Discussion - 2 units. As a result of the increasingly transnational nature of human and corporate activity, civil litigation in U.S. courts often involves a foreign element—for example, one of the parties may be a foreign national, or the case may involve some conduct that happened outside the United States. Litigation like this raises questions about the limits of a court’s authority (and power) to adjudicate matters that are not purely domestic. In addition, cases with international elements can often be brought in more than one country’s courts.
Skills – 2 units. This seminar will introduce students to the theory and practice of negotiation, mediation, and other forms of consensual dispute resolution, with a special emphasis on cross-cultural negotiation and mediation related to international business transactions. Theoretical content will be provided through course readings, occasional lectures, and guest presentations from non-U.S. lawyers, mediators, and business professionals. But a primary focus of the class will be simulated negotiation and mediation exercises in small groups.
Seminar – 2 units. A comparative law class focused on judicial institutions and judicial decision-making around the world. The course will study the following questions: How are cases decided in different legal systems? What can we learn from the way other countries or legal institutions (such as international courts) decide cases? How can the knowledge of other legal systems and methods of adjudication inform the understanding of the US legal system?
Seminar – 3 units. The course will cover the fundamentals of the corporate governance theory, discussing the most important topics on a worldwide perspective focusing on the 2023 version of the “G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance”. We will discuss the challenges in the implementation of such principles depending on the characteristics of the region and other relevant factors. In this sense, students will assess some cases of countries where these difficulties are higher than others, as well as examples of good practices that have been implemented with success.
Seminar – 3 units. Climate change is redefining the business and investment community's business norms and transforming traditional corporate law paradigms. This highly interactive seminar will use case studies to explore the current intersection of business law and climate risk. We will discuss and debate the following questions:1) Do corporate boards have a fiduciary duty to oversee climate risk? In all industries or only "high impact" ones? 2) Will the evolution of "green" or sustainable investing minimize or exacerbate the impacts of climate change?
Discussion — 3 units. This course surveys approaches to privacy regulation around the globe, including a comparison of regulatory frameworks and different policy solutions. The course also introduces the major international privacy regulatory and enforcement institutions. Core lecturing will focus on the European General Data Protection Regulation and how it compares with US law.
Seminar — 2 or 3 units. This seminar explores the ways political units in different countries attempt to maintain social order and advance criminal justice. Students examine the people, policies, and institutions responsible for adjudicating alleged criminal law violations around the globe. They also learn about how rules of professional responsibility and legal ethics guide the behavior of the institutional actors who participate in these criminal processes.
Discussion — 3 or 4 units. This course will cover legal issues and policies pertaining to foreign nationals seeking to migrate permanently or temporarily to the United States, including the regulation of their admission and removal or deportation. This course will examine critically how and why the rights of foreign nationals who are in U.S. territory differ from the rights of citizens. These topics will be covered from various perspectives, including constitutional law, human rights, ethics and morality, and history.
The Immigration Law Clinic (ILC) provides legal representation to indigent non-citizens in removal proceedings before U.S. Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and federal courts,including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The ILC provides this necessary service to Northern California's immigrant communities, offering education and legal services to low-income immigrants facing deportation while enabling students to gain practical, real-world experience.
Discussion — 2 units. A consideration of select legal problems arising from international business transactions. Transactions covered include transnational sales, licensing of intellectual property, joint ventures and dispute settlement mechanisms. The course aims to provide advanced legal knowledge on how international law (i.e. international trade and regional agreements -NAFTA-, international treaties on dispute resolution) and how transnational-global law (i.e. uniform commercial law) influence the dynamics of commercial and business relations.
