Bound choice
Students completing the Practicing International Law course must choose to follow either the General Public International Law track or the International Humanitarian Law track for this course.
All students must complete the Practicing International Law course unless they have participated in the international humanitarian law clinic (in lieu of Practicing International Law: IHL) or one of the following moot court competitions:
International Criminal Court Trial Competition (in lieu of Practicing International Law: IHL);
Kalshoven International Humanitarian Law competition (in lieu of Practicing International Law: IHL);
Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (in lieu of Practicing International Law: General PIL);
Telders Moot Court Competition (in lieu of Practicing International Law: General PIL).
Selection for the clinic and the moot court teams is competitive, and takes place in September.
Admission requirements
Admission to the Masters programme.
Description
In the course ‘Practicing International Law’ students provide international legal advice as junior lawyers working in a government ministry. Each student cooperates with the other members of his or her team to draft memoranda, interview a witness, and prepare oral presentations to be given during a meeting with a high level government official within the ministry.
Course objectives
Objectives of the course
The course aims to develop the drafting and oral presentation skills of students by training them to present written and oral arguments within the context of a government ministry. The course also aims to deepen students’ knowledge of international law through assignments that require independent research on specific factual and legal issues.
Achievement levels
Knowledge:
After successful completion of this course, students will be able to independently analyze legal problems of medium complexity. Students will have acquired in-depth knowledge of international legal issues pertaining to the memoranda assignments.
Academic skills and attitude:
After successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
interview a witness;
provide legal advice within a relatively short period of time;
defend a particular position, both in writing and orally;
work together with other students in a team.
Timetable
The timetable of this course can be found in uSis.
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Number of (2 hour) sessions: 5
Names of lecturers: Dr Cecily Rose (coordinator); Dr Simone van den Driest; Mr Vid Prislan; Dr Sergey Vasiliev; Dr Giulia Pinzauti; Thea Coventry.
Required preparation by students: Students must cooperate as a team to prepare memoranda as well as oral presentations.
Seminars
None.
Other methods of instruction
None.
Assessment method
Examination form(s)
Written Work (50%)
Oral Presentations (50%)
Written work:
Each student has to cooperate with his or her team to submit memoranda by the prescribed deadlines.
The requirements for the submission of the memoranda will be announced on Blackboard and explained during the introductory class.
Oral Presentation:
Each student has to cooperate with his or her team to prepare oral presentations, which will involve legal and factual questions.
The requirements for the oral presentations are announced on Blackboard and explained during the introductory class.
Submission procedures
To be announced.
Areas to be tested within the exam
The examination syllabus consists of the required reading (literature) for the course, the course information guide and the subjects taught in the lectures, the seminars and all other instructions which are part of the course.
Blackboard
More information on this course is offered in Blackboard.
Reading list
Obligatory course materials
Literature:
None.
Course information guide:
Outline as posted on Blackboard.
Reader:
None.
Recommended course materials
To be announced on Blackboard.
Registration
Through uSis
Contact information
Co-ordinator: Nathalie Walstra-Jansen
Work address: KOG, Steenschuur 25, room B1.21
Telephone number: 071-527 7578
E-mail: volkenrecht@law.leidenuniv.nl
Institution/division
Institute: Public Law
Division: Public International Law
Room number secretariat: KOG, Office B1.21
Opening hours: 9.00-17.00 hrs
Telephone number secretariat: 071-527 7578
E-mail: volkenrecht@law.leidenuniv.nl