Seminar in Globalization

This seminar will first examine the many meanings of globalization through a set of readings designed to introduce students to the legal and law related literature in this field. In so doing, we shall assess the impact of global processes on international and domestic law, generally, noting, for example, the rise in importance of non- state actors in international legal arenas and the increasingly significant role played by private actors in the provision of domestic social services. We will also examine ideas about law without and outside the state. Classes for the first few weeks of the semester will be devoted to the globalization literature, generally. Students will be asked to present the readings and help lead a discussion of them. We then will focus on three case studies, one dealing with environmental issues, one dealing with labor issues and one focused on poverty and human rights. Throughout these case studies, we will examine such questions as: What is the relationship of globalization to growing wealth disparities among citizens within countries and wealth differences between developed and developing countries? Has globalization increased wealth dramatically for some but not for others? What is the relationship of globalization to democracy in the U. S. as well as in other established and emerging democracies around the word? In this respect, how does the increasing role of non governmental actors in policy matters affect democracy and the role of citizens? At the end of these classes, we will dedicate several classes to the presentation of draft papers prepared by the students.

Students& 039; grades will be based on their participation and their presentations in this seminar, as well as the major research paper they will write in this seminar. We will spend some time discussing what a good research paper consists of and how best to write one. Students will be encouraged in their papers to suggest and draft the legal language necessary to make constructive law reforms at various levels of government domestic or international and to help create a new legal architecture for the future.