2023 Course Offerings
Note: Detailed syllabi will be provided as available.
Comparative Human Rights Law
3 credits, taught by Prof. Elizabeth Keyes (University of Baltimore School of Law) and Prof. Matyas Bodig (University of Aberdeen)
This class is designed to introduce students to international regimes for protecting human rights and to allow students to compare approaches to specific human rights issues in the United States and in the United Kingdom, Scotland and Europe. The class will focus first on the different regimes that protect human rights in the United Kingdom and Inter-American systems, and will focus on discrete sub-issues within human rights, including human rights in the contexts of (1) the criminal legal system, (2) climate change, and (3) social and economic rights.
Students will read a mix of cases from United States and European legal systems, as well as articles and scholarly excerpts that will enhance their understanding of the caselaw. Specific topics may include:
- Human Rights Protection Regimes
- Human Rights and International Criminal Law
- Prisoners' Rights
- Death Penalty and Racial Justice
- Climate Migration
- The Right to Life
- The “Bringing Human Rights Home” Movement in the United States: Case Study of the Right to Water
- Asylum-Seeker Rights
- Children’s Rights
Comparative Business Law
3 credits, taught by Prof. Kevin Tu (University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law) and Prof. Alisdair MacPherson (University of Aberdeen)
Business entities and commercial transactions play a central role in the global economy. There are, however, considerable differences in the ways that business entities and commercial transactions are regulated around the world. This course will explore the legal policy and practical implications of various current business law issues in the United States and the U.K. Topics may include varying approaches to social entrepreneurship, corporate sustainability, corporate board diversity, corporate political spending, insider trading, regulation of cryptocurrency, and contracts for the sale of goods.
In this course, students will examine the root causes of observed divergences in approach, as well as their implications for the organization of the economy and society. The course will enable students to engage critically with key debates in contemporary business law and provide relevant background for those interested in cross-border legal work.