Enrollment is limited to 20-25 students in each course. Students should apply early to assure they are enrolled in the courses of their choice. There are no special prerequisites for any course other than successful completion of the first year of law school unless the course description states otherwise.

Classrooms are located adjacent to the program administrative and faculty offices in the main classroom facility known as Tetrapak on the Law Faculty campus.

Comparative Conflict of Laws
Prof. Joseph Glannon and Michael Bogdan

9:30am to 11:05am, 2 credits

Very frequently, courts are confronted with cases that involve parties from different states or nations, or events that take place across state or international borders.   (For example, a Swedish company might contract with a Spanish company to manufacture goods for delivery to Italy.  Or, a citizen of Illinois might have an accident with a citizen of Ohio in Kentucky.)  In such cases, the courts must choose which state or nation’s body of substantive law (e.g., of contracts or torts) to apply to the dispute.  All court systems have “choice of law” principles which they use to select the governing body of law in such cases.  This course will compare the diverse approaches of United States courts and those within the European Union to the problem of choice of law.  Topics will include traditional and modern choice of law rules, contractual choice of law, forum selection clauses and forum non conveniens dismissals, judicial jurisdiction in the United States and European Union countries and conflicts problems in both European Union and United States courts due to dual systems of state and federal courts.  

The materials for the course will primarily be posted on the internet via course management software.  Two short books will be required:  Michael Bogdan, Concise Introduction to EU Private International Law (2nd ed. 2012) and Clyde Spillenger, Principles of Conflict of Laws (West 2010).  The course will have a final exam consisting of some short answer questions and at least one longer essay.

Comparative Corporation Law                    Syllabus 
Prof. Anthony Polito, Prof. Henrik Norinder

11:30am to 1:05pm, 2 credits

This course is an introductory comparative examination of corporate legal systems and of pervasive issues related to the conduct and governance of corporate enterprise.  Any free-enterprise corporate system must face similar questions related to enhancing economic performance and ensuring fair treatment to corporations’ economic participants. The course focuses on how some of the most important commercial countries of the world today--primarily those of the European Union, and the United States, with a lesser focus on Japan–deal with these issues. It will compare strategies used in these countries, examining the differences to distinguish those that reflect genuine jurisprudential and policy distinctions from those that are only superficial. This course does not satisfy the Suffolk Law School Base Menu Requirement. A take-home exam will be administered. 

International Trade Law                   Syllabus
Prof. Sara Dillon 

9:30am to 11:05am, 2 credits
                     
This course will cover the basic legal elements of the global trading system, with a particular focus on the main texts of the World Trade Organization (WTO).  The course will trace the development of the international trade regime from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), through the Uruguay Round Agreements of the 1990s, leading to the formation of the WTO.  Subject matter areas will include the main principles of non-discrimination in trade, as well as trade-related aspects of intellectual property, trade in services, anti-dumping laws, regional trade agreements, trade and the environment, and other topics of contemporary interest. 

Legal Writing in Global Context
Prof. Gabe Teninbaum, Assoc. Professor of Legal Writing

11:30am to 1:05pm, 2 credits

This course is for students who want to become more persuasive in their own legal writing and more adept at analyzing legal documents written by others.  It is comparative in nature and readings will include materials originating from both common law and civil law jurisdictions.  The tools students will learn to use are intended to be applicable in all jurisdictions.

The course is shaped around the ancient theory that persuasion has three elements: 1) ethos, the author’s credibility; 2) logos, the rational presentation of the material; and 3) pathos, the emotional effect of the material.  The course will involve classroom discussion, group work, student presentations and individual writing assignments.

Students will be evaluated based on a written final project.