Seminar on International CourtsFall 1997Washington College of LawAmerican University |
Taught by:
John Quentin Heywood
and
Chris J. Brantley
Supplementary Reading List
Materials for the Cyberspace Exercise
Introduction to the practice of international courts and arbitral tribunals and their role in the development of international law. Offered in a seminar format using lectures, case-studies, and class exercises as teaching methods, the course will outline the evolution and structure of international tribunals, examine the development of international legal principles by international tribunals with reference to "sources" methodology, and discuss issues concerning the effectiveness and future role of international courts in the development of international law.
Introduce students to the historical evolution, structure, and function of international tribunals within the international legal system.
Reinforce students' conceptual understanding of the sources of international law and their inter-relationships.
Examine selected international legal issues and modes of legal argumentation using class exercises simulating international judicial dispute resolution.
Outline issues concerning the effectiveness of international tribunals as dispute resolution mechanisms and their future.
John's office is in Room 115 (inside the Law Library). His office hours are Mondays, 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Tuesdays through Fridays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. John will also be available for a short time after class, and by special appointment. John's office telephone is 202-274-4329, and his home telephone is 301-929-2535. His e-mail address is: heywood@american.edu
Chris works downtown for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (1828 L Street, NW, Suite 1202). He will be available after class, and you can telephone to make arrangements to meet with him in his office. Chris's office telephone is 202-785-0017, and his home telephone is 301-439-7729. His e-mail address is: c.brantley@ieee.org
All students at WCL have e-mail accounts on EagleNET. Your address is the first initial of your first name, the first initial of your last name, the last four digits of your student i.d. number, the letter "A", followed by "@american.edu" (without any spaces and, of course, without the " marks). For example, if your name is Jane Doe and your i.d. number is 123-45-6789: Your e-mail address is "jd6789a@american.edu" (not the quotes, of course). To get onto the system, you need to use your account name and password. To find out your account password, please stop by the Department of Computer Services Student Computing Office (Room 206 in the Law Library), Student Computing Lab (Room 526), or their Main Office (Room 393).
We have established a mailing list for this course. A mailing list is a way for all of us to communicate easily with each other by e-mail. When you post a message to the list, everyone on the list gets a copy in their e-mailbox. All enrolled members of this class are members of the list, as are both professors. To send a message to the list, just address it to:
Messages from the list will have "C3973839" in the FROM field. We expect students to use the list for out-of-class discussion, preparation of the in-class exercises, and for questions to the professors. We will actively participate in the discussion online, both posing and answering questions, as well as commenting on the issues at hand. Participation in the online discussion will count toward your class participation grade. You are required to check your e-mail regularly for this class, as we will post important announcements there first.
Like every commercial on television these days, we have a website:
http://real-ale.wcl.american.edu/courts/
We will post additional materials, reference sources, and other useful items of interest to the class on our website.
70% Scholarly Paper:
(30+ pages, exclusive of notes, double-spaced with one inch margins) based on a topic relating to the role of an international tribunal(s) in the development of international law. A written topic proposal must be presented for approval by 30 September 1997. The paper will satisfy the W.C.L. Upper Level Writing Requirement.
20% Class Presentation:
5 minute topic presentation to the class early in the semester and a 20 minute major class presentation on paper topic at the end of the semester. The grade will be based on the following factors: preparation, organization, grasp of topic, effective use of time, and responsiveness to questions.
10% Class Participation:
Evaluation of attendance, preparation for and participation in class room discussion, participation in the online discussion, and participation in class exercises.
All students are expected to attend and participate in classes. More than three unexcused absences will result in entry of a failing grade for the course.
Papers are due in John Heywood's office no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 5 December 1997. This is during Reading Period. If you are a student who is graduating this December, you MUST get your paper in to us by this date in order to graduate. We need time to read and evaluate your work before assigning a grade. If you miss this deadline, we may not be able to turn your grade in to the Registrar in time for you to graduate.
Papers turned in after this date and time without a previously approved extension will be penalized one-half letter grade for every weekday (excluding holidays) after the due date. The day ends at 5:00 p.m.
Example:
A paper is turned in at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, 9 December 1997, without a pre-approved extension. If the paper had been turned in on time, it would have received a B+. The paper was effectively handed in on Wednesday, 10 December 1997, and is thus 3 days late. It receives the grade of C.
Short extensions for worthy causes, such as computer failure, death in the family, my dog ate my disk/paper, etc., will be granted with no penalty if you apply for it before the time the paper is due. (i.e., If you are printing out your paper 10 minutes before 5:00 p.m. on the fifth of December and your computer dies, call us immediately.) These extensions will be very short in duration; no more than a day or two.
Everyone knows that plagiarism is wrong, but not everyone is clear on what exactly is plagiarism. It is the gravest of the academic sins, and it is more than just copying without attribution. We have listed the various forms of plagiarism below in descending order of gravity, (1) being classic absolute plagiarism, and (9) being a much lesser version. All of them should be avoided. Non-de minimus plagiarism will be punished. It will result in zero points for the paper, and thus an F for the course. The case will also be turned over to the Office of Student Affairs for prosecution under the W.C.L. Honor Code.
Plagiarism is:
Word-for-word lifting of seven consecutive words or more, without quotation marks or block quotation, and without attribution to any source.
Word-for-word lifting of seven consecutive words or more, without quotation marks or block quotation, with an attribution to a source that was not the original source from which the passage was actually lifted nor the source cited (if any) by that original source.
Word-for-word lifting of seven consecutive words or more, without quotation marks or block quotation, with attribution to a source that was not the original source from which the passage was actually lifted, but was a source cited by that original source.
Word-for-word lifting of seven consecutive words or more, with attribution to the original source from which the passage was actually lifted, but without indication that these are the words of another.
Word-for-word lifting of seven consecutive words or more, without quotation marks or block quotation, with attribution to the original source from which the passage was actually lifted, and with the indication that these are the words of another.
Attributing a quoted passage to a source that does not contain that quoted passage.
Attributing material to a source that does not support the passage for which it is cited.
Misquoting a source.
Lifting a quoted passage and its attribution from a source without acknowledgment or other indication. An example of this would be if you were reading an article by Smith that quoted another article by Jones, and you put the quotation in your paper with an attribution to Jones, but no mention that you got it from Smith who was quoting Jones.
26 August 1997
Discussion Topics:
Seminar work:
Reading Assignment:
2 September 1997
Discussion Topics:
In-Class Exercise:
Reading Assignments:
9 September 1997
Discussion Topics:
Seminar Work:
Reading Assignments:
16 September 1997
Discussion Topics:
Seminar Work:
Reading Assignments:
23 September 1997
Discussion Topics:
In-Class Exercise:
Seminar Work:
Reading Assignments:
30 September 1997
Discussion Topics:
Seminar Work:
Reading Assignments:
7 October 1997 & 14 October 1997
Discussion Topics:
Seminar Work:
Reading Assignments:
21 October 1997 & 28 October 1997
Discussion Topics:
Seminar Work:
Reading Assignments:
4 November 1997
Discussion Topics:
The instructors will chose and highlight those tribunals and processes listed below and not covered in student presentations, which present topical issues for discussion:
Seminar Work:
In-Class Exercise:
Reading Assignments:
11 November 1997, 18 November 1997, & 25 November 1997