Course Descriptions

American Legal System (3 credit hours)
An introduction to the American legal system. This course will cover the constitutional arrangement of American government, the court system, legislative organization, and administrative agencies. It will include an introduction to basic legal research tools in American law, including library systems and on-line databases.

Legal Context of American Business (3 credit hours)
Overview of legal structures and regulation of American business. Subjects covered in this course will include the creation and governance of corporate legal entities, basic elements of corporate finance, and fundamentals of government regulation of business.

Legal Issues in Transitional Democracies (3 credit hours)
Treatment of critical issues for developing democracies. Topics covered will include integrity of the electoral process, judicial independence, role of the press, ethnic and religious minorities, and non-governmental organizations in transitional states. Other topics will be considered depending on individual class interests.

Competitiveness and Corruption (3 credit hours)
Study of the legal environment necessary for a market economy and the corrosive effect of corruption. Focus will be on how corruption undermines essential market regulating legal structures and methods of insulating them from such corruption. Topics will include issues in restructuring existing institutions and creating disincentives for corruption.

Comparative Constitutional Law (3 credit hours)
Analysis of critical common elements of constitutional regimes and their variations. Constitutions of the United States and European Union states will be reviewed along with newly drafted constitutions of central and Eastern Europe and Asia. Issues addressed will include basic structures of government, separation of functions, and guarantees of individual rights.

Comparative Administrative Law (3 credit hours)
A study of the role of administrative law in different states with an emphasis on how the nations address common issues of the administrative state. Different approaches to the role of government agencies in both individual decision-making such as licensing and adjudication, and rulemaking or adoption of normative acts will be discussed. Topics will include the role of judicial review and legislative oversight of the bureaucracy, accountability of individual government officials, and rights of individuals within the bureaucracy.

Rule of Law Seminar (3 credit hours)
Preparation of 25 page research paper devoted to a critical area of legal reform in student’s home country. Topics will be selected in consultation with the instructor. Classroom sessions will provide opportunities for students to present their ideas and comment on those of other participants. Papers will be collected and published. Click here to see the topics chosen and a brief summary of the papers written by the Class of 2007.

Weekend Seminars
During the course of the year there will be four weekend seminars, where prominent scholars and practitioners come to campus for intensive two-day seminars. These sessions will be designed to allow the student maximum interaction with a recognized international expert in an informal setting. Topics planned include:
Transition from one-party rule
Women’s rights
Post-conflict reconciliation
International criminal law

Field Experience
Over the year the students will have the opportunity to closely observe the operation of governmental institutions in the communities and state of Ohio. There will be field trips to Columbus, the state capital, for observation and discussion with the Supreme Court, state legislature, state bar association, and other government agencies. Local city councils, county commissions, and trial and appellate courts will provide insights into democracy at the grassroots level.