Course Descriptions

International Environmental Law - 2 units
(Instructor: Professor Marianna Dellinger, Western State College of Law)

In 1972, there were only a few international environmental treaties, primarily concerning the protection of the marine environment from oil pollution and the conservation of migratory birds and marine mammals. Today almost 300 multilateral environmental treaties are in force, covering such diverse topics as acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer, climate change, protection of biological diversity, desertification, and transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and chemicals. What principles and norms do these treaties contain? How does international environmental law regulate the behavior of states, international organizations and private actors? What role can international law and institutions play in addressing environmental problems?

This course aims to introduce the basic concepts and mechanisms of international environmental law. Because a survey of the entire field would not be practical in such a compact course, we will instead focus on a few case studies that illustrate the basic types of international environmental problems and issues.

Comparative and International Perspectives on the Right to Health - 2 units
(Instructor: Professor Brietta Clark, Loyola Law School)

Health care has played a prominent role in the past two presidential elections in the United States. Countries that ensure universal health care were held up as models by those who criticized the U.S. health-care system and argued for a legal right to health care. President Obama’s health care reform does not provide universal coverage, but it is the most significant step the country has taken in this direction.  At the same time, a financial crisis has been spreading across the globe, bringing greater economic pressure on countries that do provide universal care.  The financial crisis has renewed debates in these countries about whether they should scale back spending for health and other entitlements, and if so, how.  Should there be a “right to health”? What should this “right” entail? And what is the government’s responsibility for ensuring this right? These are controversial, complex, and persistent questions. 

In this course, we will explore the ways countries have answered these questions by comparing different health systems (including the U.S., Costa Rica, and France). Students will gain a better understanding of the policy, ethical and legal choices countries make in designing their health-care systems. Students will also be encouraged to think critically about how these choices impact access and what they reveal about the role of politics, culture and economics. We will end by considering selected health care issues that reach across borders (e.g. medical research in resource-poor countries and medical tourism) and their domestic and international implications for a right to health.