Course Description
Introduces students to a contemporary challenge in the field of international law and prompts them to design and present a solution as part of a group. Students will learn about the historical context, institutional, legal, and theoretical frameworks, as well as the relevant law and policy frameworks, of the selected hackathon challenge through readings, lectures, recorded interviews, and more. Small groups will present their “hacks” or proposed solutions to a panel of judges at the end of the semester.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate law students will be required to demonstrate mastery of the material through an applied project not required of the Juris Doctor students. Graduate law students are primarily international lawyers seeking expertise in the American legal system. This expertise is gained through exposure to Juris Doctor courses in which they will be required to perform more extensive reading and research.
Athena Title
International Law Hackathon
Semester Course Offered
Offered summer semester every year.
Grading System
S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to: • Identify key ideas, actors, theories, legal frameworks, and other foundational information related to the selected contemporary challenge in the field of international law; • Work as a group to discuss challenges in international law; and • Work as a group to develop proposals to address challenges in international law that utilize design thinking, effective advocacy, and creative legal problem solving.
Topical Outline
The topic of the course will vary from year to year based on the instructor’s research area. The instructor will provide progressively in-depth information about their area of interest/ the topic of the hackathon in a way that allows students to build foundational and historical knowledge of the topic, as well as contemporary perspectives and challenges. Throughout the course, students will have time allotted to meet in small groups to discuss readings, brainstorm questions and ideas for their hackathon project, and work together on their project. The project will conclude with a half-day hackathon presentation, where each group presents their final project to a panel of judges.
Syllabus
Public CV