Overview

Globalization is one of the most important political, social and economic trends in today's world, having a meaningful impact on individuals in every corner of the planet. Traditional modes of production, consumption, investment and regulation continue to transform at an accelerating pace along with advancements in technology, management and governance. Over the last three decades, more than half of the world's population has emerged from insular, command-style economies and embarked upon a path towards economic integration on a global scale. Goods, services, capital, and information flow across physical and political boundaries with a fluidity that would have been unimaginable in previous times. These dramatic changes portend new and continuously evolving roles for business, government, civil society, and international bodies. This club will examine the role of both national and international law in this new global environment. We will examine questions such as:

1. In what ways are national governments structuring domestic law in response to global economic activity? How do such responses influence future development?
2. How are global corporations influencing legal and political reform, both domestically and internationally?
3. What legal, political, and commercial strategies are best suited to investing and conducting business abroad?
4. How can private parties and corporations best promote sustainable development and healthy political reform? What responsibilities do they have to do so? How should such responsibilities be enforced?
5. What is the most appropriate role for international bodies in regulating economic activities that cross national borders? How should such bodies be structured and governed?
6. How can civil society best influence economic development so as to promote human rights and the distribution of economic gains?
7. What are the appropriate roles for public, private, and international bodies in promoting international economic development? What balance should be struck between considerations of efficiency and equity? Short term and long term goals?

For more information contact:
David Strasburg, 2L (JD/MBA), david.strasburg@stanford.edu
Will Partlett, 2L, partlett@stanford.edu
Andy Ralph, 2L (JD/MBA) adralph@gmail.com