All posts tagged: International Law

More Than a Seat at the Table

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More Than a Seat at the Table – Meaningful Multistakeholder Engagement yet to be Seen at UN Cybercrime Treaty Negotiations The Colonial Pipeline is one of the largest oil pipelines in the United States, spanning over 5,500 miles and supplying nearly half the fuel for the East Coast. On May 6, 2021, Eastern European hacker group DarkSide initiated a ransomware attack on the pipeline’s digital system, demanding 75 Bitcoin while holding the company’s data hostage. In response to the attack, Colonial temporarily halted all pipeline operations, causing jet fuel shortages for airlines, and leading to consumer panic buying and spiking gas prices. The Colonial Pipeline attack was not an isolated incident, ransomware attacks are rising in frequency and scope and have targeted critical infrastructure like healthcare and education systems. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) stretch across political borders, connecting societies like never before, and can increase opportunities for social and economic benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated dependence on digital infrastructure in myriad ways, facilitating drastic changes in work, education, and industry patterns. While digital connectivity …

In their own words: Law students praise Temple Rome summer program

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Upon the conclusion of the 4-week study abroad program in Rome, students from Temple University Beasley School of Law, as well as other participant students from partnering law schools, reflected on their personal, professional, and academic experiences in Rome. Among the major benefits of the program, students attested to the professional advantages gained by enrolling in international law courses, arriving at Temple’s Rome campus each morning for class lectures, and living in the “Eternal City.” Emphasizing the value of networking with professors and guest lecturers, Alison Maser (a 2L Temple student) mentioned, “I feel like I have gained invaluable mentors through this experience.” Mariah McGuirk from Albany Law School articulated the intrinsic benefits of studying law abroad, as she experienced advantages inside and outside the classroom: “regardless of what the content is in the classes that we take, the skills we are developing and learning will help us through the rest of our educational career as well as our professional careers.” During the summer term, students engaged with guest lecturers, completed written assignments, delivered oral …

Shannon McGuire LAW '21 stands in front of a large waterfall

Studying Abroad at Del Rosario University in Bogotá, Colombia

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In Fall of 2018, Shannon McGuire LAW ’19 completed a semester-long study abroad program at our Temple Law partner school, Del Rosario University in Bogotá, Colombia. I went to Rosario with an interest in seeing how Colombia was handling the Venezuelan refugee crisis, to learn more about human rights law, and to improve my Spanish language skills. I left Bogota having achieved each of those goals but also having made lifelong friends, having acquired an addiction to arepas de yuca and yellow dragon fruit, and having gained a deeper understanding and admiration for a peace process that transitioned a country from decades of internal conflict to a new horizon that aimed to uphold the rule of law while rehabilitating offenders and giving victims a voice. I cried seeing exhibits of paramilitary slaughters of Colombian villages. I debated the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with my classmates in my Anthropology of Violence and Conflict class. I hid my face every time we learned about yet another Latin American country where the U.S. meddled in their domestic affairs during the Cold War era (and …

A Love Letter to Philadelphia

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  From the Balkans to Latin America to Canada: Temple Law gave Safo Musta LLM ’02 her passport to the world. I will never forget the first time I set my eyes on Philly’s skyline. I was in a cab, exhausted and sleepless from a long flight, five thousand miles away from my hometown of Tirana, alone and nervous at the thought of the unknown ahead of me. Then the lights of a great city emerged in the distance. I felt as if I was thrown on the set of ″Philadelphia,‶ a legal drama from 1993, the only reference I had at the time to a city that would soon become very dear to me. The view before my eyes was stunning. An air of excitement filled my lungs. It was love at first sight. I arrived in Philly in August of 2001 to pursue an LL.M. in American and International Law at Temple Law School, a dream made possible thanks to the prestigious Ron Brown scholarship program of the US Department of Education for …

Passing the California Bar Exam

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I enrolled in LL.M. in U.S. Law in May, 2015 aiming to become a competent lawyer who can discuss legal matters on an equal basis with U.S. lawyers working for a U.S. affiliate. Due to increased opportunities to collaborate and work with foreign lawyers, I became aware that obtaining knowledge about U.S law was essential to pursue my career as a legal professional in the long run. The learning environment at TUJ was ideal for me because the lectures were mostly scheduled for evening, which allowed me to learn at TUJ and earn LL.M. while working full-time without leaving Japan. Although I planned to manage both work and study, in reality, especially at the beginning I spent a large amount of time for extensive reading required for each class, which sometimes challenged me in balancing among work, study and life. Despite the busy days, I always looked forward to attending live classes and enjoyed learning U.S. laws and cases. The live classes at TUJ greatly helped me understand the principles of U.S. laws and enabled …

The Biden Pivot

The Institute for International Law and Public Policy presents “The Biden Pivot” | Student Commentary

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On April 8, 2021, The Institute for International Law and Public Policy presented “The Biden Pivot,” a panel of experts who discussed where, and how, the Biden Administration will reverse course on international policies set by the previous administration. Panelists included Duncan B. Hollis, Laura H. Carnell Professor of Law; J. Benton Heath, Assistant Professor of Law; Amy Sinden, Professor of Law; Jaya Ramji-Nogales, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and I. Herman Stern Research Professor. The panel was moderated by Margaret M. deGuzman, James E. Beasley Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Institute for International Law and Public Policy.  Temple Law continues to step up and offer really amazing events on international law and policy. Throughout this year, the Institute for International Law and Public Policy and the student-led International Law Society has continually hosted meaningful discussions that allow students such as myself to engage with Temple Law’s international faculty. As an aspiring international lawyer, the access I’ve been given to these world-renowned scholars has been incredible. I regularly talk with Professor Heath after …

Study Abroad at Temple University Japan

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I have been studying at TUJ since the spring of 2020, including pursuing my LL.M. in transnational law. TUJ’s program has continued to impress me. The professors bring real world experience into the classroom, and the classes bring together a diverse range of students from all over the world and all different backgrounds. It makes for the most enriching classroom experience I’ve ever had. Furthermore, TUJ’s staff is unmatched in their professionalism and dedication to helping students navigate the J.D. and LL.M. programs, and in assisting foreign students with living in Japan. Especially during the past year of the pandemic, the staff at TUJ has made it possible for me to traverse the complexities of living in a foreign country. It’s impossible not to fall in love with Japan, its culture, and gorgeous wilderness. Since the pandemic, I have been exploring the many national and quasi-national parks outside of the cities. The transportation system in Japan makes it easy and safe to visit even the most remote areas of the country. The class schedule and …

Human Rights Protections Through International Criminal Law

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One of the tools in the toolkit of human rights protection is international criminal law. However, application of this body of law is generally limited to the most serious human rights violations: atrocity crimes. In her recent book, Shocking the Conscience of Humanity: Gravity and the Legitimacy of International Criminal Law, Professor deGuzman examines what it means for crimes to be so grave that they concern all of humanity. She shows that the concept of gravity remains highly undertheorized, and uncovers the consequences for the regime’s legitimacy of its heavy reliance on this poorly understood idea. She argues that gravity’s ambiguity may at times enable a thin consensus to emerge around decisions, such as the creation of an institution or the definition of a crime, but that, increasingly, it undermines efforts to build a strong and resilient global justice community. Having elucidated the consequences of the regime’s reliance on the ambiguous idea of gravity, Professor deGuzman suggests how gravity could be reconceptualized to take account of global values and goals in the various decision-making contexts …

Japan Study Abroad – The Best Study Abroad Experience

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My time at Temple University Japan was unforgettable. Even though half the semester was conducted online, the quality of classes was not diminished. The staff and professors almost seamlessly transitioned classes to distance learning, and they were there for the students at every corner to help where they could. During the time spent in-person at TUJ, I was incredibly impressed by the facilities, resources available to the students, and the quality of professors and education offered. It was obvious that the professors were passionate about the students and the subjects they were teaching. There wasn’t a question or issue that the staff couldn’t help you solve. It was very comforting to have such a solid lifeline while living abroad as a student. The class schedule was great, and the 3-day weekends left plenty of time to explore the country, people, and culture. TUJ was absolutely the best study abroad experience I’ve ever had because of the quality and care put into their curriculum.

Studying for my LL.M. at Temple Law School Japan

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I came to Temple University, Japan (TUJ) with no defined plan for the future. I had just finished a study-abroad year in Bristol, England, did not want to go back to my home country of France and wanted to become even more internationally minded . Studying for my LL.M. at Temple University, Japan was perfect for this! I was able to study both American and international law and discover a new culture. Studying at TUJ, interacting with the teachers and the legal community there allowed me to find several internships and the area of law I wanted to specialize in. I took part in an arbitration class offered by TUJ and decided that this was what I wanted to pursue, which led me to relocate to Seoul. Thanks to the TUJ staff and professors, I was able to receive great legal education, pass the California Bar, while at the same time enjoy and discover Japan!