International Protection of Human Rights Seminar

International Human Rights has mushroomed as a legal field since World War II, first as a vehicle through which the United States and its allies spread their values, but now, increasingly, as a movement that also challenges the U.S.

After briefly introducing students to basic principles of international law, this seminar will examine the international protection of human rights from five major perspectives:

1. War crimes tribunals and the law of war;
2. The U.S. War on Terror since 9-11;
3. Civil litigation in the United States for human rights violations committed abroad;
4. United Nations and regional treaty mechanisms for the protection of human rights; and,
5. Comparative civil liberties law and the influence of international and foreign practice on U.S. practice.

Seminar papers may focus on these areas or on related topics such as refugee law, codes of corporate conduct, or the international lawmaking process.