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International Law Concentration

The objective of the International Law and Practice Concentration is to educate the next generation of lawyers who will work in careers related to international law and its many sub-specialties in both public international law and private international law.

The concentration will provide students with robust and varied opportunities to learn and develop skills in international law-related practice areas.


INTERNATIONAL LAW AND PRACTICE CONCENTRATION

In order to complete the concentration in International Law and Policy, a student must have satisfactorily completed (1) all mandatory core course requirements; and (2) a total of at least seventeen (17) total credit hours from (a) mandatory core courses, (b) designated elective courses, and© courses satisfying the experiential learning requirement.

Mandatory Core Courses. 

Students must satisfactorily complete all of the following courses for this Concentration:

  • International Law (Law 768)
  • International Business Transactions (Law 633) or International Trade Law (626)
  • International Human Rights (Law 701)
  • One of the following Study Abroad Programs: Comparative Brazilian Law (Law 603); Comparative Law in Mexico (Law 610) or; Geneva Study Abroad (Law 617)


Designated Elective Courses 

Students may select from the following courses for Concentration credit:

  • Immigration Law (Law 723)
  • Administrative Law (Law 764)
  • International Environmental Law (Law 613)
  • Jewish/Islamic Comparative Law (Law 614)
  • International Trade Law (Law 626)
  • International Business Transactions (Law 633)
  • Seminar: International Trade Regulation (Law 688B)
  • Seminar: National Security Law (Law 689X)
  • Seminar: Refugee & Asylum Law (Law 689B)
  • Seminar: Comparative/International Workplace Law (Law 689T)
  • Seminar: Sustainable Development (Law 689Y)
  • Special Topics: Courses Taught by McDougall Fellow


Additional Courses may be added with the consent of the Concentration Administrator.

Writing 

Students must engage in research and produce a written paper or court document of no less than 25 pages on a topic related to an international law topic. This requirement can be satisfied by satisfactory completion and submission of a written document that falls within any of the following categories:

  • Qualifying paper in any Designated Elective Course or Seminar
  • Independent Study approved in accordance with the policies set forth in the WVU College of Law Handbook and overseen by a Concentration Faculty member
  • Law Review Note, with approval of the Concentration Administrator and with a faculty member as advisor
  • A Court Document, e.g. Amicus, Brief or Memorandum of Law (real or moot) with the approval of the Concentration Administrator and with a faculty member as advisor


The writing requirement requires input and approval from a faculty member and the Concentration Administrator, even if the writing was completed outside a formal class or independent study arrangement. A student may fulfill the writing requirement through an alternative method with the consent of the Concentration Administrator.

Experiential Learning 

Students must meet the following experiential learning requirement of no less than 2 credits, with no more than 5 credits from a clinic counting towards the 17 credit requirement. A student may fulfill this requirement through any of the following methods:

  • Participation in at least one year of the College of Law’s Jessup International Moot Court team (Law 652)

    OR

  • International Organization Externship (full- or part-time)
  • Government Agency Externship (full- or part-time – must be related to an area of international, comparative, or transnational law) Note: Any externship placements for the International Law Concentration must comply with the general rules of the externship program.

    OR

  • Immigration Clinic (Law 724)

A student may fulfill this Concentration requirement through an alternative method with the consent of the Concentration Administrator.

Other Requirements 

Students must also meet the following requirements:

  • Ten hours of related extracurricular or co-curricular activities, such as active participation in the International Law Students Association, by attending relevant meetings, hearings or speakers, administrative or other active participation in the international law-related events (e.g., symposia).

  • Students are strongly encouraged to gain competency in a foreign language in conjunction with pursuing this Concentration.
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