and remedies for violations. • The law of war (jus ad bellum), the use of military force and the doctrines of pre-emptive self-defense and “humanitarian” intervention. • International crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. • International terrorism, indeterminate detention and the use of military tribunals for alleged terrorists. • The intersections of human rights with issues of corporate law, business interests, and the work of corporate lawyers and attorneys in private practice. • The professional and ethical obligations of lawyers with respect to human rights issues. There will be some comparative analysis of international and domestic laws and frameworks. A common theme throughout is the intersection of national and international legal norms with the realms of national and international politics, and the extent to which one or the other is better suited to address the serious challenges faced by the international community. Grading: The final grade will be based on a course paper. PREREQUISITE: None, but students lacking familiarity with international institutions and general concepts of public international law may find themselves performing additional background reading at times. RESTRICTION: Students who previously enrolled in Human Rights Law (JD 875) may not register for this seminar. LIMITED WRITING REQUIREMENT OPTION: A limited number of students may be permitted to satisfy the upper-class writing requirement with the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar, or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, will be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.