COURSES

Three courses will be offered: each course is worth two credits. Students are entitled to take up to six credits during this program.

Mediation as a Conflict Resolution Process
2 credits
Professor Barbara Swartz

Individuals and societies have always engaged in conflicts and have sought various ways to manage and resolve them. Conflict can be destructive or it can afford an opportunity for growth and change.

Many government and non-governmental organizations now require the use of alternative dispute resolution, specifically mediation. Likewise, the use of mediation in the private sector has grown rapidly in the recent past.

A key role for lawyers is to help their clients decide whether this type of conflict resolution is appropriate and if so, to guide them through the process. This can include preparing them for mediation, participating in the process and doing any necessary follow up, including drafting contracts, or other types of post-mediation agreements.

The goal of this course is to help law students prepare for their role in this newly evolving field.

International Human Rights Law
2 credits
Professor Penelope Andrews

This course will briefly cover the historical and philosophical background of human rights law. Emphasis will be placed on the political, cultural and social rights enumerated in a variety of international documents including the U.N. Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Much of the course will be devoted to the practical implications of human rights law such as international treaty law and law enforcement strategies. No prior course in international law is required.

Comparative Constitutional Law
2 credits
Professor Thomas A. Schweitzer

This course will focus on a number of constitutional issues that have led to important decisions of the higher courts of the United States, Germany and other nations. Jurisprudence from such areas as freedom of speech and press, abortion, and separation of powers will be considered. A previous course in American Constitutional Law is not required.