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Vanderbilt in Venice Summer 2019 Courses

Course I

Comparative Perspectives on Counterterrorism (2 credit hours) 

This course offers a comparative analysis of the national approaches of, inter alia, the United States, Israel, the European Union, and other states. This multidisciplinary course focuses on the dual interlocking axes of legal norms [flowing from international as well as national perspective] and the accompanying political and operational imperatives. Counterterrorism is a global cooperative phenomenon, and the study of its practice entails the use of case-law, legislation, international law, and national policy directives and operational decisions. Students will be exposed to case-law from a number of jurisdictions, to include international courts and commissions, reaching occasionally contradictory results. Counterterrorism also entails discussion of human rights law, humanitarian law, and comparative statutory study. The course will also entail extended use of scenario driven exercises.

[Course runs first two weeks of program]

Taught by Michael Newton, Professor of the Practice Law, Vanderbilt Law School

Course II

The International Arbitration Experiential Learning (2 credit hours) *Experiential learning credits – 2 of 6 required for graduation

This course is designed to acquaint students in the understanding of both public and private international law rules from an arbitral perspective. Special emphasis will be made on international economic law. Inquiry is made into the sources of international law and will include related bodies of rules involving more than one legal and political system. Hence, particular reference will be made to new sources of global law such as the Unidroit Principles for international commercial contracts and lex mercatoria. We will focus on the understanding of doctrines, institutions and applications using historical, political and jurisprudential perspectives.

The topics employed to explore these themes include:

  • Sources of international law
  • The European Community Law experience
  • The Hague Peace system for intergovernmental dispute settlement and ICJ
  • WTO and economic disputes
  • Mixed arbitration: State contracts; ICSID, the Iran-US Claims Tribunal and UNCC
  • Transnational commercial arbitration

[Course runs entire length of program]

Taught by Professor Fabrizio Marrella, "Cà Foscari University of Venice", Italy 

Course III

Comparative Corporate Governance (2 credit hours)

This course will provide a general overview of the field of comparative corporate governance, including the United States and several other countries with a focus on the basic economic principles and theories that have been developed. Specific topics will include the theory of the firm, limited liability, share dispersion, agency costs, internal governance structures, executive compensation, shareholder activism, shareholder litigation, the market for corporate control and shareholder voting.

[Course runs last two weeks of program]

Taught by Randall Thomas, John S. Beasley II Professor of Law and Business, Vanderbilt Law School