What is Global Law?

Global Law comprises three different focuses:

International Law: laws, rules, or legal principles regarding the rights and duties of nations or citizens of different nations in relation to one another. Private international law typically deals with legal issues affecting businesses, corporations, and commercial transactions. Public international law typically deals with governments, non-profit agencies, and, occasionally, individuals or groups of individuals.

Transnational Law: laws relating to transactions that involve the domestic laws of two or more countries.

Comparative Law: the study of similarities and differences between the domestic laws of two or more countries or international schemes.

Rather than a stand-alone practice area, global law is woven through many areas of emphasis

At Lewis & Clark, students can study global law in specific courses dedicated entirely to such issues or as an element of many courses with broader coverage. Global law issues are taught in courses on business transactions, tax law, litigation of business disputes, mediation and arbitration of business disputes, government regulation of corporations by foreign entities, and the impact of trade agreements on business entities. Global law issues may also be taught in courses on environmental law, criminal law, intellectual property, patent law, immigration law, and other areas.