Study

nternational Business Law (Law 772) offers a comprehensive survey of the legal frameworks governing cross-border commerce, equipping students with both theoretical grounding and practical tools for careers in domestic and international business law.

The course is organized into four parts that cover private and public law. The first covers private international law, beginning with conflict of laws principles and the UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods (CISG), then moving to the risks and mechanics of cross-border litigation—including forum-selection clauses, international arbitration, and the enforcement of foreign judgments. The second part examines the extraterritorial reach of U.S. law, with sustained attention to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), its criminal enforcement, and parallel regimes such as the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention. The third part briefly examines international investment and its intersection with public law: bilateral investment treaties and investor-state dispute settlement. The fourth part turns to how modern national security concerns influence global commerce, including the review of foreign investment through CFIUS and export controls on dual-use goods (with a focus on the U.S.-China technology rivalry). The course concludes by exploring the evolving field of business and human rights, including emerging corporate due diligence obligations.

Throughout, students engage with primary legal sources, enforcement trends, and real-world case studies drawn from contexts ranging from Russian energy projects to American restrictions on Nvidia’s semiconductor sales. Grading is based on a final exam (80%) and class participation (20%).

Fall 2025

Course Number	Course Credits	Evaluation Method	Instructor
722.01	3	Final Exam	Rachel Brewster
Canvas site: https://canvas.duke.edu/courses/65687