Course Level

intermediate - advanced / 3rd - 4th year

Course Language

English

Course Classification

This is a Themis course. It is also open to non-Themis students.

Contact Hours

intensive course (two hours per week once every two weeks) 

ECTS-credits

2,5 (if course has been attended regularly and exam has been passed)

Course Classification

This is a Themis course. It is also open to non-Themis students.

Teaching Mode

face-to-face teaching

Frequency

This course is being taught at irregular intervals.It will be available in the winter term 2025/26.

Time Schedule and Course Venue

please see our electronic course catalogue 

Course Description

In this course we will meet on a bi-weekly basis to discuss decisions of international courts and tribunals as well as other relevant developments in the field of international law. Discussions will start in the first week with the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change(Advisory Opinion of 23 July 2025). Further sessions will be planned in the light of relevant international developments.

Students are requested to register for the Blackboard module of this course to receive notifications about readings.

The course is open for law students at Freie Universität Berlin (also as a supplement to the introductory lecture on public international law in the Schwerpunktbereich) as well as to interested international students.

Restricted Enrollment

no (that means that everyone who signs up for this course in time can take part in this course)

Course Registration

via Campus Management

Please sign up for this course under the module "Fakultatives Lehrangebot im SPB 7".

Please note that it is not possible to register for more than one course under each of those modules.

registration period: 1 October 2025, 9 a.m. -  31 October 2025, 12 a.m. (midnight)

De-Registration from this Course

via Campus Management

regular drop period: 1 October 2025, 9 a.m. -  31 October 2025, 12 a.m. (midnight)

After the regular drop period you can only drop this course with a valid cause until 14 days prior to the exam. Please contact the International Office at the Law Department if you have to use this option.

Type of Exam

Since regular degree-seeking students will not have an exam in this course, it is crucial that international exchange students contact the professor at the beginning of the lecture period and ask for an exam. The type of the exam will be oral.

Registration for the Exam

Students will automatically be registered for an exam when they sign up for this course.

De-Registration from the Exam

Students who drop this course via Campus Management are automatically de-registered from the exam. Students who do not drop this course via Campus Management and do not take the exam, are going to finish this course with a non-passing grade (0 points).

Grade Release

The students will be informed about their grades by the course instructor.

Please ask the professor to write an e-mail with your grade to the International Office at the Law Department. This e-mail must be sent from an institutional account (i.e. the professor's or his secretary's FU account), not from a commercial account (i.e. gmx, gmail, etc.).