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Center for Law and Global Affairs

Advancing global legal education and practice

The Center for Law and Global Affairs (LGA) at ASU Law serves as a hub for international legal education, research and professional development. Created in 2008, its mission is to prepare students for the increasingly globalized legal landscape while fostering international partnerships and study and work abroad opportunities that enhance ASU Law's reputation worldwide.

ASU Law offers students opportunities to cultivate their global perspective that include academic programs, courses with top international law scholars, externships and study and work in Washington, D.C. and abroad. Graduates apply what they have learned in international law to a range of jobs related to policymaking, business, criminal justice, economic development and human rights.

Student opportunities

Professional development

A generous grant from Jones Day has established many opportunities for ASU Law students to travel and work abroad and have international experiences and is expanding to include commercial law opportunities.

Expert coaching for the prestigious Jessup and Nuremberg international law competitions and competitive fellowship opportunities for students to engage directly with the Center's activities and research.

Office of the Ombudsman for Timor-Leste International Bridges to Justice – Geneva, Switzerland Corruption Watch, South Africa Institute for Strategic Litigation in Africa The Judicial System Monitoring Program – Indonesia and Timor-Leste Civitas Maxima – Geneva, Switzerland The Basel Institute for Governance – Basel, Switzerland Kosovo Specialist Chambers and the Special Prosecutor’s Office – The Hague, Net… Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect – New York

Externships

U.S. Departments of State, Justice, Interior, Treasury, Education and Defense
U.S. government agencies such as USAID, DHHS, FDA, EPA, SEC and DOJ
Congressional House and Senate offices and subcommittees
NGOs and think tanks, including international development specialists and advocacy groups
McCain Institute

Research and publications

Student research support: Resources and mentorship for international legal research.
Publication opportunities: Student-authored content featured on the Center's blog
Podcast participation: Student involvement in creating content for the Center's legal podcast

Leadership and faculty expertise

The Center for Law and Global Affairs showcases the international legal expertise of ASU Law's distinguished faculty through:

Conferences and speaking engagements in Phoenix, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and international venues
Research support and collaborative projects
Publication promotion through the Center's website, panels and media channels

Courses are taught by a combination of faculty members and practitioner faculty associates who have years of experience in their fields and in Washington, D.C. Students will learn directly from professors who have led major initiatives with the United Nations, European Union, Department of State and International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Andrea CayleyExecutive Director, Center for Law and Global Affairs and Washington D.C. Programs

Kenneth AbbottInternational Environmental Law

Angela BanksVice Dean and Charles J. Merriam Distinguished Professor of Law

Daniel BodanskyInternational Environmental Law

Diana BowmanAssociate Dean for Applied Research and Partnerships and Professor of Law

Aaron FellmethProfessor of Law

David GartnerProfessor of Law

James HodgeProfessor of Public Health Law and Ethics

Orde KittrieProfessor of Law

Rhett LarsonWater Law

Erik LunaAmelia D. Lewis Professor of Constitutional and Criminal Law

Erin ScharffAssociate Dean of Research and Faculty Development and Professor of Law

Douglas SylvesterDean Emeritus and Professor of Law

International faculty research

Kenneth W. Abbott & Thomas J. Biersteker eds., Informal Governance in World Politics (Cambridge University Press 2024)
Angela Banks, A Human Rights Approach to Membership and Belonging in Nordic Perspectives on Human Rights Education (Audrey Osler & Beate Goldschmidt-Gjerløw eds., Routledge 2024)
Dan Bodansky & Harro van Asselt, The Art and Craft of International Environmental Law (2nd ed., Oxford University Press 2024)
Dan Bodansky, Four Treaties in One: The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, 118 American Journal of International Law 299 (2024)
Dan Bodansky, Nitpicking Justice, 38 Temple International & Comparative Law Journal 141 (2024)
Karen Bradshaw & Jessica Owley et al., The Tyranny of Baselines, 54 Environmental Law Reporter 10219 (2024)
Ellen M. Bublick & Jane R. Bambauer, Tort Liability for Physical Harm to Police Arising From Protest: Common-Law Principles for a Politicized World, 73 DePaul Law Review 263 (2024)

Ann Ching, Depictions of International Humanitarian Law in Film and Television in Law and War in Popular Culture (Stefan Machura ed., Nomos 2024)
Aaron X. Fellmeth, Introduction to International Business Transactions (2nd ed., Edward Elgar 2024)
James G. Hodge, Jr., Jennifer L. Piatt & Erica N. White et al., Supreme Court Impacts in Public Health Law: 2023-2024, 52 Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 484 (2024)
Kimberly Holst, Rebellions Are Built on Hope...but a Little Kairos Can't Hurt in Star Wars and Conflict Resolution II: My Negotiations Will Not Fail (Jen Reynolds & Noam Ebner eds., DRI Press 2024)
Robert Miller, The International Law of Colonialism: Johnson v. M’Intosh and the Doctrine of Discovery Applied Worldwide, 23 Tribal Law Journal 43 (2024)
Troy A. Rule, Preserving Sacred Sites and Property Law, 2024 Wisconsin Law Review 129 (2024)

Global impact

International training and education

Executive education: Customized legal training programs for government officials and professionals worldwide
LLM and SJD programs: Advanced degree opportunities for international students
Certificate programs: Specialized training for global businesses and professionals

Major international projects

The Heritage Warfare Consortium
Establishment of anti-corruption courts
War crimes archive and museum
Creation of hybrid courts for financial and war crimes
Indigenous law initiatives supporting communities worldwide

Partnerships

The Center for Law and Global Affairs collaborates with:

Global institutions: International courts, UN agencies and foreign governments
Academic partners: Leading universities and research institutions worldwide
ASU programs: Center for the Future of War, the McCain Institute, Thunderbird School of Global Management and more
Professional organizations: American Society of International Law, The American Branch of the International Law Association, American Bar Association – International Law Section, Federalist Society – International and National Security Group, Phoenix Council on Foreign Relations, Global Ties, international law firms and more

Join our global community

Whether you're a prospective student seeking international legal experience, a faculty member interested in global research collaboration or an organization looking to partner on international initiatives, the Center for Law and Global Affairs at ASU Law welcomes your involvement to build a thriving global community.

The Center exemplifies ASU Law's commitment to preparing legal professionals for global practice while making meaningful contributions to international legal development and the rule of law worldwide.

Get involved