Digital Commons Network^™

Dipl 6311 Na Master's Research Project, Omer Gokcekus Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course provides students with the opportunity to conduct supervised research on a policy issue and to prepare a formal report. The report should contribute to the understanding of a policy issue and should include more in-depth analysis and research than a term paper in a graduate seminar course. Each report should include either analytical and/or quantitative analyses, whichever is/are the appropriate and necessary one(s). Students will have an option to work either on a pre-defined project or on their own projects after getting the instructor’s written approval.

Dipl 6253 Wb Civil Conflict And Development, Omer Gokcekus Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course addresses one of the central challenges in post-conflict recovery, how to rebuild a viable economy that is able to meet the basic needs of the state and society. This course examines the economic consequences of civil wars and how states and international organizations have responded to the challenges of rebuilding post-conflict societies in light of weak national political institutions and economies with limited options. Students will appraise the possible tradeoffs that exist in forming governments that can protect property rights, reconstituting viable economies, and promoting peace across national territories. In evaluating the role of international actors (through foreign …

Dipl 6277 Global Health Security In A Changing World, Matthew Brown Phd, Mps

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course provides an interdisciplinary survey of global health security at a critical juncture in international health governance. The Spring 2026 semester unfolds against the backdrop of dramatic shifts in U.S. global health policy, including the withdrawal from the World Health Organization, the dismantling of USAID, and the introduction of the "America First Global Health Strategy." These changes, coupled with ongoing threats such as the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak and climate-driven health challenges, create an unprecedented moment for examining the intersection of health and security.

Students will analyze how the reconfiguration of global health architecture affects disease surveillance, pandemic preparedness, …

Dipl 6105 International Political Economy, Robert Shaver Phd

Diplomacy Syllabi

Over the course of history the world has witnessed successive waves of what we today call globalization, resulting in increasing economic interdependence between otherwise independent political communities. Simultaneously, the dominant type of these communities has become the modern territorial nation-state. This course explores these processes, studying the interlinkages of political and economic systems within an increasingly globalized world. Over the course of the semester, we will take an interdisciplinary approach to examine IPE theory, history, trade, development, multinational corporations, the international monetary system, and finance. Primary source readings are paired with the textbook so that students may understand ideas in …

Dipl 3350/6350 Religion, Race, And International Relations, Brian K. Muzas Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course offers an overview of the role of religion and race in international relations. Students explore the causes, nature, and consequences of key issues related to the interplay of religion and race in history at the practical and theoretical levels. By understanding what scholars have learned and connecting these lessons to current events, students will acquire tools to approach contemporary and future issues.

Because of the nature of religion, some guiding questions naturally arise. These include questions like: What is the best way to live? What is the relationship between religion and society? Is religion a strictly private matter? …

Dipl 6002 International Organizations, Purnaka L. De Silva Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

The focus and aim of this Course – DIPL 6002: International Organizations – is to understand International Organizations from the vantage point of the concept of Global Governance.  Global governance, central to international relations, refers to the loose framework of global regulation – both institutional and normative – that constrains conduct and attempts to maintain order.  When we speak of order, we need to specify order for whom – states, peoples, groups, or individuals.  Order may denote any regular or discernible pattern of relationships that are stable over time or may additionally refer to a condition that allows certain …

Dipl 4108 International Political Economy, Robert Shaver Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

Over the course of history the world has witnessed successive waves of what we today call globalization, resulting in increasing economic interdependence between otherwise independent political communities. Simultaneously, the dominant type of these communities has become the modern territorial nation-state. This course explores these processes, studying the interlinkages of political and economic systems within an increasingly globalized world. Over the course of the semester, we will take an interdisciplinary approach to examine IPE theory, history, trade, development, multinational corporations, the international monetary system, and finance. Primary source readings are paired with the textbook so that students may understand ideas in …

Dipl 2110 Aa/Ab Comparative Foreign Policy, Michael Curtin

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course is an introduction to theories of foreign policy analysis and a survey of the foreign policy of major states. The first part of the course examines alternative theoretical approaches to the study of foreign policy. These conceptual models are then applied to a series of seminal events, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The second part of the course examines the foreign policy trajectories of several important States and explores critical foreign policy dilemmas through two in-class simulations.

Dipl 3104 Public International Law, Philip Moremen Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course explores the nature and content of the law governing relations between states and relations between states and non-state actors.  The first part of the course examines the building blocks of international law; the second part applies this knowledge to particular topics, such as the use of force, human rights and international humanitarian law.  By the end of the course, students will possess an understanding of the operation of the international legal system and the role of international law in international affairs.

Students will also develop their critical thinking skills and gain an introduction to legal reasoning and to …

Dipl 4106 Aa Human Rights Law And Policy, Belachew Fikre Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course introduces students to the historical development and emergence of the human rights movement, particularly following World War II and during the consolidating period of the 1970s. This period is often labeled the golden decade of human rights, as the movement that commenced at the end of World War II was consolidated through the adoption of two crucial international instruments. Furthermore, human rights advocacy, which works through victims’ testimony and evidence-based reporting on violations, began to take center stage, departing from the basic rules of humanitarian engagement that include impartiality, neutrality, and independence.

With four interrelated parts, the course …

Dipl 3460 Intelligence Studies, Brendan J. Balestrieri Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course examines the history, institutions, people, and processes of intelligence as a critical element of national and international security. Using case studies, it will also look at some of the key intelligence missions, such as strategic warning, counterterrorism, counter proliferation, and counterinsurgency. This course will also look at the reorganization of the intelligence community after 9/11 and how rivalry among leading powers is influencing changes to intelligence. Lectures are important and will include a discussion period in each session as well as extensive use of case studies.

Dipl 4193 Aa Eastern European And Post-Soviet Politics, Margarita M. Balmaceda Phd

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course provides a systematic introduction to the main issues in Soviet, post-Soviet and post Soviet-Bloc politics. Some of the topics to be considered are the following: (1) the legacy of Soviet nationality policies and the Soviet planned economy system on the creation and development of new political systems in the former Soviet republics after 1991; (2) the political and economic diversity which emerged within the ‘Soviet Bloc” starting in the 1950’s, and its effects on the development of new political systems after the fall of  Communism; (3) the causes and consequences of ethnic conflicts in some of  the countries …

Measuring Legal Importance: From Case Citations To Linguistic Shifts, Bao Kham Chau

Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property

This Article introduces a novel empirical method for measuring judicial importance beyond traditional metrics, such as citation counts, which often undervalue decisions that shape legal practice without generating extensive case law. Drawing on techniques from computational text analysis, it proposes linguistic shifts—systematic changes in the length, language, and structure of legal documents—as an alternative proxy for a judicial opinion’s legal significance.

The Article applies this method to a case study involving Blackboard, Inc. v. Desire2Learn, Inc., 574 F.3d 1371 (Fed. Cir. 2009), a Federal Circuit decision that has received relatively little attention under conventional citation-based measures. By programmatically analyzing …

Cuny Oer Initiative Catalog (Ay 2024-2025), Jahanara Alamgir, Yujin Lee-Hwang, Rachael Nevins, Elliot Galvis, Rebecca Morofsky, Andrew Mckinney, Jojo Karlin

Open Educational Resources

This circulating catalog inventories the reusable teaching objects produced by CUNY campuses in AY 2024-2025! You’ll find textbooks, assignments, syllabi, videos, and more, organized by discipline and with brief descriptions of the resource. This publication (which links to all the resources) is supplemented by a by our online, filterable CUNY OER Initiative Catalog.

The CUNY OLS Research and Publishing Strategy team gathered, described and indexed the work of the campuses. OLS Fellow Hwang-Lee Yujin designed the publication.

“Where Have All Our Children Gone?”: The Detrimental Evolution Of The Juvenile Justice System And The Reform Efforts To Restore Its Original Intent, Sofia Depasquale

Political Science Undergraduate Theses

No abstract provided.

The Entanglement Of Facts And Values: An Overlooked Problem For Legal Positivism, Stephen A. Simon

West Virginia Law Review

Scholars have long been fascinated by the relation between law and morality, and in particular by the question of whether identifying the law requires making moral judgments. H.L.A. Hart and other legal positivists insist that we can identify the law without making moral judgments. By contrast, Ronald Dworkin and other opponents of legal positivism hold that determining law’s meaning necessarily involves moral reasoning. The most prominent contemporary case against legal positivism, developed by Dworkin, argues that interpretation—giving meaning to legal language—inherently requires moral judgments. While Dworkin’s arguments are powerful, the discourse has overlooked another basis for rejecting legal positivism: one …

The Judiciary's Arbitrary And Capricious Problem, Jack D. Malich

West Virginia Law Review

The Supreme Court has not been shy in its efforts to change, and in some cases, overturn long-standing administrative law precedent. Yet in one area, arbitrary and capricious review under Motor Vehicles Manufacturers Ass’n v. State Farm Mutual Insurance Co., the Court has ostensibly not acted to modify any part of the doctrine. Recently, however, the federal judiciary has increasingly used arbitrary and capricious review to invalidate major agency actions over what seem to be somewhat minor procedural flaws. The increased stringency of such review has led to increasing conflict between the executive and judicial branch. Two Supreme Court decisions …

Consent Absent Consensus: A Principles-Based Framework For Institutional Sexual Consent Policies, Tammi Walker

West Virginia Law Review

Title IX requires educational institutions to address sexual misconduct but provides no clear standard for defining consent. In the absence of federal guidance, colleges and universities operate in a regulatory vacuum, producing inconsistent definitions, legal uncertainty, and contested understandings of what consent requires. Without a structured framework, institutions struggle to balance survivor protection, due process, and practical implementation. This Article introduces a principles-based framework that supports clearer, more coherent consent policies. It identifies three interdependent elements of valid sexual consent: (1) Respect for Choices and Autonomy, which requires voluntary agreement free from coercion or pressure; (2) Informed Expectations and Transparency, …

Asarco Delenda Est, John Greabe

West Virginia Law Review

ASARCO Inc. v. Kadish is the most important Supreme Court decision addressing the adjudication in state courts of federal claims that Article III’s case-or-controversy requirements would bar lower federal courts from hearing. But there are two serious problems with the reasoning of ASARCO: one involving an error of omission and the other an error of commission. ASARCO’s error of omission is its apparent assumption that a party barred from asserting a federal claim in federal court because of a lack of redressable Article III injury caused by the conduct complained of should face no barriers to obtaining relief on the …

Drawing Lines In The Substance: Questioning The Inconsistent Application Of West Virginia's Recidivist Statute In Cases Involving Controlled Substance Violations, Patrick Hassen

West Virginia Law Review

For decades, West Virginia’s recidivist statute required courts to sentence repeat felony offenders to life in prison even if their offenses were not violent. Over the years, the statute mandated life sentences for triggering offenses as minor as writing a bad check or failing to register a new phone number with the police. Unsurprisingly, the statute has come under its fair share of constitutional attack for violating the state Constitution’s proportionality principle. In 1981 the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia held the state’s proportionality principle requires a strict interpretation of the recidivist statute in favor of the defendant. …

A Damning Doctrine: State-Created Danger, Sierra Dotson

West Virginia Law Review

United States Supreme Court should take to promote uniformity in the correct interpretation of the doctrine and in applying the state-created danger exception.

The Living Architecture Of Law, Joseph R. Goodwin

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Last Human Question: Generative Ai's Existential Threat To Consensus And Law, Joshua Fairfield

West Virginia Law Review

The true risk of artificial intelligence (“AI”) is not that the toasters will rise up. It is that AI will be competent to perform human tasks and indifferent to human welfare. The risk is that we will be outcompeted by generative automated processes that create output similar to ours (although never the same, as this Article explains), but which need none of the outputs of the economy for food, shelter, or human flourishing. Further, a more precise and existential description of the threat is that generative AI will disrupt and crowd out humanity’s evolutionary superpower, our ability to generate agreement …

Ai And Law Milestones: From Top-Down To Bottom-Up Computational Models Of Legal Reasoning (And Back), Kevin Ashley

West Virginia Law Review

This Article introduces five research and development milestones in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Law and then discusses how large language models (“LLMs”) and generative AI (“GenAI”) are affecting each of them. The milestones include legal expert systems, lessons learned in computationally modeling legal rules and statutes, knowledge-based models of legal argument, machine learning models that classify case texts and predict outcomes, and the design and evaluation of legal applications of LLMs and GenAI. These milestones illustrate how top-down knowledge-based computational models of legal expertise have rapidly given way to bottom-up models based on machine learning. Knowledge-based models explicitly …

A View Under The Hood: Duquesne Kline's Law And Computing Program, Wesley M. Oliver, Katherine L.W. Norton, Martin Mckown, David Horrigan

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 School Of Law Academic Honors & Awards, University Of San Diego School Of Law

Academic Honors and Awards

No abstract provided.

Selective Flexibility: The Hidden Evolution Of Startup Corporate Law, Alvaro Pereira

Cardozo Law Review

This Article challenges the longstanding assumption that corporate law is largely irrelevant to non-listed companies and venture capital ( “VC”). Through a novel cross-country legal index covering twenty years and twelve jurisdictions, this Article shows that corporate laws have evolved through a process of “selective flexibility,” where certain legal barriers to VC deals are lifted, while others are stealthily preserved. For example, numerous reforms have enabled multiple-vote shares, but few have authorized the customization of board powers, limiting the universe of founder-investor agreements—and, ultimately, the development of startup ecosystems and VC markets.

Drawing on a comprehensive dataset of billion -dollar …

Post-Ukraine Fallout: How Azerbaijan’S Break With Russia Reflects The Strategic Consequences Of A Weakened Kremlin, Hasan Alisoy

Journal of Strategic Security

This article analyzes how Russia’s declining power, accelerated by its military overextension in Ukraine, triggered a historic rupture in Russia–Azerbaijan relations, culminating in the 2025 Yekaterinburg incident. It argues that the deaths of two Azerbaijani citizens in Russian custody—and the retaliatory actions taken by Baku—did not cause the diplomatic collapse, but rather crystallized a long-term realignment rooted in Azerbaijan’s post-conflict assertiveness and Russia’s unraveling regional leverage. Drawing on the 2024 downing of an Azerbaijani airliner by a Russian missile, the premature withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh, and Azerbaijan’s evolving alliance with Türkiye, the article positions this realignment within a …

The Legal Framework For Direct Ocean Carbon Capture And Storage (Volume 1: International Law), Romany M. Webb, Korey Silverman-Roati

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

This paper focuses on the marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) approach of direct ocean carbon capture and storage (DOCCS), which aims to remove some of the carbon currently stored in the ocean and thereby enable it to uptake additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. DOCCS is still undergoing research, but early studies suggest it could have significant carbon dioxide removal potential. However, DOCCS could also present environmental and other risks, including from the construction of new facilities, the intake and processing of water, and the handling and storage of carbon dioxide. Careful siting, design, and operation of DOCCS systems is …

جريمة تزوير المستند الالكتروني طبقا للمرسوم بقانون اتحادي رقم (46) لسنة 2021 بشأن المعاملات الإلكترونية وخدمات الثقة, كلثم راشد المزروعي

Theses

The Crime of Electronic Document Forgery under UAE Legislation: A Legal and Judicial Analysis in Light of Digital Transformation

This study examines the crime of electronic document forgery in light of rapid digital transformation and the challenges it poses to legal systems, particularly in the United Arab Emirates. The research problem lies in the absence of a comprehensive legal framework, the difficulty of classifying technologically evolving forms of forgery, and the challenges associated with proving such crimes using digital evidence.

The study aims to analyze the legal nature of electronic document forgery, distinguish it from traditional forgery, identify its elements …