International Legal Research

This course will offer students the opportunity to expand their skills in using sources in the specialized area of international law. The course covers a range of topics, including sources of international law, how international legal research differs from domestic U.S. legal research, treaty and international case law research, and researching of law of international and supranational organizations. Upon completion of this course, students will have gained experience formulating efficient research methodologies and evaluating sources of international legal information in various formats, including print and electronic. Teaching foreign law research in-depth is beyond the scope of a one-unit course of this sort, but a brief introduction will be offered. The majority of classes will include: (1) A lecture covering particular sources, research methods, and techniques in international law. (2) An in-class assignment requiring the student to practice new skills in a variety of situations ranging from short answer/multiple-choice questions to in-depth research scenarios. (3) A reconvening of the class to reflect on findings and various solutions to the in-class assignments.

Students may (1) take up to 3 units total of advanced research courses, and (2) may not take both Advanced Legal Research and Practical Legal Research.