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Curriculum for Brussels and Geneva Program 2013

• Introduction to the Legal System of the European Union

(1 credit), coordinator:  Antoine Bailleux, Professor, Université Saint-Louis (Brussels)

This course provides a general overview of both the institutional and substantive aspects of the legal system of the European Union. Topics covered include i) an overview of the main institutions and bodies of the European Union, showing how these organs are called upon to cooperate with each other in the drafting and adoption process of legally binding acts—particular emphasis is placed on the Court of Justice and on the judicial remedies available in the EU legal order; and ii) key substantive principles of EU law, such as the free movement provisions and the protection of fundamental rights. This introduction to EU substantive law also includes a presentation of the various techniques whereby the EU authorities seek to harmonize the national legislations and ensure the functioning of EU's internal market.

• Aspects of European Union Business Law

(1 credit), coordinator: Alain Strowel, Professor, Université Saint-Louis (Brussels)

This course provides an introduction to some selected aspects of EU business law that are representative of the typical practice of a foreign law firm in Brussels. Topics covered include: i) competition law (including anti-trust and merger control); ii) intellectual property, focusing on issues such as the exhaustion of intellectual property rights and the interface between IP and competition issues; iii) tax law related to the day-to-day practice of foreign lawyers based in Brussels; iv) EU banking union and financial regulation; v) EU environmental law, focusing on an ever-growing body of legislation in this field which has become the source of multiple obligations for companies and a fertile ground of litigation for EU-based lawyers.

• Comparative U.S./EU Law

(1 credit), lead professor: Michael L. Wells, Professor, University of Georgia School of Law

This course compares the allocation of decision making under the U. S. Constitution with that of the European Union. Among the topics to be covered are: i) an overview of the origins and aims of the American Constitution, showing how these aims are implemented through the separation of powers at the national level and the division of authority between the nation and the states, and comparing these arrangements with those of the European Union; ii) a discussion of the scope of Congressional power, notably under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, and comparing Congress's power with that of the European Commission; iii) a comparison of the role of the U.S. Supreme Court with that of the European Court of Justice; iv) an examination of a number of practical problems that arise in litigation involving U.S. and European parties, including jurisdiction, choice of law, and enforcement of judgments.

• International Trade Law Practice under the WTO

(1 credit), lead professors: C. Donald Johnson, Director, Dean Rusk Center, University of Georgia School of Law and Gabrielle Marceau, Professor, Université de Genève; Senior Counsellor, Legal Affairs Division, World Trade Organization

This course examines legal issues and trade practices under the World Trade Organization (WTO).  Among the topics to be covered are: i) an overview and history of the WTO legal system; ii) a review of the WTO obligations and commitments; iii) a review of the dispute settlement, monitoring and enforcement system of the WTO; iv) litigation in the WTO from a practitioner’s perspective; v) an overview of trade defense instruments under the WTO: anti-dumping, subsidies and safeguards; vi) an examination of recent case law and hot topics in WTO jurisprudence; vii) an overview of WTO negotiations, including the Doha Round and beyond.The course will include several guest speakers from the WTO, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), other official representative offices, as well as private international practitioners.