Course Descriptions

Lectures are conducted in English and provide overviews of civil law and common law systems with emphasis on the practical aspects of international and comparative law. All participants have access to the University of Florence's law library with an extensive collection of English language materials.

Students may enroll for a minimum of 5 or maximum of 6 credit hours. Those who have not previously enrolled in a comparable course are urged to register for Comparative Law. A special 1-credit course in Comparative Constitutional Law will be taught by distinguished guest jurist Chief Judge Anthony Scirica of the Third Circuit in collaboration with Professor Christine H. Kellett. All remaining courses are 2.5 credits each. Interested students may also participate in a non-credit conversational Italian course. Non-U.S. students not enrolled in the Introduction to the United States Legal System — English for Lawyers course may enroll for a minimum of 2.5 credits and a maximum of 6 credits.

Classes are generally scheduled for afternoon sessions Monday through Thursday and on Friday mornings. In addition to the in-class instruction, students will visit the University of Siena School of Law, which will include the seminar Internationalizing Legal Education in the Global Community on Saturday, May 31. A special two-day session on June 5 and 6 will be held at lovely Villa Aldobrandini, the historic International Institute for Unification of Private Law Headquarters, and the Constitutional Court of Italy in Rome, where students and faculty will be addressed by Italian Constitutional Court judge, The Honorable Sabino Cassese. Visits to other Italian courts are also an integral part of the program.

Comparative Law — 2.5 credits
Professor Louis F. Del Duca
This course presents contrasts between principal European systems and their American analogues. It also develops comparative law skills that facilitate subsequent specialized comparative law studies. The course trains young lawyers to deal with civil and common law as they are and also covers cultural and historical evolution of the civil law tradition. Introductory materials on the European Union, the Council of Europe, and international commercial law including the U.N. Convention on International Sale of Goods are also addressed.

Comparative Constitutional Law — 1 credit
Chief Judge Anthony Scirica of the Third Circuit
and Professor Christine H. Kellett
This course addresses selected issues in constitutional law from a comparative perspective. It presents different approaches to questions of constitutional authority, constitutional interpretation, judicial review, and separation of powers. It also examines the protection of individual rights with emphasis on the American Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Comparative and International Family Law — 2.5 credits
Professor Robert E. Rains
This course will present an overview of the family law systems in the United States and European countries with emphasis on Italy. The course will also focus on transnational family law problems involving recognition of foreign decrees, transnational custody battles, international adoptions, etc. The course will combine theoretical and practical approaches. No prior knowledge of family law is required, and the course is not intended to be a substitute for an in-depth U.S. family law course.

International Environmental Law — 2.5 credits
Professors Malgosia Fitzmaurice and Katarina Hallden
The object of the course is in-depth presentation of the structure of international environmental law. The first part of the course is aimed at discussing the main principles of international environmental law: polluter-pays-principle; precautionary principle; and the environmental impact assessment. It will show as well close links of international environmental law with human rights law and general international law, such as procedures for settlement of international disputes.

The second part of the course will cover particular environmental treaty regimes, such as environmental protection of international watercourses, marine environment and the atmosphere. The course is based on the jurisprudence of various courts and tribunals, with a special focus on the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

The International Sale of Goods — The CISG In Comparative Perspective — 2.5 credits
Professors Alejandro Garro, Fred H. Miller, and Anna Veneziano
This course examines, from the perspective of a U.S.-based practitioner, selective issues on transnational contract formation, performance, breach, and remedies, focusing on the approach of the United Nations (Vienna) Convention on International Sale of Goods (CISG) in comparison with that of the Uniform Commercial Code. The objective of the course is to develop students' skills in the drafting of transnational contracts and providing competent advice in the context of cross-border sales transactions. A course in sales is not a pre-requisite to take this course and it is not intended to be a substitute for an in-depth U.S. “sales” course.

Introduction to the United States Legal System — English for Lawyers — 2 credits
(Non-U.S. students only)
Professors Grace D'Alo and Thomas Place
This course is useful for judges, law professors, and legal professionals as well as prospective students from other legal systems. It is excellent preparation for the study of American law by foreign students and facilitates communication between professionals from different legal systems. It develops knowledge of basic English legal terminology and introduces participants to the structure of the U.S. legal system, civil and criminal procedure, and the various sources of legal authority.