Course Descriptions

The courses and faculty for 2010 are listed below. Printed course materials are provided on the first day of class. Law students may choose any 3 courses for a total of 3 ABA credits. Classes will be held Mondays through Fridays between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM. The exact schedule will be made available closer to the time.

Transatlantic Business Law (one credit)
This course provides both a basic introduction to the political and legal organization of the European Union and a sketch of the main areas of substantive EU law with a focus on the free movement of goods and persons within Europe and the Union’s external commercial (trade) policy. Students will be made aware of differences between national and EU approaches, and how these differences impact on transatlantic business relationships. Particular emphasis will be placed on the global impact of EU market integration, especially on the United States, in the areas of financial services, consumer protection, environmental law, and some key aspects of competition/antitrust law. The course will also touch on state measures and state aids, as well as WTO disputes between the U.S. and the EU. (Professor Jörg Fedtke)

Products Liability in the United States and Europe (one credit)
This course will cover in outline the main ideas of American and European products liability, including strict liability for defective manufacture and the more difficult standards governing liability for defective design and failure to warn of latent product dangers. Students will examine the American Restatement 3rd and the 1985 European Directive on Products Liability, and discuss a number of leading cases from both sides of the Atlantic. A discussion of the differences and similarities in the tests for defectiveness, the type of products covered or excluded from the respective legal regimes, the state-of-the-art defense and liability for development risks, punitive damages, and other practically relevant issues will provide a concise picture of the current state of the law and potential future developments on both sides of the Atlantic from a comparative perspective. (Professor Vernon Palmer)

Transatlantic Litigation (one credit)
The high volume of private relationships and business transactions between the United States and Europe inevitably produce numerous and manifold transatlantic legal disputes. American companies might seek legal action in contract or tort against European partners; citizens in Italy or the United Kingdom might wish to enforce judgments for alimony in the United States; and Americans might inherit land or other property in Europe. The questions of law which arise in cases of this kind are complex and of high practical importance. Where can a party sue or be sued? Would a judgment be recognised and enforced on the other side of the Atlantic? Which law will the courts apply? This course introduces students to specific issues of transatlantic litigation by discussing the relevant sources of law and highlighting, in a comparative perspective, practically relevant legal problems such as choice of law issues, the recognition and enforcement of judgments, service of actions, and questions of evidence and proof. (Professor Ulrich Magnus)

International Regulation of Intellectual Property (one credit)
Compliance with the IP norms and enforcement obligations of the TRIPS Agreement is one of the obligations of World Trade Organization Membership. This course provides an overview of these obligations and relates them to the international IP regime administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the bilateral IP obligations contained in free trade agreements, and those arising from the implementation by the USTR of s.301 of the U.S. Trade Law. This course will also examine the proposals for an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). Special emphasis will be placed on U.S.-EU relations throughout the course. (Professor Michael Blakeney)