International Law & International Economic Law

In a globalized world, lawyers need to be trained in more than domestic law. Increasingly, U.S. lawyers practice in fields where they may have foreign clients, deal with foreign parties as well as with foreign and international laws through transactional work, and litigate or arbitrate with foreign parties or on issues that concern foreign and international law.

Subject Overview
Pathways
Faculty
Resources

Introduction

In a globalized world, lawyers need to be trained in more than domestic law. Increasingly U.S. lawyers practice in fields where they may have foreign clients, deal with foreign parties or foreign governments as well as with foreign and international laws and regulations through transactional work, and litigate or arbitrate with foreign parties or on issues that concern foreign and international law.

Quick Links

What Is International Law?
International Law Careers
What Is International Economic Law?
International Economic Law Careers

In response to this reality, U.S. law schools have greatly expanded their curricula in the two fields in this area—International Law and International Economic Law. The different courses are offered to capture the fact that lawyers in these related fields largely practice in different settings and for different clients.

It is not unusual for law students interested in the globalized world to be unsure about exactly what an “international lawyer” does. For that reason, this subject overview covers both international law and international economic law and offers both an explanation of each field and a description of the types of careers available in that field. Accompanying this subject overview, you will find two separate pathways: one for public international law and one for international economic law.

Most lawyers focus their practice in either public international law or international economic law. However, it is common for lawyers practicing in one to follow the development of the law in the other field and to engage in work through international organizations and associations, the international sections of U.S. bar associations, or through pro bono projects that involve the other field.

Students with a strong interest in international relations should take courses in both fields. Students seeking an introduction to either field would benefit most from the core courses listed in the accompanying pathways.

Students who hope to pursue a career in public international law or international economic law should consider looking for internships that would place them inside a government department, international organization, or non-governmental organization (NGO) of interest as a way to further their chances of gaining full-time work later.

Students seeking to pursue careers in international law or international economic law should also consider pursuing an LL.M. in their field of interest. It is fairly typical for those practicing in both fields to have LL.M. degrees.

What Is International Law?

“International Law” embraces what has traditionally been called public international law. This field of law has expanded rapidly in the modern era (1945 to the present) and involves the states of the world, individuals, international organizations, and NGOs that focus on international issues.

States make international law by negotiating, ratifying, and implementing treaties; developing customary approaches to legal issues; and engaging in international arbitrations and appearing before international courts and tribunals. Individuals are now recognized as having specified human rights under international law and also duties to comply with international law. International organizations have created the institutional structure for negotiating and maintaining international treaty regimes thereby making them effective.

NGOs work to raise the profile of the international issue of concern to each organization and in doing so constantly engage both with states and international organizations. International law has developed in every area of interest to states and individuals, including, but not limited to, human rights, the conduct of war, national security, criminal law, environmental law, labor law, family law, the law of the sea and outer space, and cultural heritage.

Taking the introductory course in International Law exposes students to the players in the international system and the sources of international law, which include treaties, customary international law, jus cogens, and general principles and equity. Students are also exposed to how international law is received into domestic law and practiced by states, international tribunals, and organizations. The International Law course provides the foundation for every other course in the field of public international law.

Lawyers practice international law in these and many other areas usually by working for governments, international and inter-governmental organizations, international courts and tribunals, and NGOs with a special focus, such as human rights or environmental law.

International Law Careers

Working For the U.S. Government

As a major developed country, the United States is engaged in every aspect of creating and implementing international law. A large number of federal departments and agencies focus on public international law. The State Department is charged with most aspects of foreign relations and with negotiating and implementing treaties, appearing before most international courts, tribunals, and arbitral tribunals.

In addition, virtually every cabinet level department in the federal government, such as the Department of Justice, Department of Commerce, Treasury Department, Department of Defense, and Department of Agriculture, has an office of international affairs and thus works on the oversight and enforcement of an international treaty, rule, or standard, or litigates or arbitrates on international law issues.

Congress shares many aspects of international law making with the Executive Branch. Consequently, lawyers with international expertise are hired to work on House and Senate committees with international law oversight—such committees include House Ways and Means, and Senate Foreign Affairs—and on the staffs of members of Congress.

Another area of employment for those interested in international law is with the branches of the military. Lawyers in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) of each branch have as their areas of expertise various aspects of international law, particularly the law of war, international humanitarian law, and all aspects of national security law.

The type of work an attorney would do for these government employers would be to advise the relevant government department, government committee, or military branch about the applicable international law; oversee the implementation of government programs; undertake enforcement actions; and engage in litigation or arbitration required under relevant U.S. statutes implementing international obligations.

Through STCL Houston’s Government Process Clinic/Academic Internship, students can seek to arrange an internship at one of the government agencies that focus on public international law. Through the law school’s Criminal Process Clinic/Academic Internship, students can seek to arrange an internship at a federal prosecutor’s office that pursues international criminal law cases.

Working For International Organizations

A great deal of the creation and implementation of international law is done by and through the work of international organizations. The largest of these organizations is the United Nations, which serves its member states through the work of not only its Security Council and the General Assembly but also through more than twenty UN agencies covering all of the areas that require international cooperation, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The United Nations maintains its own career website which helps a lawyer determine both how to enter this area and what a career path looks like. It is possible to find an international organization or an inter-governmental organization devoted to virtually every field of human activity, such as human rights, maritime law and law of the sea, international humanitarian law, energy, arms control, economic development, and fostering the rule of law and democracy.

Some of the types of work done for these organizations would include working on acts, rules, and regulations for the negotiating and rule making bodies; serving as a legal advisor to the organization; working for one of the international tribunals or courts established and maintained by international organizations; and providing assistance to an international organization’s executive body or dispute settlement system.

Through the law school’s International Process Clinic/Academic Internship, students can seek to arrange an internship with an international criminal tribunal or other international organization.

Working For Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

Lawyers working for NGOs are typically drawn to this career path by a commitment to the subject matter pursued by the organization. NGOs focusing on international law are generally structured in two ways: as international NGOs or as NGOs devoted to work in specific countries.

In the first category are large, established organizations that are based in developed countries but have offices or national chapters all over the world. Examples of such NGOs include Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Greenpeace International. The second category of NGOs serves a particular region or country and operates out of that country.

Given the difference in both focus and resources, NGOs differ widely in the types of jobs that are available. Information about careers and the types of work available in the larger international NGOs can be found on their websites or those of their national chapters. In the case of local NGOs, lawyers usually have a connection to the country and must become entrepreneurs to seek out funding through grant programs in order to work for a local NGO.

What Is International Economic Law?

“International Economic Law” is the term for what used to be called “private international law.” The focus in this area has always been on how individuals and firms have conducted business internationally—by trading goods and services and investing in other countries.

The actors in this field, however, are not just individuals and firms. In the reconstruction of the world economy after World War II and in the subsequent decades, states created and now maintain international organizations that focus on developing the law governing international trade (World Trade Organization), international finance (International Monetary Fund), and development (World Bank and regional development banks).

In order to facilitate trade, states have put in place international treaties dealing with the transport of goods by air and sea, international contracts for the sale of goods, the international protection of intellectual property rights, and many other agreements covering other aspects of international business. Industry groups and associations such as the International Chamber of Commerce have created soft law—voluntary rules and standards for companies—that is indispensable for transacting international deals.

In recent decades, states have strengthened the ability of firms to conduct business by negotiating hundreds of treaties aimed at creating investment rights and protections. States have also increased economic development by granting each other preferential market access for trade in goods and services through the creation of hundreds of bilateral and regional free trade agreements (like NAFTA) and customs unions (like the European Union).

The resulting growth of trade and business coming from these efforts by states also spurred the need for dispute resolution mechanisms that would be acceptable to both sides in a transnational deal. States facilitated this by concluding treaties to aid in transactional litigation and arbitration.

Taking the introductory course in this field—International Business Transactions—allows students to learn about all of the major aspects of international economic law. The course covers the law of international trade at the multilateral, regional, and national levels; the different types of transactions companies engage in, such as the sale and distribution of goods, international licensing of intellectual property, international investment, and international construction contracts; and a wide variety of treaties and soft law instruments that facilitate international trade and transactions.

A student hoping to pursue a career in international economic law should begin here and then take advanced and more specialized courses in international trade and transactions. The later courses in the International Economic Law Pathway offer the opportunity to gain exposure to not only the law but also to the drafting work that would be needed for international business deals.

International Economic Law Careers

Working For Law Firms and In-House for Corporations

Most lawyers working in the field of international economic law work for law firms or for corporations in their legal departments. The work they perform differs not as much with regard to type as with regard to the client. Law firms working in this area work for a wide variety of business clients. By contrast, in-house counsel focuses on the legal work needed by a corporation engaged in a particular industry, such as intellectual property, high technology, energy, or commodities.

Lawyers working for law firms and corporations typically practice in three capacities. First, lawyers may engage in transactional work, which involves negotiating and drafting the necessary documents for the deal, and securing the financing for the deal. Second, lawyers may do regulatory work, where they advise clients about—and guide them through—the domestic and international regulations and proceedings regarding areas such as trade law, customs, export controls, economic sanctions, intellectual property, international taxation, investment law, and anti-corruption laws. Lawyers’ third capacity is international litigation and arbitration when disputes do arise.

Law firms and corporations hire entry-level attorneys to work in each of these practice areas. In large U.S. cities with a diverse industrial base or a port, one will typically find a cadre of attorneys practicing a mix of transactional, regulatory, and dispute resolution work in international economic law. The center for international trade-related regulatory work is Washington, D.C. The litigation work connected to international trade and customs is in New York and in Washington.

Attorneys licensed in the United States can work for firms and corporations abroad as long as they limit their work to advising on international law or U.S. law. Since any of these jobs tend to be highly competitive, it is important for students to focus on taking courses that reveal to prospective employers an interest in international topics and competence in the skills employed by transactional, regulatory, and dispute resolution lawyers.

Students hoping to work for these employers in certain industries should consider courses on the International Economic Law Pathway as well as coursework relevant to practice in that particular industry. Examples of practice area and industry specializations include intellectual property and energy law—both has its own subject overview and pathway.

Those students interested in focusing on international transactional work would benefit greatly from pursuing the Transactional Practice Certificate. This program provides students with the chance to gain knowledge of business and corporate law while also training them in negotiation and drafting skills, including the chance to focus on the drafting that would be done for a series of international transactions.

Students who have a stronger interest in pursuing a career as a litigator or arbitration counsel (or ultimately as an arbitrator) should review the Civil Litigation & ADR Pathway to supplement the coursework listed on the accompanying International Economic Law Pathway.

Working For Industry/Trade Associations

Almost every major industry or trade association in the United States hires attorneys who focus on international trade-related issues. The private sector associations have a stake in representing their industry before Congress and government agencies. These associations push for international agreements—along with U.S. statutes and regulations flowing from these agreements—that will aid their industries.

These associations hire lawyers to advise them on relevant international economic law and proposed international agreements so that the association can effectively carry out its advocacy and lobbying functions. Most of these associations are located in Washington, D.C. Lawyers hoping to work for certain industries are attracted to these attorney/advisor positions because they can serve as a bridge to employment with government agencies that address international economic law matters.

Working For the U.S. Government

The United States has a large number of departments and agencies that focus on various aspects of international economic law. All of these agencies either negotiate or implement international trade-related agreements. All of them are located in Washington, D.C.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is in charge of all U.S. trade negotiations at the multilateral, regional, and bilateral level.

The Department of Commerce has two relevant divisions, the Bureau of Industry & Security and the International Trade Administration, which cover export controls and import relief laws respectively. These two agencies hire entry-level attorneys. By obtaining a job within one of these divisions, a young lawyer can gain substantive knowledge of the regulatory work done by that agency. Such positions also further an attorney’s ability to secure future employment at a law firm or a corporation.

Other government departments—the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the State Department, the Treasury Department, and the Department of Agriculture—play a role in developing and overseeing aspects of trade policy (or resolving disputes within this space). Aspects of trade policy covered within these federal agencies include customs, export controls, foreign direct investment, economic sanctions, and food trade and aid.

In addition, there are many other agencies that play a key role in pursuing U.S. obligations and interests in international economic law, such as the International Trade Commission and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Lawyers working for governmental agencies provide legal advice to the agency, oversee licensing or enforcement actions, and draft regulations and procedures that implement U.S. obligations under international economic law.

Through STCL Houston’s Government Process Clinic/Academic Internship, students can seek to arrange an internship at one of the government agencies that focus on various aspects of international economic law.

Working For International Organizations

There are many international organizations that focus solely on international economic law. The largest of these that focus on international trade is the WTO—located in Geneva, Switzerland. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank—both located in Washington, D.C.—focus on international financial issues and economic development, respectively.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris plays a crucial role in negotiating and overseeing implementation of international agreements and soft law of interest to developed countries. The UN Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva plays a comparable role regarding developing countries. Other international organizations, like the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, develop international law connected to key aspects of international trade.

These organizations tend to hire attorneys who have already gained specialized knowledge and who have practiced in the areas of international economic law that they cover.

Working For International Economic Law NGOs

There are NGOs that play a crucial role in the formation of international economic law. These non-governmental organizations usually have a particular focus, such as anti-corruption (Transparency International in Berlin and national chapters worldwide), the linkage between the environment and trade as well as trade regionalism (International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, Geneva), and legal assistance to developing countries for WTO disputes (Advisory Centre on WTO Law, Geneva). Most of these NGOs are headquartered abroad. These NGOs, like international organizations, tend to hire attorneys who have already been employed in the fields that they cover.

International Law Pathway

This curricular pathway provides a progression of courses relevant to international law that are offered at South Texas College of Law Houston.

	Core courses
	Recommended courses
BAR	Relevant bar examination topic
REQ	Required course for all students

Stage 1

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered once each academic year.

Introduction to the nature and sources of international law, including such topics as the jurisdiction of states; the law governing the making, interpretation, application and termination of treaties and agreements; recognition of states and governments; territory of states; nationality of persons and corporations; state immunities from jurisdiction and control; international claims; the use of force; the law of war; the law of the sea; the United Nations; international adjudication, including the International Court of Justice; and the evolving law of human rights.

Stage 2

Consider earlier courses plus one or more from below

Three semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

This course will examine the developing law of international human rights, with an emphasis on international human rights treaties and agreements, international and regional human rights courts and tribunals, and international human rights organizations, both governmental and non-governmental. It considers domestic, regional, and international legal systems and the extent to which they incorporate and implement economic, social, and cultural, as well as civil and political, rights. It also studies contemporary political and theoretical debates over the scope and interpretation of human rights law, such as those involving the rights of indigenous peoples, women’s rights, the right to economic development, and the more recent articulation of collective and group human rights. The course considers the normative justifications for enforcing human rights beyond the bounds of national sovereignty as well as the challenges to these justifications under the forces of globalization.

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered once each academic year.

This course examines two core prongs of law: the limitation on methods of warfare (such as bans on certain weapons) derived from the Hague tradition, and the protection of people not engaged in combat (especially civilians and prisoners of war) derived from the Geneva tradition. The course pays particular attention to recent developments, including the merger of these two traditions, the proliferation of non-international armed conflicts, the promulgation of new treaties banning various weapons and the increasing significance of non-governmental organizations in advocating for such treaties, and the challenge of applying this law to the operations against transnational non-state organizations associated with the “war on terrorism.” The last part of the course focuses on the implementation of international humanitarian law through the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross, national armed forces, and venues for holding individuals criminally responsible for violations of the law of war.

Maximum of six semester hours credit.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of not less than 30 credit hours of required courses and a 2.8 grade point average.

A variety of international placement opportunities currently exist, and others are in development. Applications for these academic internships are available in the office of the Associate Dean of Clinical Studies.

Three or four semester hours credit.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of all courses required for graduation (with the exception of the substantial writing requirement) and not less than 45 credit hours and a 2.8 grade point average. Completion of or concurrent enrollment in Texas Pretrial Procedure is recommended.

Students arrange their own placements with local governmental agencies. Potential placements include the Texas Attorney General’s Office, the legal department of the City of South Texas College of Law, the Harris County Attorney’s Office, the EEOC, the IRS, the Office of Homeland Security, and many others. These placements provide access to the South Texas College of Law legal community and give law students the opportunity to expand their professional skills and identify challenging and fulfilling work possibilities.

Three or four semester hours credit.

Students arrange their own placements in the office of the Harris County District Attorney, the district attorney’s office of neighboring counties, or with the Harris County Public Defender’s Office. Potential placement sections within the prosecutor’s office include felony, misdemeanor, welfare fraud, domestic violence, and environmental crimes. Depending upon the placement, and upon obtaining a temporary bar card, students may observe and participate in pretrial investigation, plea negotiations, and trial.

Two or three semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

This course focuses on substantive international criminal law and the institutions designed to enforce it. Substantive topics include the basis and objectives of international criminal law, theories of jurisdiction, criminal responsibility of people, groups and states, and potential defenses and immunity from prosecution. Both international and transnational crimes are addressed. These include genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, terrorism, drug and human trafficking, and piracy. The history of international criminal prosecutions from Nuremberg to present day ad hoc and permanent tribunals is examined, with an emphasis on both substantive law development and the structure and procedural safeguards of those tribunals. Additional procedural topics include: national prosecution of international crimes, international criminal investigations, state cooperation with international courts and tribunals, and sentencing and punishment.

Stage 3

Consider earlier courses plus one or more from below

Two semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

The course explores the relationship between law and counter-terrorism policy. Students will learn to analyze the legality of various responses to terrorism from a national and international legal perspective by studying legal opinions from a variety of specially affected states, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Israel, Russia, and Turkey, as well as international tribunals. The course focuses on four primary response modalities: criminal; economic; civil; and military. The course not only surveys the law related to each of these modalities, but also analyzes how each implicates a fundamentally different legal issue.

Three semester hours credit.

Prerequisites: 45 hours completed.

Students in this clinic aid children and vulnerable adults – those who were forced into prostitution or labor by human traffickers, those who were abandoned in this country by their parents, and those who came here themselves to escape danger in their native countries. These cases present opportunities for students to hone lawyering skills in a variety of venues, including state court, federal agency hearings, and federal court.

Two semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

This course examines the central conventions, statutes, regulations, and case law that pertain to refugee and asylum law. The primary focus of the class will be asylum and refugee law in the United States. Students will learn about the main requirements for establishing asylum and refugee status, including persecution, the requisite nexus, and the role of the State. The course will also cover the mechanisms used to limit asylum and refugee relief, and the claim adjudication process.

Two semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

Prerequisites: 45 semester hours plus completion or concurrent enrollment in all required courses (with the exception of the substantial writing credit).

This seminar will focus on the body of law which concerns cultural heritage and the arts. We will examine the domestic and international laws which apply to works of art and cultural heritage. Topics of the seminar will include: art theft; antiquities looting; the tension between creation and commoditization; legal problems faced by artists; the international trade in art; regulation of the art trade; the management of cultural institutions such as museums; and finally the protection of historic sites.

International Economic Law Pathway

This curricular pathway provides a progression of courses relevant to international economic law that are offered at South Texas College of Law Houston.

Back to International Law Pathway

	Core courses
	Recommended courses
BAR	Relevant bar examination topic
REQ	Required course for all students

Stage 1

Three semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

A survey of the issues encountered by firms and individuals engaged in international trade, the exploitation of intellectual property rights and various forms of foreign direct investment. Topics covered include an introduction to international trade law (including the formation of U.S. trade policy), international sale of goods (including transportation and financing issues), distribution of goods, the protection and licensing of intellectual property rights, franchising agreements, investment rights (under customary international law, treaties and free trade agreements), investment regulation, investment arbitration, joint venture agreements, industrial works contracts, international corruption and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Relevant bar examination topic.

Three semester hours credit.

A study of the basic principles of contract formation and enforceability, including offer and acceptance, mutual assent, consideration, promissory estoppel, and the statute of frauds. The course also considers invalidating causes, such as incapacity, misrepresentation and fraud, duress, mistake, unconscionability, and illegality, and provides an introduction to remedies for breach of contract. The common law of contracts and the relevant provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code, including warranties and their disclaimer, are considered.

Relevant bar examination topic.

Three semester hours credit.

Prerequisites: Contracts I.

A continuation of the study of contracts, including remedies for breach of contract, interpretation of contract language, the parol evidence rule, performance and breach of contract, express and constructive conditions, excuse and discharge, impracticability and frustration of purpose, third party beneficiary contracts, and assignment and delegation. The common law of contracts and the relevant provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code are considered.

Crossover bar examination topic.

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered three times each academic year.

This is an introductory course in the fundamentals of federal income taxation designed to prepare students, as lawyers, to recognize and appreciate the impact of income tax consequences on transactions and events they encounter in the general practice of law, including family law, dispute settlement, real estate, investments of various types and small business counseling. Areas of coverage include the definition and characterization of income, exclusions from income, deductions, and the determination of gain or loss from property transactions. With an emphasis placed on the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury regulations, students are introduced to essential legal skills of learning to read and understand the language of statutes and regulations as well as judicial interpretations and administrative pronouncements.

Stage 2

Consider earlier courses plus one or more from below

Two semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

An examination of the three levels of the world trading order—the multi-lateral, the regional, and the unilateral. The multilateral section focuses on the policies underlying international economic relations, the law (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), General Agreement on Trade In Services (GATS), Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPs) and the other Uruguay Round agreements) and administration of the World Trade Organization (WTO) with a particular focus on its dispute settlement system. This section also focuses on the linkage between trade and labor, trade and the environment, and trade and the world financial system. The regional section examines regional economic integration efforts in free trade agreements, customs unions and common market agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the European Union, and MERCOSUR (the common market between Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay). The unilateral section of the course examines U.S. trade policy as exemplified by U.S. involvement at the multilateral and regional levels as well as U.S. use of import relief laws—safeguards actions, antidumping and countervailing law.

Two semester hours credit. Normally offered three times each academic year. Enrollment limited to 24 students.

This course provides students an opportunity to develop, practice drafting, comment on, and redline the substantive portions of an agreement. The primary goal of the class is to teach students how to translate the terms of a business deal into contract concepts, and draft the contract to close the transaction. Specifically, students will learn how and when to use the basic contract building blocks: covenants, conditions, representations, warranties, rights, discretionary authority, and declarations. The basic parts of a contract will be analyzed in detail and students will learn how to (1) avoid legalese, (2) obtain clarity through document formatting and sentence structure, (3) prevent ambiguity, (4) understand the appropriate use of vague terms, and (5) use various other drafting considerations. Learning how the transactional attorney adds value to the deal by helping the client attain the client’s business goals while avoiding unacceptable risks will be covered as well as several typical ethics issues that arise in transactional work.

Two semester hours credit. Normally offered twice each academic year. Enrollment limited to 24 students.

This course is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to: (1) identify issues that should be negotiated in complex business contracts; (2) draft several key provisions to be included in the final contract as negotiated; and (3) negotiate a “real” business contract. A variety of assignments help to assure each student completes a variety of tasks that need to be integrated based on an appropriate level of legal issue analysis resulting in an effective and usable work product. Skill development also includes an appreciation of business and legal risks that need to be dealt with when negotiating and drafting.

Three semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

A study of laws governing competition in business. The class will address monopolies and potentially anti-competitive mergers as well as price-fixing, boycotts, resale price maintenance agreements, predatory pricing, tying arrangements, and similarly suspect practices.

Two semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

Requirement: Students who have completed or would be concurrently enrolled in Copyright Law, Patent Law, or Trademarks & Unfair Competition may
enroll in this course only with prior approval from the professor.

This course presents an overview of the basic principles of intellectual property law and includes brief coverage of trade secret, trademark, patent, and copyright fundamentals. Some time will be devoted to possible justification for intellectual property generally as well as the differences that mark the various legal protections available for products of the mind. The course is intended primarily for those students who would not otherwise make the intensive study of intellectual property part of their academic or career plan.

Maximum of six semester hours credit.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of not less than 30 credit hours of required courses and a 2.8 grade point average.

Three or four semester hours credit.

Stage 3

Consider earlier courses plus one or more from below

Three semester hours credit. See Handbook for additional information, including prerequisites.

This course focuses on the development of client communication, problem-solving and contract drafting skills. Students learn about the intellectual property and investment laws of two foreign countries. The main body of the course is built around a multi-party transactional problem which requires the students to draft for a U.S. client a foreign joint venture agreement, a license agreement dealing with patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets, and an international distribution of goods agreement. The students also learn by drafting about the basic documents needed for financing such transactions and about other major contract issues that arise in most, if not all of these transactions—dispute settlement, ethical concerns, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, gray market goods issues and export controls.

Three semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

Prerequisites: Federal Income Taxation.

This course examines the U.S. taxation of foreign transactions and investments. Specifically, the course explores how the United States taxes foreign persons conducting business or investing in the U.S. (inbound transactions), and how it taxes U.S. persons conducting business or investing in foreign countries (outbound transactions). Topics covered include the source of income and deductions; the U.S. taxation of business and investment income of foreign persons; the U.S. foreign tax credit system; anti-deferral regimes such as the provisions that apply to controlled foreign corporations; and the effect of tax treaties into which the U.S. has entered.

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered once each academic year.

This course examines the laws, legal issues and principle contracts utilized in the international oil and gas industry in respect to the exploration for, production and marketing of oil and gas. The class will survey: ownership of mineral rights internationally; the role of the National Oil Company and Government regulators; international legal due diligence; political and other risks associated with international investments; the forms and structure of host government agreements granting the right to explore and exploit oil and gas; the forms and structure of the principle contracts used in the international oil and gas industry, including Confidentiality Agreements, Study and Bid Agreements, Drilling Contracts, Service Agreements, Farmout Agreements, Joint Operating Agreements, Unitization Agreements and Oil and Gas Marketing Agreements; an examination of available industry model contract forms; sustainable development in oil and gas exploitation; environmental protection in international oil and gas exploration and exploitation; and extraterritorial reach of certain U.S. laws applicable to the international oil and gas industry, including anti-corruption laws, trade sanctions and export restrictions. The focus of the course is to provide practical knowledge of international oil and gas legal issues in contracts by working with actual international oil and gas contract.

Two semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

Professor of Law

Federal Income Taxation

STCL Houston – Sponsored Resources

CAREER RESOURCE CENTER/STCL HOUSTON

Visit the Career Resource Center to learn more about its services. Students can reach the CRC in person or online. The CRC is designed to assist students at any time during their journey through law school. It should be an integral part of every student’s Pathway to Practice.

TRANSACTIONAL PRACTICE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

The Certificate Program is one of the major programs of the Transactional Practice Center established to create and teach a core curriculum for training law students to become business lawyers. The Certificate Program is a multi-course sequencing of classes that allows students to develop a transactional practice concentration. The classes are comprised of core commercial law courses, a drafting course, and a capstone course built around a subject area (such as International Business Transactions) and aimed at having students produce the documents that would form the transaction.

Any student interested in having a business planning and transactional practice should consider applying to participate in the Certificate Program after they have completed 30 credit hours and before they have completed 45 credit hours. A detailed description of the Certificate Program appears in the Student Handbook.

CLINICS/ACADEMIC INTERNSHIPS

South Texas College of Law Houston offers numerous direct representation clinics and internship placements for credit.

Direct representation clinics offer students the opportunity to work on real life issues and achieve resolution of a matter for actual clients. Some clinics are litigation-based and others are more transactional in nature. Students can hone lawyering skills that transcend a specific practice area. Additionally, students can learn about an area of practice, experience what it is like to appear before certain courts, and gauge whether they are truly interested in pursuing a career in a particular field.

Academic internships also offer students the opportunity to learn about practice in state and federal courts, governmental agencies, public interest groups, and non-profit and other non-governmental organizations. Additionally, academic internships can provide students with networking opportunities.

Clinics/Academic Internships relevant to this practice area include:

Criminal Process Clinic/Academic Internship
Government Process Clinic/Academic Internship
International Process Clinic/Academic Internship
Public Interest Clinic/Academic Internship

COMPETITIONS

South Texas College of Law Houston has a nationally renowned Advocacy Program that has won more competitions than any other law school in the nation. Participating in one of the numerous mock trial and moot court competitions is certainly beneficial for anyone seeking a career in litigation. Many competitions concern problems in specific fields of practice that are particularly useful for students interested in pursuing a career in that area. More broadly, competitions provide students with an opportunity to further refine their research, writing, and analytical skills, which are relevant to practice in general.

The Frank Evans Center for Conflict Resolution coordinates many competitions each year in the areas of negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. The program has developed a consistent track record of winning both domestic and international competitions, with more than ten first-place finishes in recent years. Students would benefit from participating in these competitions in the numerous fields of practice where alternative dispute resolution is regularly employed.

The Transactional Practice Center also coordinates several student competitions. These competitions are specifically geared to students who want to gain experience negotiating and drafting contracts, and learn about business transactions in general.

LAW REVIEWS AND JOURNALS

Law reviews and journals provide tangible benefits on two fronts: acquiring skills and attaining employment. As to acquiring skills, law reviews and journals provide students with an opportunity to further refine their research and writing ability. Law reviews and journals can also help students secure employment because they serve as signaling devices for perceived research and writing skills—this is particularly true for large law firms, the judiciary, and certain government agencies. The student publications relevant to this practice area include:

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

South Texas College of Law Houston has numerous student organizations that focus on specific areas of law. Participation in a student organization allows students to learn more about the subject matter of the field and about employment opportunities. The student organizations relevant to this practice area include:

International Law and National Security Society

External Resources

JOB LOCATORS

Databases and links that focus on providing information about employment in this practice area:

Fellowships

Fellowship programs sponsored by government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and bar associations provide employment opportunities for students directly after graduation. Internship opportunities for law students may also be available.

The internship opportunities relevant to this area of practice include:

BAR ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Bar associations and organizations—local, state, and national—provide students with many services. Most offer access to information about the relevant areas of law. At the local level, students can also benefit from the opportunity to attend events and conferences. Importantly, these events and conferences provide students with chances to network in the profession, which may lead to employment opportunities. These organizations also provide information on continuing legal education (CLE) programs that may be relevant to practice in different areas of law. The bar associations and organizations relevant to this field include:

Bar associations also provide students with opportunities to attend programs and network for free. Some bar associations have formal student sections that are free to join or they provide significant discounts to students. The relevant student pages include:

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Federal and state government websites relevant to this subject matter of the pathway include:

REGIONAL INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

BLOGS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

A listing of websites that provide information pertaining to this practice area, often from a practice-oriented perspective:

STUDENT COMPETITIONS

There are external competitions that focus on this practice area. Sometimes they have cash prizes or other forms of recognition for the winners.

American University Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Essay Award

LL.M. PROGRAMS

Some of the programs offering advanced education in this area are: