International and Global Law

Today’s law graduates enter a world in which little stops at the borders between nations.

From advising on international trade and investment to practicing before tribunals, from promoting human rights to protecting intellectual property, from negotiating transnational business deals to prosecuting war crimes, from finding the balance between national security and civil liberties to resolving violent political conflicts, there is a pervasive global dimension to the work of lawyers, judges and legal scholars.

Focused equally on world-class legal scholarship and real-world developments, Stanford Law prepares you to step up to the challenge. Our approach is founded on the premise that law is a living body of rules and norms that both reflects and shapes the behavior of people, governments and organizations worldwide. We believe that world-class legal scholarship and real-world developments must go hand in hand. Building on this foundation, we prepare students to make a difference in the world throughout the world.

Our international and global law program blends the benefits of an accessible, dedicated intellectual community with the formidable resources of Stanford University, including interdisciplinary programs and research centers focused on an array of international issues. In addition to addressing the foundations of international law and the international legal order, our comprehensive curriculum explores the dramatic changes in the transnational business environment, the evolving global lawmaking and international judicial process, and the challenges of realizing global justice.

Our faculty members have produced cutting-edge research on international trade, transnational crime, terrorism, international criminal tribunals, human rights, international dispute resolution, comparative law, and the use of force. They bring in-depth experience to their research and are deeply committed to mentoring students. And dozens of Stanford Law events every year bring together faculty, students, graduate fellows, lawyers, policymakers, global business leaders, NGOs, and many others to explore key issues in global legal practice.

There’s even deeper meaning to the word “global” at SLS:  We believe perspective on law’s international context is essential to every lawyer. And we are committed to providing a diverse array of opportunities for learning and immersion so that our students head out into the world with essential global competency. Whether seeking a foundation in the basic principles of international law or the expertise and insight to pursue a specialty, students find opportunities, resources, hands-on experience and inspiration at Stanford Law.

Practical Training

Faculty

Amalia D. Kessler 1

Amalia D. Kessler

  • Lewis Talbot and Nadine Hearn Shelton Professor of International Legal Studies
  • Associate Dean for Advanced Degree Programs
  • Professor, by courtesy, History
  • Director, Stanford Center for Law and History
Jenny S. Martinez 2

Jenny S. Martinez

  • Provost
  • Professor of Law
  • Frederick Emmons Terman Professorship
  • Senior Fellow, by courtesy, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
Curtis J. Milhaupt

Curtis J. Milhaupt

  • William F. Baxter-Visa International Professor of Law
  • Senior Fellow, by courtesy, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
Alan Sykes

Alan O. Sykes

  • Professor of Law and Warren Christopher Professor in the Practice of International Law and Diplomacy
  • Senior Fellow, SIEPR
Allen S. Weiner

Allen S. Weiner

  • Senior Lecturer in Law
  • Director, Stanford Program in International and Comparative Law
  • Director, Stanford Humanitarian Program
  • Director, Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation

International Public Interest and Public Service Law

levin center group photo

All avenues of public interest law — environmental, criminal, public health, national security, human rights — converge in the international arena. The John and Terry Levin Center serves the growing number of students who seek to understand law’s role in global social change by providing opportunities for mentorship, career counseling and connections to leaders and organizations engaged in human rights and rule of law work abroad. Offering additional resources, the International Public Interest Law Foundation (SPILF) enables like-minded students to connect and work together for greater impact.

International Public Interest and Public Service Law

International Public Interest Law Foundation (SPILF)

Visiting Faculty, Lecturers and Staff

Roland Vogl 2

Roland Vogl

  • Executive Director of CodeX - the Stanford Center for Legal Informatics
  • Executive Director of the Stanford Program in Law, Science and Technology