Curriculum Guide · Courses

Professor Lewis

J.D. Seminar 685 (cross-listed) | 3 credit hours

This seminar will comprehensively address the interplay between Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and the WTO. In particular, this course will cover a detailed examination of GATT Article XXIV, including its scope, relationship to GATT Article I, and interpretive ambiguities; discussion FTAs, customs unions, and agreements permitted by the Enabling Clause; the various arguments why RTAs are stumbling blocks to multilateral trade liberalization and the counterarguments why they are, or can be, stepping stones; jurisprudential and interpretive issues, such as the potential for a jurisdictional overlaps between FTAs and the WTO; the parameters of the Enabling Clause; and the potential for a clash between FTA and WTO provisions.

In addition, the course will examine specific agreements and their relationship to, and implications for, the WTO, including the European Union; NAFTA; and the various potential models for deeper Asian integration.

Key Deadlines Paper topic & thesis statement: Tuesday, February 1 (by 4:00 PM) Outline & main arguments (WR only): Tuesday, February 23 (by 4:00 PM) Draft paper (as if final) (WR only): Wednesday, March 30 (due in class) Final paper (to Registrar & professor): Monday, May 2 (by 4:00 PM)

Attendance at, and participation in, each seminar is expected. Excessive absences or a lack of participation may impact negatively on a student’s final grade. Likewise, consistently thoughtful class participation may have a positive impact on students’ final grades, particularly for marks that would otherwise be on a cusp.

Prerequisite: International Law I Recommended: International Law II, International Trade or International Trade Law, and the graduate course, International Trade Law & Regulation