Areas of Study
International & Comparative Law
Prepare for a career in a global market
"In my second year at Moritz, I took two international law courses: International Trade and International Business Transactions, both taught by Professor Chow. Both classes were very inspiring, and the International Trade course highly motivated me to plan a future in an international organization.
I applied and accepted an internship in the Office of Legal Affairs/International Trade Law Division at United Nations Office (UNCITRAL) of Vienna. After arriving at work, it became obvious that I had learned so much in the International Business Transactions class that I was able to apply my knowledge to the work. Professor Chow had covered a great deal on UNCITRAL and its corresponding work.
Eventually I hope to work as a legal officer in an international organization. Currently, I have not decided where I want to work after I graduate; it could be the U.S., Korea, or China. But wherever it is, I hope to use of my language skills and my international law knowledge, along with valuable experiences I gained at Moritz."
Aimee Boram Yang, Class of 2009
Hometown: South Korea
Summer Job: U.N. Commission on International Trade (Vienna, Austria)
Public international law principally includes the rules that govern the relations among states in order to create order, prevent war, and facilitate cooperation. It also covers the main organizations of the international community, especially the United Nations. The basic International Law course contains materials that are important for every lawyer no matter where he or she intends to practice and is recommended to all students, especially during the second year.
For those with a deeper interest in international law, a selection from a wide variety of offerings is available annually. The International Law Seminar and Human Rights Law are recommended in the second or third year. Students can also pursue a Certificate in Legal Issues in International Trade and Development.
The College's international faculty have studied and practiced across countless borders, and are experts in a vast number of legal fields. Professor John Quigley, who was a research scholar at Moscow State University and a research associate in comparative law at Harvard Law School, teaches International Law and Comparative Law. His focus is international human rights. His seminar, Inter-Ethnic Conflict Resolution, examines dispute resolution issues in the context of ethnic conflicts. His numerous publications include books and articles on human rights, the United Nations, war and peace, east European law, African law, and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Professor Annecoos Wiersema has focused her research on international and environmental law, which, she says, raise some of the most difficult questions about the place of law in our society. Professor Wiersema's course in International Environmental Law covers the major environmental treaties and customary international law as they relate to international environmental concerns.
Other offerings on comparative and foreign law include Professor Deason's Comparative Dispute Resolution, Professor Chow's seminar in Chinese Business Law, and Professor Brudney's seminars on Comparative Legislation and Comparative Labor Law and Employment Law, as well as the seminars on Comparative Criminal Procedure and Law in Africa.
Moritz students also have a valuable opportunity to take several courses – whether related to international law or not – alongside international attorneys. Students in Moritz's LL.M. program, designed for foreign attorneys, take classes with juris doctor students. The learning environment allows Moritz students to hear and discuss the law with professionals from other countries.
Students can learn about international law as a member of the International Law Society, which strives to cultivate discussion and study of international and comparative law. Members of the International Law Society have worked across the globe, in places like England, Egypt, and Switzerland. Additionally, the organization provides global-thinking students with information about obtaining internships and careers with organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank.
Moritz offers two study abroad programs for law students. The Ohio State-Georgia Law Semester Program at Oxford runs for 15 weeks, from January to April. The program is jointly conducted by the Moritz College of Law and the University of Georgia School of Law. The University of Oxford-Ohio State University Summer Law Program is conducted at the University of Oxford from July through August.
PDF files in this site require