Globalization is both a material and conceptual process that acts on and through the law. This seminar critically positions questions of the ‘global’ in conversation with the idea of law, legality and legal thought. Taking a historical approach, we will investigate how legal institutions and concepts evolved, travelled, and were transplanted across the globe in response to specific economic and political events and pressures. Students will critically engage with the process of ‘globalization’ to explore how power is distributed through law across both hegemonic and oppressed legal jurisdictions. With an eye towards social and liberation movements, we will explore the extent to which global, local and ‘glocal’ law can be relied on to advance—and restrict—emancipatory projects. We will contextualize the course’s historical approach to understanding global interconnectedness and ideas of justice with an examination of the most pressing challenges to the stability of the ‘rules-based international order’ today, including: the enduring effects of the covid-19 pandemic; the turn to populism and nationalism across the world; and the recent intensification of political and genocidal violence.
Method of Evaluation:
(1) Podcast assignment: Working in pairs, students will produce a short 20-minute podcast on a topic of their choosing that engages course themes and questions (35%; 25% for the podcast, and 10% for a short written reflection on a peer group’s podcast)
(2) Research paper: Students will write a final research paper that critically engages a research question of their choosing (65%; 5,000 words for first-year students and 7,000 words for upper-year students). Your grade will be divided between 60% for the final paper and 5% for the proposal.