HARAMAYA UNIVERSITY

VICE-PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

SYLLABI FOR MASTERS PROGRAMS

COMPILED BY THE OFFICE OF ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

DIRECTORATE

MAY 2020

HARAMAYA UNIVERSITY
 Haramaya University-College of Law

LLM in International Economic and Business Law

1. COURSE PROFILE

1st year 1st Semester

No Course Course Title Credit Hr.

Code

1 LLM 601 Legal Research Methodology 2

2 Econ 571 Principles of International Economics 2

3 LLM 611 Introduction to Law and Economics 2

4 LLM 621 International Economic Law 2

5 LLM 631 WTO Laws 4

6 LLM 641 International Business Transaction 3

7 LLM 651 Private International Law (Elective) 2

8 LLM 661 Comparative Bankruptcy Law (Elective) 2

Total (Minimum) 16
1st year 2nd Semester

Course Course Title Credit. Hr.

Code

1 LLM 602 International Intellectual Property Law 3

2 LLM 612 Comparative Company Law 2

3 LLM 622 International Tax Law 3

4 LLM 632 International Banking and Finance Law (E) 3

5 LLM 642 International Investment Law (Elective) 3

6 LLM 652 International Commercial Arbitration 2

7 LLM 662 Competition and Consumer Protection Law (E) 2

8 LLM 672 Globalization, Trade and Development (E) 2

Total (Minimum) 15

2nd year 1st Semester

No. Course Course Title Credit

Code

1 LLM 701 Seminar 1

2 LLM 721-‐Thesis Proposal

3 LLM 722 Thesis Research and Defense 6

Total (Minimum) 7

LLM THESIS (6 MONTHS)

2 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

1 Legal Research Methodologies LLM 601 (2 credit hours)

This course is intended to develop a mastery of legal research beyond the level of the
standard undergraduate curriculum. The course will cover several major areas of legal
research, including, but not limited to: cases, legislation, regulation, and special subject areas.
Students will be graded on a series of short papers, in the form of briefs or memoranda that
will answer a substantive legal question drawn from the topic areas covered. The main intent
of the course is to develop effective search strategies, useful in any research area. Students
will be required to apply lessons learned in one topic area in each subsequent research. The
writing assignments will reinforce these lessons by requiring students to apply these
strategies in the context of a practical legal question. The frequency of writing assignments
serves several goals: it will stress the importance of efficiency in both research and writing
style; allow the improvement of both research and writing by providing frequent
opportunities for improvement; and will provide the student with the kind of writing and
research experience that will approximate that of a practicing professional.

Methodology

Students will be given instructions on some of the most important research skills and
methodologies and they will be required to write terms papers and assignments on any legal
topics to see whether they have acquired the best research skills that will enable them to
engage in high level cutting-‐edge research. Students also have to make presentation before
their colleagues to develop skills of presentation.

Assessment

Evaluation is based on term papers and assignments

2 Principles of International Economics, Econ 571 (2 credit hours)

This course covers both micro and macro economic theories and principles. It will deal with
issues such as:

Ø The functioning and current problems of the aggregate economy: determination and
analysis of national income, employment, inflation and stabilization; and aspects of
international interdependence.
 Ø In addition, goals, incentives and allocation of resources resulting from economic
behavior with applications and illustrations from current issues: operation of markets
for goods, services and factors of production; the behavior of firms and industries in
different types of competition and income distribution.
Ø Furthermore, the course provides an introduction to the economic approach for analyzing
public policy questions. It examines the role of government in a market economy and
models and methods for the analysis of specific public projects, hence, matters like labor
supply and labor demand and income distribution.
Methodology

The delivery of the course will be both lectures and active student participations. Students
will be given readings while registering for the course. They have to intensively read the
readers and be prepared for meaningful participation in classrooms.

Assessment

The assessment is based on meaningful participation, attendance and final written closed-‐
book in-‐class exam.

3 Introduction to Law and Economics, LLM 611 (2 Credit hours)

This will introduce students with basic overview of the field of Law and Economics. This
course will try to show students on how legal rules and institutions correct market failures.
The course will discuss the economic function of contracts and when contracts fail or are not
feasible to be performed, the role of legal remedies to resolve disputes. Attention will be
given to economics of litigation and, to how the private incentive to bring a lawsuit differs
from the social value of litigation. The economic motive to commit crimes and the optimal
governmental response to crimes will also be studied. In general the above mentioned points
will be discussed with the following specific topics namely, the Coase Theorem, the tradeoff
between certainty and severity of
punishments, the choice between ex ante and ex post sanctions, negligence vs strict liability;
property rules; remedies for breach of contract; etc.

The course will examine:

Ø The historical development of law and economics study;

Ø The microeconomic concepts frequently used in economic analysis of law
Ø The role of Assumptions
Ø Efficiency and Equity
Ø Coase Theorem
ü Transaction Cost
Ø Economic Analysis of Tort Law
ü Nuisance
ü Automobile Accidents
ü Products Liability
Ø The economic analysis of Contacts
ü Breach of Contracts
Ø The economic analysis of Law Enforcement
ü Fines
ü Imprisonment
Ø The economic analysis of Pollution Control
Ø Competitive markets
Ø The economic analysis of Agent and Principal relationships Ø
The economic analysis of Suit, Settlement and Trail
And further topics as recommended by the professors

Teaching Text: A. Mitchell Polinsky, An Introduction to Law and Economics, ASPEN

COURSE BOOK SERIES, Walter Kluwer publishing, 4th Ed., 2011

Methodology

The delivery of the course will be active learning and lectures. Students will be encouraged to
examine domestic laws’ economic implications in the areas of contacts, property and firms by
employing the tools they gathered during lectures and self-‐study of the reading materials.
Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, active class participation, assignments,

presentations and final written exam

4 International Economic Law, LLM 621 (2 Credit hours)

There is no single agreed definition for the concept of International Economic Law. Nor there
is a clear consensus on what the issues it addresses. The great majority of lectures on
international economic law are, traditionally, restricted to the rules and principles of the
Bretton Woods and the WTO/GATT systems. That is to say, international economic law is
considered as international trade law. But some scholars are of the opinion that such
understanding is not correct and it should include also the works and the activities of UN and
ILO with regard to economic and social cooperation. So in a way, unconventionally,
economic law has its source under the UN system. International economic law should not be
restricted to Bretton Woods and WTO/GATT system. UN system has been contributing
much to the development of international economic law too. Over all International economic
Law will give a complete picture of our world from the economic perspective if the different
regimes that shaped our world are presented in a fair balance. This course is therefore to give
a birds eye view on the development and role played by international economic law. This
complete picture can be seen from the regimes of Bretton Woods System (IMF and World
Bank), GATT/WTO and UN devised policies and charters (New International Economic
Order, Charter on Economic Rights and Duties of States, etc.) Economic law under UN
system is premised up on the theory of functionalism, which calls on for economic and social
integration of the world society. And the same is true for the other regimes of International
Economic Law such as WTO/GATT.

The course is intended to give students the theoretical underpinnings of the International
Economic Law regime. In doing so the

The course will have the following Major themes:

Ø Theory of functionalism and its history, rational behind and the themes of the theory
will be briefly discussed.
Ø Definition of International economic Law
 Ø Source and nature of international economic law
Ø Economic Sovereignty of States
ü Charter on the Economic Rights and Duties of States
ü The NEW International Economic Order
Ø International Monetary Law and the IMF
ü Sources of International Monetary Law
ü Institutional Aspects of IMF
ü Dispute Settlement
ü Regulation of External Value of Money
ü System of Exchange Rates under IMF
ü Multilateral System of Payments
ü International Liquidity and SDR
ü Balance of Payments
ü IMF Conditionality
Ø The Law of WTO
ü Historical Development
ü International Trade Problems and the Need for WTO
ü Institutional Frameworks of WTO
ü Enforcement of WTO (Dispute Settlement and TPRM)
Ø International Development Law and the World Bank
ü International Assistance and Cooperation (UNDP Programs)
ü World Bank Groups
ü Institutional Aspect of the World Bank
ü Obligations of the World Bank
Ø International Investment Law
ü Protection of Foreign Investment
ü Stabilization Clauses
ü Bilateral Investment Treaties
ü The Need for Multilateral Investment Treaty
Teaching Text: The main text for the course will be the book written by Prof. Asif H. Quresh
entitled International Economic Law. Additionally the course professor may recommend
some other readers.
5 WTO Laws (World Trade Organization Laws) LLM 631 (4 Credit hours)

This course provides an advanced introduction to international trade theory and policy. The
focus of the course is on economic theory: emphasis is placed on developing analytic tools
and applying them to shed light on relevant issues in international trade; specifically how this
are incorporated under the WTO law. The course also covers important laws of the World
Trade Organization. The course will cover topics such as:

Ø The case for free trade under perfect and imperfect competition,
Ø The determinants of international trade flows, winners and losers from trade, the
impact of various trade policy instruments.
Ø In particular the course includes lectures and studies on tariffs, tariff restrictions,
tariffication, VERs, tariff rate quotas and licensing regimes, the law of quantitative
restrictions (methods, concessions, consolidation, bindings, and compensation).
Ø Examining the logic, developed principally by economists but often commented upon
by lawyers and political scientists, to account for:
Ø The various forms of protectionism employed by government, especially in light of
the recent global economic downturn,
Ø The economic consequences and purported rationale for different forms of
discrimination against foreign commercial interests,
Ø The different forms of reciprocity in international trade negotiations and the ability to
account for the sustained trade reform seen since WWII,
Ø The rationale for signing trade agreements and their scope, and Ø
The factors that determine the use of trade defense instruments.
Ø The course involves an in-‐depth introduction into the scope and contents of the
GATS and its key legal principles and obligations with a special focus on the relevant
GATS case law and the function and structure of the schedules of specific
commitments. Further emphasis will be placed on negotiations and approaches
towards GATS commitments (schedules, conditions) and implications for new comers
having Ethiopia’s accession in perspective. This course also comprises discussions of
the developmental implications of services trade, the need and scope for trade
remedies in services (safeguards and countervailing duties), as well as the status of the
MFN requirement and possible
 departures under the GATS (including MFN exemptions, preferential trade
agreements, recognition measures).
Ø This course also examines the provisions of the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and
Countervailing Measures, their implementation and evolution.
Ø The course also involves the discussions on TBT agreement and the antidumping
agreement.
Ø The course includes lectures and studies on the WTO Agreement on Agriculture and its
application and implementation since. The nature of agricultural policies in major
countries and their impact on agricultural trade. Political economy aspects and the reasons
for the difficulties to negotiate them in the WTO. An overview of the trade and income
implications of liberalizing agricultural trade. A look at recent trends on global markets
for agricultural products and to put the ongoing DDA negotiations on agriculture and
Ethiopia’s WTO accession in perspective. Other issues also affecting international
agriculture policies such as sanitary and technical regulations and private standards,
climate change, bio-‐ fuels, water shortage, demography and the WTO impact on food
security.
Ø Finally the course focuses on regional integration and the manner in which it is
related to the disciplines of WTO law by adopting both an economic and a legal
perspective. Lectures include surveys of major economic zones and approaches in of
EU and others such as COMESA, NAFTA, Mercosur and ASEAN. The role and
effects of rules of origin will be discussed. On the economic side the course will cover
the basic economics of preferential agreements including the political economy of
why countries join RTAs, the core ideas of trade creation and trade diversion, and the
impact on competition and growth. Discussions on Ethiopia’s relation under
COMESA will also be made under this course.
As such the course will cover different explanations for the observed levels of trade barriers
and their changes over time; the logic that underlies different liberalization strategies; the
notion of reciprocity and its implications for the choices that governments have with respect
to trade agreements.

Methodology

The delivery of the course will be both lectures and active student participations. Students
will be given readers while registering for the course. They have to intensively
read the readers and be prepared for meaningful participation in class rooms. Students will be
given real cases decided by WTO panel and appellate body and have to analyze and discuss
them.

Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, meaningful class participation and final
written open-‐book in-‐class exam.

6 International Business Transactions LLM 641 (3 credit hours)

Business lawyers must increasingly deal with issues that transcend national boundaries.
This course addresses issues of:

Ø Private business enterprises investing, producing, and marketing their goods and
services in the international marketplace; national and supranational regulation of the
activities of such businesses; expropriation and political risks; and policy issues
relating to the existence of multinational corporations.

Ø The course is designed to deal with a comparative analysis of the different

international instruments dealing with international business such as CISG, UCC, and
UNDROIT Principles.

Ø Important issues in international contracting such as drafting of international

contracts, performance & non-‐performance, and exemptions from non-‐ performance
will be discussed. Connected with sales transaction are the means to finance the sales
transaction and the carriage of goods. Accordingly letter of credit transaction and
parties to it will be discussed. Carriage of goods and rules and principles underpinning
the same will also be dealt. These three connected transactions will be covered under
this course.

Ø This course also devotes a chapter for a discussion on international secured

transaction. The legal implications of cross-bordered security and the contractual
issues will be discussed under this chapter. The UNICTRAL draft guide on secured
transactions will be discussed there under.
Methodology

The delivery of the course will be both lectures and active student participations. Students
will be given readings while registering for the course. Students will be given international
legal instruments and real cases. They have to intensively read the readers, cases and the legal
instruments and be ready for lecturer and meaningful participation in classrooms.

Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, meaningful class participation and final
written open-‐book in-‐class exam.

7 Private International Law LLM 651 (Elective, 2 credit hours)

This course examines laws applicable to cases having interstate and international elements. It
deals with issues such as:

Ø Which court may have jurisdiction; which substantive law may determine a case
outcome;

Ø When sister-‐state or foreign country judgments must or may determine a local

litigation; and the extent to which considerations of due process, full faith and credit,
and other constitutional provisions shape answers to these questions.

Ø Attention is given to choice of law developments, which underlie and form a

framework for adjudicating such interstate and international cases. Conflict of Laws
covers jurisdiction and other civil procedure issues and enforcement of judgments.

Methodology

The delivery of the course will be both lectures and active student participations. Students
will be given readings while registering for the course. They have to intensively read the
readers and be prepared for meaningful participation in classrooms. Students will also be
given real cases and the same will be discussed in class in the form of questions and answers.
Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, meaningful class participation and final
written open-‐book in-‐class exam.

8 Comparative Bankruptcy Law LLM 661 (Elective, 2 credit hours)

Bankruptcy is law is unduly neglected irrespective of its crucial role in times of economic
growth or crisis. This is true in most of the world countries. More importantly, in Ethiopia,
bankruptcy law is the least used and least known subject. This is partly because of the
existence of different regimes governing state enterprises in Ethiopia. But these days the
importance of bankruptcy law is becoming very crucial. In the wake of the 2008 financial
crises many countries take a fresh look at the mandate of this branch of law connected to the
“too big to fail” problem. Also in Ethiopia the number of Share companies and other forms of
business organizations is increasing from time to time. This calls for the regime of
bankruptcy Law to update itself and live up to the demand of the time.

This course is intended to cover issues and fundamental questions such as different
bankruptcy philosophies, functions of bankruptcy law, bankruptcy crimes, bankruptcy
alternatives etc. This will be by comparatively studying the US bankruptcy Law, German
Insolvency Law and Ethiopian bankruptcy law. The different soft laws developed by
UNCITRAL on issues of cross boarder bankruptcy will be discussed. This will help
Ethiopian lawyers and legal scholars to reform the Bankruptcy Law of the country to the
needs of the economic and business developments we are having.

The central building blocks of many jurisdictions bankruptcy law, notably US and Germany,
such as reorganization (schemes of arrangement), liquidation, consumer bankruptcy will be
dealt with through such key concepts as bankruptcy workouts, bankruptcy trustee’s powers,
cram down doctrine, creditor’s rights or the fresh start philosophy.
Main Topics to be covered:

Ø Introduction to Bankruptcy Law and meaning of different terminologies such as

bankruptcy and insolvency
Ø Non Bankruptcy Law Remedies
ü Different Foreclosure Laws in Ethiopia
ü Bailouts
Ø Different Bankruptcy Philosophies, US, Germany, Ethiopia Ø
Bankruptcy crimes and approach from different legal systems Ø
Workouts and other alternatives to bankruptcy Ø Fraudulent
transfer law and bankruptcy
Ø State collection law and bankruptcy,
Ø Bankruptcy trustee and its power
Ø The Concept of automatic stay
Ø The Concept of claim
Ø The Butner principle
Ø Corporate reorganization, Liquidations
Ø The concept of discharge and fresh start in consumer bankruptcy
Ø Trans-‐border bankruptcies

Methodology

The delivery of the course will be both lectures and active student participations. Students
will be given readings while registering for the course. Students will be given international
legal instruments and real cases. They have to intensively read the readers, cases and the legal
instruments and be ready for lecturer and meaningful participation in classrooms.

Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, meaningful class participation and final
written open-‐book in-‐class exam.
9 International Intellectual Property Law, LLM 602 (3 credit hours)

This course places heavy emphasis on the TRIPS agreement and intellectual property rights
in the world trading system. The course:

Ø Explores the general rules of the TRIPS Agreement as well as its negotiating history
and interpretation up to the present.

Ø Offers an introduction into the main economic principles surrounding the protection
of intellectual property.

Ø It also focuses on the international rules applicable to industrial property and the
specifics of this sub-‐field of intellectual property rights.

Ø Finally it gives an introduction to the World Intellectual Property Organization

(WIPO), its relationship to the WTO and its rules on intellectual property, as well as
the registration and enforcement of intellectual property rights. Of interest to lawyers
and government officials working on TRIPS and intellectual property issues such as
recent important developments of a legal and/or policy nature in the WTO, in other
international fora, and in bilateral and multi-‐lateral agreements. Discussions of
prospects and future developments, such as patenting of life forms, patents and access
to health, the disclosure of the source of traditional knowledge and genetic resources,
the protection of test data, or the protection of geographical indications.

Methodology

The delivery of the course will be both lectures and active student participations. Students
will be given readings while registering for the course. They have to intensively read the
readers and be prepared for meaningful participation in classrooms.

Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, meaningful class participation and final
written open-‐book in-‐class exam.
10 Comparative Company Law LLM 612 (2 Credit hours)

This course explores the comprehensive overview of the law of business organizations and
governance of companies across major jurisdictions (US, UK and Germany). As laws
governing company law are increasingly under the process of harmonization, the course will
uncover relevant national (national laws of UK, Germany and USA that had influenced the
developed of company law globally) and international legal instruments in the field. The
following issues will be given particular consideration:

Ø Exploring different methodologies of comparative legal study and theories of

comparative company law;
Ø Examining the rules governing board structure, shareholder rights, related party
transactions, third party (creditors) protection;
Ø Reviewing current developments in corporate governance
Ø Legal and institutional framework the social responsibility of companies Ø
Explore the interrelation between company law and labor rights
Main Topics
Ø Types of Business associations and features that account for their differences (legal
personality, liability regime, corporateness, access to capital markets, commercial
nature, registration etc)
Ø Formations
ü
Partnerships (General Commercial Partnership and Limited Commercial
partnerships)
Ø
Companies
ü Limited Liability Companies
ü Stock Corporations
Ø
Organization and Governance of Business Organizations
ü Partnerships
ü Companies
Ø
Memberships/Shares
Ø Group Of Companies Doctrine
Ø Conflict of Laws
Methodology

The delivery of the course will be active learning and lectures. Students will be required to
undertake independent research on various issues arising in connection with company law;
the approaches taken by various jurisdictions and selection of the better legal solutions that
can fit the existing conditions of LDCs like Ethiopia. This will be accomplished by
employing the tools they gathered during lectures and self-‐study of the reading materials.

Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, active class participation, assignments,

presentations and final written exam.

11 International Tax Law, LLM 622 (3 credit hours)

This course is about Taxation law and policy from international and comparative viewpoints;
looking at international implications of tax policy and international fiscal law, with an
emphasis on international and Ethiopia’s double taxation agreements.

Methodology

The delivery of the course will be both lectures and active student participations. Students
will be given readings while registering for the course. They have to intensively read the
readers and be prepared for meaningful participation in classrooms.

Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, meaningful class participation and final
written open-‐book in-‐class exam.
12 International Banking and Finance Law LLM 632 (Elective, 2 credit
hours)

This course addresses issues of banking and financial law in international private
transactions. This course will examine:

Ø International financial instruments,

Ø The international operations of financial services firms and

Ø International capital markets.

Ø Review currency exchange and the international payment system, as well as more
complex financial derivatives, such as futures, options and swaps.
 Ø Survey nation’s regulation of the foreign operations of banks and securities firms.

Ø Finally, the course will examine international securities offerings and the regulation
of international securities markets: including letters of credit, banking and bank
secrecy regulation and practices, efforts to combat money laundering, and currency
regulation.

Methodology

The delivery of the course will be both lectures and active student participations. Students
will be given readings while registering for the course. They have to intensively read the
readers and be prepared for meaningful participation in classrooms.

Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, meaningful class participation and final
written open-‐book in-‐class exam.

13 International Investment Law, LLM 642 (Elective, 2 credit hours)

This course involves lectures and studies on the economic principles behind international
investment activities in the global economy and the role and implications of WTO law
(TRIPs, GATS and TRIMs) for investment.

Ø Analysis of multilateral and bilateral rules on international investment, in particular

with regard to investment protection and promotion in bilateral investment treaties
(BITs) and at the multilateral level.

Ø Problems related to investment arbitration and its implications for the development of
rules and procedures in this field like ICSID rules;

Ø Investor-‐State dispute settlement

Ø Discussion of prospects for existing (TRIMs) and future rules within and outside the
WTO.

Methodology

The delivery of the course will be both lectures and active student participations. Students
will be given readings while registering for the course. They have to intensively read the
readers and be prepared for meaningful participation in classrooms.
Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, meaningful class participation and final
written open-‐book in-‐class exam.

14 International Commercial Arbitration LLM 652 (Elective, 2 credit

hours)

This course explores legal and practical issues relating to the resolution of transnational
business disputes through litigation or arbitration. Particular importance and emphasis will be
given to commercial arbitration (currently the dominant dispute settlement mechanism in
international business). Comparative analysis of arbitration and litigation will also be
discussed. The course will deal with the various stages and characteristics of
the arbitration process. In particular the following points will be given due consideration:

Ø Jurisdictional issues in arbitration

Ø Drafting of arbitration clauses

Ø Choice of arbitrators

Ø Language problems in international commercial arbitration

Ø Characteristic patterns and problems in arbitral proceedings (due process,

confidentiality, presentation of evidence, determination of applicable substantive and
procedural laws)

Ø And some other issues and recent developments as determined by the professor.

Methodology

The delivery of the course will be both lectures and active student participations. Students
will be given readings while registering for the course. They have to intensively read the
readers and be prepared for meaningful participation in classrooms. There will also be
simulated arbitration proceedings and students are supposed to argue as claimant and
defendant.

Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, meaningful class participation and final
written open-‐book in-‐class exam.

15 Competition Law and Consumer Protection LLM 662 (2 Credit hours)

This module aims at introducing the economic underpinnings to market competition and
impact of anti-‐competitive behaviors on the market, elements and interrelationship between
competition law, also known as antitrust law, competition policy and other forms of market
regulation. The module covers the basic legal principles and applications of competition law:
anticompetitive agreements (cartels), abuse of dominance and mergers. Particular focus will
be given to understand the objectives of competition law, its legal and economic evolution
and the institutional and enforcement landscape. It also examines the
concept of consumer protection and the interrelationship between competition law and
consumer protection. The module will adopt a comparative methodology to understand both
the global and national jurisprudence. Particular focus will be given to the two major
competition regimes, the U.S. and EU systems as well as those of the developing countries.
Due attention would also be given to the need for market competition and consumer
protection in the context of developing countries, in particular Ethiopia.

Methodology

The delivery of the course will be both lectures and active student participations. Students
will be given readings while registering for the course. They have to intensively read the
readers and be prepared for meaningful participation in classrooms. There will also be
simulated arbitration proceedings and students are supposed to argue as claimant and
defendant.

Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, meaningful class participation and final
written open-‐book in-‐class exam.

16 Globalization, Trade and Development LLM 672 (Elective, 2 credit

hours)

This course will address the key policy linkage between trade and development. It will begin
by exploring the key legal and economic issues arising from the enlarged role and voice of
developing countries in trade governance.

Ø It will explore linkages between trade, human rights, and the protection of
environment, growth and development.
Ø In particular it address issues of distributive fairness in trade rule-making, and
highlight some of the concerns that developing countries have with the special and
differential provisions in the WTO and the current status of the work programme in
this regard. The negotiating priorities of developing countries in the WTO system and
at the PTA level will be touched upon.
Ø The issue of aid for trade and its operational pursuit will also be taken up and its
linkage with market access opportunities explained. In the same line the course will
 tackle a range of issues of sustainable development and protection and preservation of
the environment, including recent developments in international environmental law.
The course explores domestic and international measures used to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions and their interaction with the multilateral trading system.
Ø It also examines the ways in which the WTO contributes to environmental protection and
preservation through its various bodies and DDA efforts, while also looking at the legal
interaction between trade law and multilateral environmental agreements.
Ø In addition the course will touch on one of the most controversial issues in the
globalization debate: the interface between international trade and human rights which
brings together not only different areas of law but also public and private actors.
Ø The course also deals with the political economy of international financial regulation
and international trade. It deals with the diverging economic implications of trade and
financial regulation to developing and least developed countries.
Furthermore, it will look at potential legal conflicts between trade law and human rights and
discuss their impacts on international governance. Possible solutions to reconcile the two
legal regimes will include principles of general international law as well as the concept of
corporate social responsibility.

17 Seminar, LLM 701 (1 credit hour)

This course focuses on current problems of interest across the discipline of international law.
The courses offers a flexible framework within which interested students can read, present
papers, and develop their ideas in specific issues.

Ø In this context the course is planned to engage students on the examination of

analytical perspectives on international and world politics, international and global
political economy, war and conflict, corporations and civil society.
Ø It also explores theoretical tools and applications, recurring patterns of global conflict
and cooperation, the nexus between domestic politics, foreign policy and international
and world politics. In general the focus of the course will be discussions on international
and national transformation of social forces into political and legal ones.
Ø Focuses on formation, articulation, mobilization, and organization of political
interests and identities, their mutual interaction, and their effects on law state
structures and practices and vice versa.
 Ø This course will have specific focus on some current issues including legal issues
pending during the Doha round, issues of financial crime and Ethiopia’s prospect in
acceding to the regional trade agreements. Other current issues will also be included
as the course as flexible as possible to include contemporary issues.
Methodology

The delivery of the course will be both lectures and active student participations. Students
will be given readings while registering for the course. They have to intensively read the
readers and be prepared for meaningful participation in class rooms.

Assessment

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, meaningful participation in class room, term
papers and assignments/ final written exam as may be determined by the professor.

18 Thesis Research and Defense, LLM 722 (6 credit hour)

The course focuses on an independent research work of the student on specific and selected
legal problem under the supervision of an advisor approved by the Collage graduate
committee. Its objective is to conduct and complete all the survey planned in the proposal, to
collect all the required data, to analyze the data, interpret, describe, discuss and conclude of
the finding based on the data generated; and finally complete an acceptable thesis write-‐up.

Methodology

After getting the approval of their thesis proposal, students will be engaged in a supervised
research work and certain deadlines will be set throughout the completion of the work.

Assessment

After the final draft is submitted there will be a public presentation and defense. The
supervisor (s) and evaluators will give grades.