LL4C5      Half Unit
Fundamentals of International Commercial Arbitration

This information is for the 2018/19 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Jan Kleinheisterkamp NAB 7.09

Availability

This course is available on the LLM (extended part-time), LLM (full-time) and University of Pennsylvania Law School LLM Visiting Students. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

This course is capped at 60 students.

Course content

This course offers the fundamentals of international commercial arbitration, the most important dispute settlement mechanism for international commercial transactions. The course provides a complete introduction to the functioning of arbitration in theory and in practice. London being one of the main centres of arbitration in the world, this course focuses mainly on English arbitration law which is put into a comparative perspective and contrasted especially with the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration and French law. Special attention is given to the different types of rules that may have to be taken into consideration in an international arbitration. This course prepares for LL4C6 Advances Issues of International Commercial Arbitration and provides for some of the procedural basics for LL4E7 Investment Treaty Law.

Teaching

20 hours of lectures and 5 hours of classes in the MT. 2 hours of lectures in the ST.

Reading week in week 6

Formative coursework

One 2,500 word essay after week 6 on previous exam questions (choice of 1 out of 3).

Indicative reading

M. Moses, The Principles and Practice of International Commercial Arbitration (3rd  edn, CUP 2017); G. Born, International Arbitration: Law and Practice (2nd edn, Kluwer 2015); N. Blackaby & C. Partasides, Redfern and Hunter on International Commercial Arbitration (6th edn, OUP 2015); J.-F. Poudret & S. Besson, Comparative Law of International Commercial Arbitration (Sweet & Maxwell 2007); E. Gaillard & J. Savage, Fouchard Gaillard Goldman on International Commercial Arbitration (1999).

Assessment

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours, reading time: 15 minutes) in the summer exam period.

Key facts

Department: Law

Total students 2017/18: 64

Average class size 2017/18: 8

Controlled access 2017/18: Yes

Lecture capture used 2017/18: Yes (MT)

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Communication
  • Specialist skills

Course survey results

(2014/15 - 2016/17 combined)

1 = "best" score, 5 = "worst" score

The scores below are average responses.

Response rate: 92%

Question

Average
response

Reading list (Q2.1)

1.7

Materials (Q2.3)

1.5

Course satisfied (Q2.4)

1.5

Integration (Q2.6)

1.6

Contact (Q2.7)

1.6

Feedback (Q2.8)

1.5

Recommend (Q2.9)

Yes

90%

Maybe

9%

No

1%