Professor Susan Marks, NAB 7.14.

For LLM Students and (with the permission of the teachers responsible) students on other LSE Master's programmes.

This course is capped at 30 students. Students must apply through Graduate Course Choice on LSEforYou.

At a time when international law is said to be both pivotal and irrelevant, we investigate its contribution and limits as a force in global affairs. This course is designed for students who already have some acquaintance with public international law and wish to take a step back from what they have learned to date, with a view to developing new modes of understanding and enquiry. Course readings encompass both legal literature and writing by scholars from other disciplines, such as history, anthropology and geography.

The course is divided into two parts. In the first part, our focus is on the interrelation between international law and such pressing global problems as war, poverty, climate change and terrorism/counter-terrorism. In the second part, we explore some questions concerning the character of international law and how it is studied. What is at stake in debates over whether international law is 'really law'? Who are the key actors in international legal institutions and processes? Why have some argued that we live today in 'lawless world', and how have others responded to this claim? Inasmuch as there exists a range of different 'approaches' to international law, what are the implications of these for analysis, policy and action?

This course is taught by two-hour weekly seminars.

Two essays of between 1500 and 2500 words, along with one or more assigned readings to prepare for class.

Reading lists will be provided for each week on Moodle.

One three-hour exam in the ST (100%).