IBL&DR Courses and Seminars

The IBL&DR Certificate consists of four core courses, and one in-depth seminar covering a selected topic .  Each course will be completed in 8 weeks.  You will have weekly readings and lectures; virtual class discussion boards; written quizzes and exams; and papers and/or presentations.

Course 1:  Introduction to US and International Business Law (3 Credits) – Professor Laun

This course will provide an introduction to US and International Law for the non-lawyer and/or the foreign lawyer.  It will provide the baseline knowledge necessary for students to understand how the US legal system works, and how transborder transactions can be approached. 

Topics covered in this course will include:

  • Fundamentals of US Law – constitutional, statutory, and regulatory
  • Fundamentals of Civil Law –  statutory and regulatory
  • Differences between US and Civil Law systems – role of legislatures, role of courts, role of lawyers
  • Key Substantive Areas of Law:
    • Civil Procedure and Administrative Law
    • Court Systems and Dispute Resolution
    • Contracts
    • Property
    • Torts
    • Business Organizations

Course 2:  Commercial Aspects of Cross-Border Transactions (3 Credits) – Professor Deoras

This course will introduce the student to commercial transactions that cross borders.  Students will consider the impacts of choices of law and choices of forum on the transaction.

Topics covered will include:

  • Contracts for the sale of goods including the US Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and the UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods (UN CISG)
  • Contracts for the provision of cross-border services
  • Contracts for secured transactions across borders
  • Contracts for the purchase or sale of a business (acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, and joint ventures)

Course 3:  Specialty Areas in Cross-Border Transactions (3 Credits) – Professor TBD

This course will introduce the key specialty areas that are involved in a cross-border transaction.  Students will learn how taxes, intellectual property and contractual provisions are used by international lawyers to allocate and minimize risks in such transactions.

Topics covered will include:

  • Taxation and Tax Planning
  • Intellectual Property – patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and IP licensing
  • International Trade considerations – bilateral and multilateral investment treaties and import/export matters
  • Risk Allocation – use of a statutory framework (battle of the forms under the UCC or the UN CISG, or statutory regimes like the German Commercial Code) versus specific representations, warranties, and indemnities to provide more certainty
  • Insurance and cross-border transactions

Course 4:  Foundations of International Dispute Resolution and Litigation (3 Credits) – Professor Kotuby

This course will introduce the resolution of disputes in cross-border transactions. Students will learn the basics of how disputes arise, how to avoid or resolve them, and how to litigate them when cases are filed.

Topics covered will include:

  • Avoiding disputes via contractual language
  • Mediation
  • Arbitration – domestic or international
  • Domestic Litigation
  • Strategic choices of forum

Course 5:  Seminar / Special Topic in International Transactional or Dispute Resolution Law (3 Credits) – Professors Laun and Kotuby

This seminar study will allow the student to take an in-depth look at either (i) an international transactional issue; or (ii) the challenges of doing business in a specific geographic area, including Latin America, Africa, the Middle East or Russia; or (iii) an international dispute case.  It will consist of a five- to ten-page written project and an online presentation, as well as a final exam.