This seminar is conducted in English. It is open to second year students in the bilingual program in law. It is delivered over 18 hours. It is intended to analyze the current implications of the globalization of flows of goods, services, capital, people and information. In 2008, a section is added on the law of the global environment. The use of economic and legal tools of analysis is emphasized.

Recommended texts:

Richard Schaffer, Beverly Earle, Filiberto Agusti, International Business Law and its Environment, Thomson, New York, 2005.

Paul R.Krugman and Maurice Obstfeld, International Economics, Harper Collins, New York, 2002

John Braithwaite and Peter Drahos, Global Business Regulation, Cambridge U., Cambridge, 2000

Part 1 - Introduction

Session 1 - Definition of and trends in globalization
Opening of borders to movements of goods and services, capital, people and ideas
Strategies of international corporate expansion

Assignment 1:
Read and summarize in 250-500 words the following article
The Globalization of Markets, by Theodore Levitt,
 

Part 2 - Globalization of markets for goods and services

Session 2 - Economic aspects of trade liberalization
Terms of trade and specialization

Assignment 2:
Download the Statistical Report of the World Trade Organization of 2007 and print out pages 3-8. Bring them to class, also bring at least two other statistical tables that you consider useful for preparing the following asignment. Prepare a 250 word series of conclusions you draw from this material as regards the evolution of the terms of trade of the European Union, of the United States and of China.
 

Session 3 and 4 - Legal aspects of trade liberalization
GATT/WTO
OECD

Assignments for these sessions:
Prepare case reports on the following cases:

EU Bananas, 1997
EEC Banana Import Régime, 1995
Japan Taxes on Alcohloic Beverages
Repulic of Korea, Imports of Beef
Argentina - Impors of Footwear
Heavyweight Motorcycles
Smith Corona
Brother Industries
Headwear from the PRC
Cabot Corp.
China Diesel
Thailand Cigarettes
EC Measures concerning Meat Products
US sections 301-310 of the Trade Act
 

Part 3 - Globalization of the capital markets

Session 5 - The role of capital flows
Strategies of direct investment
Strategies of international portfolio diversification

Session 6 - The costs and benefits of opening capital markets
How and when to open capital markets
International financial crises - sources and contagion
Crises prevention and management: IMF (Mexico, South Korea)
Market crises (Crash of 1987)
Firm crises (Barings, LTCM)

Session 7 - The regulation of international capital flows
IMF
Development banks
 

Part 4 - Globalization of manpower

Session 8 - Economic aspects of international migrations
The relationship between freedom of movement of goods and services, capital and labor
Immigration and the retirement financing problem

Session 9 - Legal aspects of international migrations
Immigration policy
Human rights
 

Part 5 - Globalization of communications

Session 10 - The communications revolution
Digitization and its implications for business (economics of networks, business strategies in a digital world)

Session 11 - Legal aspects of international communications
Ownership of digital properties
Jurisdiction
Language regulations
 

Part 6 - The global environment

Session 12 - Regulation of the global environment
Convention on the Law of the Sea
Kyoto Protocol

Assignments for this session:
Prepare case reports on the following cases:

The Trail Smelter
Lobsters from Canada
US Imports of Tuna
Judgment of February 23, 1988
Hudson Rier Audubon Society
 

L'évaluation sera fondée sur un rapport écrit individuel que l'étudiant devra défendre à l'épreuve orale. Le sujet doit être approuvé d'avance par le professeur. La participation aux travaux du groupe (recherches particulières, présentation de cas, etc.) constitueront un élément d'amélioration de la note finale.