Courses

In this course, foreign affairs meets civil procedure. In particular, the course examines issues of sovereignty, jurisdiction, and human rights that arise in civil litigation from conduct with effects that cross national boundaries. Topics include: jurisdiction in U.S. courts over international actors and cases implicating foreign relations; extraterritoriality (the extraterritorial assertion of power by American courts and the extraterritorial coverage of American law); human rights claims; claims against foreign sovereigns and related immunity doctrines; the effect of judgments by foreign tribunals; and the role of international arbitration. The course also touches briefly on service of process and discovery. The course is geared both toward students with an interest in procedure and jurisdiction in American courts, and toward students with an interest in foreign relations, human rights, or international law.