Law as we know it is both primary and derivative. “The Law” can be recognized as primary in the sense that a transcendent, metaphysical and/or governing order is primary in relation to that which it orders. Law is derivative in the sense that the process of making law is built upon and inextricably linked to the cultural, educational and character formation of a society’s members, which in turn affects each member’s ability to discern “The Law” and to state it either through legislation or through common law adjudication.

To get to the true foundations of law, it is necessary to first step “outside” of the legal discipline and the law academy to evaluate the fundamental intellectual, cultural and spiritual truths as well as various assumptions and historical developments upon which our approach to law is based.  This is no small task, and it is interdisciplinary at its core.  Due consideration of history, philosophy and religion are fundamental to any adequate analysis.  There is no shortcut, since an unwillingness to engage in such a foundational analysis leads inevitably to a mere “procedural republic,” devoid of any substantive and compelling legal principles from which to adjudicate competing claims over rights, liberties and duties.

IUSLAW’s “Foundations and Origins of Rights in the United States” examines the historical and theoretical basis for those rights generally considered to be fundamental in the U.S., with a view to better understanding these rights and indeed the very notion of “right.”

This program examines current issues and developments in U.S. election law and campaign finance law while also addressing controversial cross-border campaign finance and other cross-border political activities. (For more information, email info@iuslaw.org)

The world and all that happens within it, including history and the fate of peoples, are realities to be observed, analyzed and assessed with all the resources of reason, while respecting the integrated role that faith may play in the process.  This seminar examines the relation between faith, reason and law, building on an historical understanding to address and analyze current legal issues at the crossroads of Church and State, morality and law, and religion and the public sphere. (for more information, email info@iuslaw.org)

This seminar examines in depth the historical and philosophical underpinnings of the Common Law tradition with a view to better appreciating the mode of thought and analysis presupposed by the Common Law and the related consequences for litigating and adjudicating modern disputes.  Sources and landmarks of the Common Law and it’s early manifestations–dating back over 1200 years–are examined.

Judges Seminar: The Role of the Judiciary in the U.S.A.

IUSLAW’s “Judges Seminar” is conducted once every two years and is open only to non-U.S. judges and career judiciary students.

Topics Covered:

• Introduction to the U.S. Legal System; Historical Background and Current Approaches
• Constitutional Structures: Federalism and Separation of Powers in the United States
• The Independence of the Judiciary in the United States
• Conceptual Distinctions: Common Law vs. Code Law Methodologies
• U.S. Jurisprudence: European Heritage
• U.S. Jurisprudence: American Developments
• Liberties and Rights under the U.S. Constitution
• Hermeneutics: Interpreting Legal Texts in the United States
• Practical Considerations: Case Management in Federal and State Courts
• Judicial Ethics: Regulating the Judiciary
• Special Aspects of U.S. Common Law: Property, Contracts and Torts.

This program examines issues relating to national sovereignty in relation to international law and international organizations such as the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and various international non-governmental organizations. (for more information, email info@iuslaw.org)