LAW OF WAR SEMINAR
(LAWG-4049) - 3 UNITS

The past year has seen the widespread use of military force around the world. Russia's aggression towards Ukraine continues unabated. The United States has sought to justify lethal attacks on smugglers at sea as being part of an armed conflict against drug cartels; sent military forces into Venezuela to "arrest" the head of state, and launched a war against Iran in concert with Israel. Accusations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression are tossed about by pundits and politicians alike with little knowledge of the actual law. This course will examine the international legal rules governing both the resort to force and the conduct of hostilities. Class meetings will mix lecture, discussion and small group exercises to provide a systematic overview of the applicable legal rules, while each student will have the opportunity chance to explore an individual topic of personal interest in depth, writing a research paper and sharing the insights they develop in a presentation to the class. Prior exposure to international law is not required.

Pass/Fail:
No

Prerequisites:
None