LAW 1003: Refugee Law and Policy
Spring 2020 • Section 21 • CRN 27479

Course Description

This writing seminar will provide an introduction to international and domestic refugee law and policy. Beginning with an overview of the origins of modern international refugee law and policy, the course will then move into a basic background of the asylum process in the United States. We will next engage in an in-depth discussion of the doctrine of American asylum law, walking through the relevant elements laid out in asylum law and focusing particularly on areas of doctrinal growth. The course will also introduce students to the standard for claims to protection under the Convention Against Torture. We will then focus on detention of asylum seekers, reading both case law and policy papers. After this grounding in the American asylum system, the course will step back to examine international issues in refugee protection, including temporary and subsidiary protection, internally displaced persons, and durable solutions. We will wrap up with a discussion of challenges facing the American and international refugee law regimes in the future.

Book List/Materials