The Rome Summer Program offers an engaging and practical course
of study for anyone interested in international and comparative
law. All instruction is in English. The 2012 Rome Summer Program
curriculum includes these offerings:
European Legal History (2 credits)
Professor Jeffrey
K. Walker
In this survey course, students will explore the development of
continental European law from the promulgation of Justinian's
Corpus Juris Civilis in the mid-6th century to the
creation of the Napoleonic Code at the beginning of the 19th
century. This broad period of European history witnessed the
confluence of several streams of law--most notably Roman law, canon
law, and national customary law--each contributing to the creation
of the hallmark institution of the continental legal systems: the
civil codes. With emphasis on the study of original sources
supplemented by secondary texts, attention will be given to an
examination of the reinvigoration of the study of Roman law by the
medieval Glossators. The emergence of canon law and
Romano-canonical procedure will be studied, as will the importance
of early indigenous customary laws. The emergence of national legal
institutions in the 14th and 15th centuries will be considered, as
will the codifications of customary law. Finally, the influence of
early modern political and legal thought will be examined in the
17th and 18th centuries, culminating in Napoleon's landmark
codification of the French civil law. Comparisons to parallel
developments in the common law will be made as appropriate, but the
focus will remain on continental Europe. This course also features
several “walking lectures” to places directly relevant to the
subject matter of the course, including the Roman Forum, St.
Peter’s Basilica, a medieval manuscripts library, and the Vatican
Museum. Grading will be based on an examination and class
participation.
International Human Rights Law (2 credits)
Professor
Elizabeth Defeis
International Human Rights Law will start with an historical
introduction to the field, first looking at the pre-WWII status of
human rights (including not only civil and political rights, but
also social, cultural and economic rights as well as solidarity or
communitarian rights) in the context of traditional international
law and then focusing on post-WWII developments. Next, the course
will look at sources of international human rights law and
procedures available to enforce and ensure enforcement of human
rights violations, including regional arrangements, U.N. procedures
and the role of fact-finding, and the role of Non- Governmental
Organizations. The class also will study the role of international
human rights law in U.S. domestic law. In addition, the following
topics will be covered: the role of international tribunals;
humanitarian law and its relationship to human rights; the nature
of rights as universal or relative to culture; self-determination;
rights of indigenous peoples; women, racial/ethnic and cultural
minorities; right to development; and the obligations of states as
protectors and enforcers of human rights. Grades are based on a
final exam. Students who take this course are not permitted to take
International Human Rights Law.
Law and Religion Seminar: International and Comparative
Perspectives (2 credits)
Professor Marc O.
DeGirolami
This seminar will consider the ways different legal systems,
including the international human rights regime, accommodate the
sometimes competing demands of law and religion. After an
introduction to the theoretical underpinnings and history of the
subject, the course will address two main areas: free exercise of
religion (e.g., religious exemptions, proselytism, and religious
discrimination) and the separation of state and religion (e.g.,
religious establishments, the autonomy of religious associations,
and public funding). Throughout, we will compare how Western and
non-Western countries address these questions and consider the
effect of international human rights norms. Grading will be based
on an examination and class participation.
For more information on the 2012 Rome Summer Program course
curriculum, please
contact us. To apply to the program, please complete and return
the
application form.