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December 21, 2006

The Rise of International Law in the First-Year Curriculum

In some of the revamped plans for the first-year program, I have noticed that an international law class has snuck into the mix.  Probably, "snuck" isn't the right word, since there has been a lot of discussion about the role of international law among academics, and increasing interest from students.  I read a lot of law school applications, and I would estimate that one-quarter to one-third of the applicants express some form of interest in international law.

Notably, the first-year elective in international law at American (described in the post below) is focused on trying cases domestically under international law.   This is very different approach than some other schools, which are moving towards a more traditional, mandatory class on international law which is presented as a survey of the field.  It would seem that international law, more than other areas of legal study, is going to be a case study in law school innovation, as this new subject elbows its way into the first-year curriculum.   I look forward to seeing how things sort out.

-- Mark Osler

December 21, 2006 | Permalink

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Frank Gevurtz and others are offering a session at AALS's annual law professor conference in January on globalizing the curriculum.

As I will not be attending AALS this year, I look forward to listening to the podcast. (Yippee--another law school innovation!)

West also has a new series called "Global Issues" which helps professors globalize particular subject areas.

Posted by: Anupam Chander | Dec 21, 2006 1:35:25 PM

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