LAW 1046: International Investment Law & Arbitration
Spring 2023 • Section 21 • CRN 45297

Course Description

This course will examine critical legal and policy issues facing the investment treaty regime in a time of sustained economic globalization and populist backlash. The basic principles and policies underlying international investment law will be introduced, including the allure of investor-state arbitration as a means for investment protection. Students will examine and critically assess arguments that investment law undermines human rights protections, discourages legitimate health and safety regulation, and protects polluters while hindering effective responses to climate change. Students will discuss the connections between international investment protection, economic development, and national security. Finally, students will assess proposals to reform or revolutionize the investment treaty system. Students will connect these discussions to broader and timely themes concerning globalization, the rise of populist nationalism, and the future of the global economy.

Book List/Materials