Summer Academy- The Global Lawyer

The prevalence of human rights abuses and other tragedies in our world today is a sobering reality, one often met with dual responses: idealism and realism. Idealists focus not on the world as it is, but as it ought to be. They are visionaries whose response to the world’s afflictions is to envisage a brighter future, one that is to be pursued relentlessly. Realists, on the other hand, seek to understand the world as it is. They find pragmatic solutions to dire issues, seeking to avail themselves of existing resources before committing themselves to impractical pursuits. In the Global Lawyer course, we are committed to a simple yet revolutionary idea: in a world of realists and idealists, why not be both? We bridge this divide by first providing instruction on today’s pressing human rights issues and principles of international law. This serves as the intellectual foundation for the course’s transformative hands-on components. In particular, the course culminates in a policy research analysis project and mock trial that together are designed to develop the skills necessary to one day thrive in the context of international law. As a result, you will not need to choose between realism and idealism, but instead become one who is able to confront today’s pressing issues with a vision of a better tomorrow and the legal know-how to make this a reality.