Classes 2004-2005

Law of E-Commerce

Discussion -- 3 hours. As e-commerce becomes a principal mode of conducting business, the law struggles to adapt. This class explores the exciting legal issues that are emerging as crucial to the conduct of business in cyberspace. We begin by discussing the evolution and current administration of the Internet and the World Wide Web. After a brief foray into early claims that cyberspace should not be regulated at all, we examine how cyberspace is in fact being regulated. We cover a variety of issues relevant to businesses engaged in e-commerce, including jurisdiction, the domain name system, electronic contracting and signatures, intellectual property, privacy, taxation, and antitrust. The course reviews recent state and federal legislation dealing specifically with e-commerce, along with case law and secondary materials. The goal is not primarily to teach a number of rules, but rather to understand how to approach cyberspace issues.

International Finance

Discussion -- 3 hours. Money makes the world go round. We will try to follow that money, learning how a framework of national and international laws and institutions regulates (or perhaps fails to regulate) its flow. We will study the regulation of the securities and financial markets by the United States and other money centers, as well as international arrangements such as the Basle Accord on Capital Adequacy and the financial services agreement of the World Trade Organization. We will pay particular attention to the problems of financial crises and sovereign debt in the emerging market nations. Other topics will include bilateral investment treaties, multinational corporations, project finance, bank lending, asset securitization and derivatives.

Public International Law

Discussion -- 3 hours. This introductory course covers basic international law concepts and the law-making process. Topics covered include treaty law and customary international law; the relationships between international law and national law; dispute settlement and international litigation; states, international organizations and other 'persons' in international law; jurisdiction; and international regulation of transnational problems.