Academic Component of the Program
Two separate two-credit courses and one one-credit course are offered during the session. Because of American Bar Association regulations regarding classroom hours, students may enroll for up to three credits. Students should understand that scheduled class hours will have to be changed on occasion to accommodate visits to local institutions.
Latin American Legal Systems (2 credit hours) (Monday through Thursday the week of May 17, Monday through Friday the week of May 24, 2:00 – 4:30 p.m)
Professor Keith Vetter
This course focuses on all elements of the legal system, the substantive private law, the judicial method, the judiciary, the legal profession, legal education, governmental structure, and public law. Naturally, it will be taught from a comparative perspective. Classroom instruction will be enhanced by trips to one of Brazil’s leading law firms, the State University of Rio de Janeiro Law School (where select classes will be held), and courts in the Brazilian judicial system. Program visits allow the opportunity for interaction with Brazilian attorneys, law students, and judges at the same time related topics are discussed in class. We feel that there is no more effective way to study Latin America’s legal system than to be able to experience the courts, law offices, and law schools while reading and discussing these topics in class, as we do in this course.
Human Rights and the Global Marketplace (1 credit hour) (Monday through Thursday the week of May 17, Monday through Friday the week of May 24, 9:00 – 10:15 a.m)
Professor Jeanne M. Woods
This course examines international and comparative human rights law, with a focus on economic, social and cultural rights. It traces the theoretical foundations underlying human rights principles, particularly those embracing the notion of moral and legal responsibility for the satisfaction of basic human needs. It will consider international and regional legal instruments embodying socio-economic rights and duties; special problems related to indigenous peoples; the impact of globalization, trade, and international financial institutions on poverty and development; and the comparative approaches to socio-economic rights applied throughout the world.
International Arbitration (1 credit hour) (Monday through Thursday the week of May 17, Monday through Friday the week of May 24, 11 a.m. - 12:15
p.m.)
Professor John Rooney
The course will cover the regulation and use of international arbitration from the perspectives of International, United States and Brazilian law. We will discuss the application of the principle instruments of public international law in the area (The Washington Convention, the United States Model Bilateral Investment Treaty, the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards and the Inter-American Convention on International Commercial Arbitration) and the Federal Arbitration Act and Brazil's national arbitration law.
The first week of the course will cover the public international law sources, and discuss the regulation of investor-state arbitrations. The discussion of investor-state arbitrations will include arbitral forums (such as ICSID) and sources of cause of action under public international law.
The second week will be devoted to international commercial arbitration. We will cover national regulation of international commercial arbitration, looking at the United States, Brazil and the UNCITRAL Model International Commercial Arbitration Law, with emphasis on the enforceability of the agreement to arbitrate, interim measures of protection, rules for the conduct of international arbitrations (International Chamber of Commerce, London Court of International Arbitration, Inter-American Commission on International Commercial Arbitration, and UNICTRAL International Arbitration Rules);development and use of evidence in the international arbitration; and the recognition and enforcement of the international arbitral award.
Comparative Criminal Justice (2 credit hours) (Monday through Thursday the week of May 17, Monday through Friday the week of May 24, 2:00-4:30 p.m.)
Professor James Viator and Professor Eduadrdo Japiassu
This course will compare the systems of Criminal law and Administration of Criminal Justice of Brazil and the United States. This course is taught but James Etienne Viator , Adams & Reese Distinguished Professor of Law at Loyola University New Orleans School of Law and Professor Eduadrdo Japiassu of the State University of Rio de Janeiro Law School will lecture on the Brazilian system.