03 Jan a. What is your topic?

LSTD507 International Law

Week 1 Forum

You tell a friend that you are taking an International Law class at APUS. The friend asks, “what exactly is International Law?” Tell your friend what International Law is and include the various sources of international law in your discussion. Before answering, conduct additional research at the APUS library and online.

Each week, your initial post is due by Wednesday. You should then respond to three (3) or more posts by Sunday. This can be accomplished by

· Validating with additional evidence from the literature.

· Posing a thoughtful question with commentary which generates further discussion.

· Providing an alternative point-of-view, with evidence and examples.

· Offering additional insight into how the concept might be understood, with evidence provided with real world examples.

You are expected to be active in the classroom throughout the week and actively engaged in the back-and-forth discussion between your colleagues and the professor. The forum grading rubric can be reviewed by clicking on the blue and white box beside the forum entry in the gradebook.

LSTD507 International Law

Week 2 Forum

For week 2, we are going to shift gears and study international customary and treaty laws associated with the use of force. This is obviously a very important International Law topic given the Global War on Terror since 9/11.

Discuss the internationally-recognized legal bases for the use of force, including both customary and treaty laws. What does the United States rely on as authority to use force in the Global War on Terror? Before answering, conduct additional research at the APUS library and online.

LSTD507 International Law

Week 3 Forum

The recognition of a state under International Law is a declaration of intent by one state to acknowledge another power as a “state” within the meaning of International Law. What are the elements of statehood under International Law? Is the existence of a state dependent on whether it has been recognized as such? Before answering, conduct additional research at the APUS library and online.

LSTD507 International Law

Week 4 Forum

As you’ve seen from the readings, International Law is comprised of various sources. Do all countries adhere to these sources? Can International Law be used to effectively resolve disputes?

Read the fact pattern below, and then answer the following: Should countries recognize the Hague Abduction Convention and International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act above the rights of its own citizens? Before answering, conduct additional research at the APUS library and online.`

US-Brazil Boy Custody Battle Ends

A US father has been reunited with his nine-year-old son after a bitter, five-year custody battle with the boy’s Brazilian relatives. David Goldman flew back to Florida with his son Sean after the Brazilian family brought the boy to the US consulate in Rio de Janero to be reunited with him. Sean was taken to Brazil by Mr Goldman’s now-deceased ex-wife. The case became a high-profile issue, stalling the passage of a trade bill with Brazil in the US Senate. Sean, wearing a yellow Brazil football shirt, was brought to the US consulate in line with a court deadline. He looked anxious as his stepfather and the family lawyer pushed through a crowd of jostling journalists, photographers and police officers. “This is a very difficult moment,” said his maternal grandmother, Silvana Bianchi. Mr Goldman’s US lawyer, Patricia Apy, was critical of how the handover was carried out. “Unfortunately, the Brazilian family, rather than have the hand-off take place in a garage, which would have been secure, parked away and walked him through the press, which only serves to make the situation more stressful for the child,” she told the Associated Press news agency. Mr Goldman and Sean made the journey back to Orlando, Florida, on a chartered private plane. Most media were kept far away. The head of Brazil’s Supreme Court, Gilmar Mendes, said on Tuesday that the boy should be returned to his father in accordance with a ruling by a lower court and international custody accords. The custody battle began when Mr Goldman’s wife, Bruna Bianchi, took Sean to her native Brazil ostensibly for a two-week holiday in 2004. She stayed, got a divorce and married a prominent lawyer, Joao Paulo Lins e Silva. Mr Goldman launched a legal fight to win custody of his son. When Ms Bianchi died in childbirth in 2008, Mr Lins e Silva continued the battle to keep Sean and won temporary custody. US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both pressed their Brazilian counterparts on the issue. Last week, the legal fight appeared over when a Brazilian appeals court ruled that Sean should be handed over to his father. But when another court ruled against this, US Senator Frank Lautenberg blocked renewal of a trade bill with Brazil. When news of the Supreme Court’s ruling came through, Sen Lautenberg lifted his opposition and the bill was passed unanimously. Silvana Bianchi said the custody issue had been decided by international pressure. (Source: BBC, Boy Reunited with U.S. Father after Brazil Custody Fight, BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8429659.stm).

LSTD507 International Law

Week 5 Forum

We switch gears this week and will look at the International Court of Justice. The impetus to create a world court, known today as the International Court of Justice, began because of the Hague Conferences of 1897 and 1907. Throughout its history, the Court has been controversial with questionable authority.

You have both a forum question as well as a written assignment to complete this week. The written assignment will be key for next week’s forum.

For your forum for this week, please discuss the following: Does the International Court of Justice lack any true enforcement powers thus rendering it ineffective? If so, should the Court be eliminated? Before answering, conduct additional research at the APUS library and online.

LSTD507 International Law

Week 6 Forum

Last week, you prepared a paper on the World Trade Organization. The paper, in part, was designed to assist in answering this week’s forum questions.

The United States, the European Union, and several rapidly growing developing countries are eagerly joining free trade agreements to lower or eliminate tariffs on goods that are important to them. However, these agreements appear to contravene the intent of the World Trade Organization, which is to reach multilateral agreements among all member states.

How do countries disregard the intent of the World Trade Organization and, are these trade agreements beneficial to overall world trade? Before answering, conduct additional research at the APUS library and online.

LSTD507 International Law

Week 7 Forum

Discuss the background of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and identify pros and cons associated with it. Did it make sense for the United States to withdraw from the Partnership shortly after President Trump took office?

LSTD507 International Law

Week 8 Forum

It’s the final week of the course and your papers are due this week. Before submitting your paper, ensure you followed the detailed instructions provided during week one.

For the forum, please briefly give me your thoughts on this course. What topics did you enjoy discussing the most? Which topics were not helpful? Finally, what topics were not covered that you would like to see included in this course? I appreciate your candid feedback, because it will help me to continue to improve this class!

LSTD507 International Law

Week 1 Assignment

Research Paper Proposal

What is your topic?

What is your thesis statement?

Why do you want to write on this topic?

How you are going to defend your thesis statement

LSTD507 International Law

Week 5 Assignment

WTO Paper

Research the World Trade Organization (WTO) at the APUS library and online and prepare a two page introduction that addresses the following:

1) Discuss the inception of the WTO (30%).

2) What are the intended goals of the WTO (30%)?

3) What are the main differences between the WTO and the United Nations (30%)?

All references must be in Bluebook format or APA (if not a Legal Studies major) (10%).

The percentages reflect the grading rubric for this assignment. Turn in your paper by the end of the week. Once you submit, your paper will be reviewed by Turnitin and a report will be generated.

LSTD507 International Law

Week 8 Assignment

Research Paper

Specific Guidance for Your Research Papers

The LSTD Capstone course is your final course before you graduate. In the Capstone course, you write a 50+ page thesis. There are typically see two types of theses, those that are really good, and those that lack any real substance.

In this class, you are writing a paper to focus on an International Law topic of your choice and to help you prepare for the Capstone.

In order to help you prepare for your Capstone, here is very specific guidance for your paper in this class (this is the only guidance you will follow):

1. Your paper will be 10 full pages, including footnotes. Not 9, not 11. Why 10 pages, you ask? It is actually harder to write a 10 page paper than it is to write a 15 or 20 page paper. You must be clear and avoid the filler that is often contained in longer papers. What is filler? Filler is extra “stuff” that just fills pages but adds little or no value to your paper.

2. Introduction (10%): Your introduction will not be longer than two pages.

3. Thesis Statement: (10%): Immediately after your introduction, you must present a clear thesis statement. In simplistic terms, a thesis statement is the main point of your paper that tells the reader what you intend to argue later in your paper. Word your thesis statement, as follows: “My thesis statement is . . . .” The thesis statement should not be longer than two sentences, and normally one is sufficient.

4. Road Map (5%): Immediately after your thesis statement, you must provide a clear road map to let the reader know where you are going with your paper. Word your road map, as follows: “My paper will first briefly explore . . . , followed by . . . . Finally I will defend my thesis by . . . .“ Your road map should be only a few sentences, but it must be clear.

5. Background (10%): Next, provide a brief but clear background of your topic. This may only be one page or less.

6. Argument/Defending Your Thesis (50%): Now you are at the meat of the paper, defending your thesis statement. This must be at least five full pages, and you must use your research to defend your thesis. This is the hardest part of your paper, and this is where you need to focus your time and energy. Why? This is where students fail in their Capstone theses (I don’t mean literally fail, but they lose a lot of points). Students either present poor arguments or they present no arguments at all. You will present clear arguments, supported by your research, to defend your thesis. Last three points in this area — (1) Conclusory statements must be supported with your research; (2) Do not use provoking language which amounts to merely an opinion, such as: “Those who support capital punishment are idiots.” (This actually came from a student); and (3) You need to fill in glaring gaps. For example, one student’s entire thesis argued that the separation of church and state clause in the Constitution was misinterpreted by the Supreme Court and that religion should be in schools, government, etc. The glaring gap was, given the student’s arguments, what did the separation clause mean? This was not addressed.

7. Conclusion (5%): Conclude your paper in one page or less.

Finally, a few other points:

1. Grade: The grading rubric for each section of your paper is highlighted above (in yellow). As you can see, 50% of your paper is the argument section, which is why I say it is your main focus.

2. References/Proper Use of The Bluebook or APA (if not a Legal Studies major) (10%): You must use a minimum of 15 scholarly references that will be footnoted (per The Bluebook for Legal Studies) on the page where you use the reference or appropriate APA (for non-Legal Studies). You may use a reference more than once, but it still only counts as 1 of the 15. Scholarly references are not Wikipedia, blogs, or crazy websites.

3. Formatting: Double space your paper and use a 12 point font of your choice. No title page, no endnotes, and no bibliography (unless using APA).

4. Topic: Choose a topic of interest to you. If you don’t feel passion for the subject matter, choose another topic.

5. If you have any questions, please contact me immediately for help.

FOR THIS WEEK, submit your research topic for approval in this assignment text box. You must address the four questions below:

a. What is your topic?

b. What is your thesis statement?

c. Why you want to write on this topic?

d. How you are going to defend your thesis statement? Specifically provide four scholarly resources you intend to use?