Prerequisite: None

Exam Type: No Exam

This reading group is about how law structures international relations and global (dis)order. It will proceed in three parts. First, we will explore how different intellectual traditions have theorized the relationship between law, international markets, and state sovereignty. Second, we will adopt a historical view, examining how law has produced and transformed successive international orders from the era of European colonialism to neoliberal globalization. Particular attention will be paid to the different ways legal regimes have shaped economic production and racialized class formations across national boundaries. Third, we will assess the legal construction of international relations across several contemporary issue areas such as cross-border trade, money and finance, technology, and infrastructure development.

Note: This reading group will meet on the following dates: 9/26, 10/10, 10/24, 11/7, 11/14, 11/21.