American University in Cairo Law Department

American University in Cairo Law Department

Infobox_University
name = American University in Cairo, Law Department


established = September, 2005
type = Private
chair = Prof. Lama Abu-Odeh
city = Cairo
state =
country = Egypt
undergrad =
postgrad = approx. 100 students
staff =
campus = Garden City
Programs = International Human Rights Law M.A., LL.M. in International and Comparative Law
free =
website= [http://www.aucegypt.edu/academics/dept/law/Pages/default.aspx www.aucegypt.edu/academics/dept/law] |

The Law Department at the American University in Cairo (AUC) has two graduate legal programs: the Master of Laws (LL.M.) Degree Program in International and Comparative Law, and the Masters of Arts (MA) Degree Program in Human Rights. The Department is located in Cairo, Egypt. Students come from the United States, Europe, and Africa, in addition to Egypt and the Middle East. The language of instruction is English.

Established in September 2005, the department has over 100 students, who participate in regional as well as international moot courts and conferences, such as the [http://www.chr.up.ac.za/moot/ African Human Rights Moot Court] competition and the annual [http://www.lawandsociety.org/ Law and Society] conference. The current chair is Prof. Lama Abu-Odeh, who is visiting from Georgetown University [http://www.law.georgetown.edu/Faculty/FacInfo/tab_faculty.cfm?Status=FullTime&ID=1556] . The former chair was Prof. Chantal Thomas [http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/faculty/bio.cfm?id=230] , who was visiting from Cornell University. Prof. Hani El-Sayed is the director of the LL.M. Program, and Prof. Elna Sondergaard directs the International Human Rights Law Program.

The department is located in central Cairo in the Garden City neighborhood, which also houses many foreign embassies and international NGOs. In the fall 2008 academic year, the law department will move to AUC's main campus, also in downtown Cairo.

LL.M. program

The LL.M. Program at AUC is officially known as the Ibrahim Shihata Memorial LL.M. Degree Program in Comparative & International Law. The Program is named after Dr. Ibrahim Shihata [ [http://www.aucegypt.edu/academics/dept/law/majmin/Pages/default.aspx International Human Rights Law MA and LLM Program Majors & Minors ] ] , who served as General Counsel and Senior Vice President of the World Bank from 1983 to 1998. [cite news
last = Wolfensohn
first = James D.
title = Obituary, Ibrahim Shihata, 1937-2001
publisher = Al-Ahram Weekly
date = 2001-06-07
url = http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2001/537/ec3.htm
accessdate = 2008-28-02 ]

A law degree is required for admission to the program. Students take courses in Legal Practice, Jurisprudence, and Comparative Law in order to graduate, in addition to a series of specialized elective courses taught by both permanent faculty and visiting instructors, generally leading legal practitioners in the area of practice. Typical courses include: Comparative Corporate Governance, Antitrust, Islamic Law reform, International Environmental Law, or Law and Development. [cite web
last =
first =
title = AUC Academic Catalog: International and Comparative Law (LL.M.)
url=http://catalog.aucegypt.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=8&poid=834&bc=1
accessdate = 2008-03-02 ]

International Human Rights Law Program

The law department also has a Masters Degree program in international human rights law. Students take courses in international law, international human rights and humanitarian law. The program offers courses on human rights in the Middle East and on the African System of Human and Peoples' Rights, as well as specialized courses in Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and International Refugee Law. [cite web
last =
first =
title = AUC Academic Catalog: International Human Rights Law (M.A.)
url=http://catalog.aucegypt.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=8&poid=835&bc=1
accessdate = 2008-03-02 ]

The department is known for its links to Harvard Law School in the United States, where several of its faculty members received their degrees. [cite web
last =
first =
title = Law Department Faculty webpage
url=http://www.aucegypt.edu/academics/dept/law/faculty/Pages/default.aspx
accessdate = 2008-03-02 ] Faculty research interests include international trade law and policy, law and development, African human rights law and jurisprudence, cultural relativism and human rights, comparative constitutional law, Islamic jurisprudence, theories of nationalism and self-determination, feminist legal theory, human rights and development policy, international environmental law, and legal history. It has hosted several visiting professors from Harvard, including David Kennedy, Henry Steiner, and Janet Halley. Kennedy serves on the department’s board of advisors, along with Nabil El Araby, a former judge at the International Court of Justice.

References

1. cite web
last =
first =
title = Law Department Programs webpage
url=http://www.aucegypt.edu/academics/dept/law/majmin/Pages/default.aspx
accessdate = 2008-03-02

2. cite news
last = Wolfensohn
first = James D.
title = Obituary, Ibrahim Shihata, 1937-2001
publisher = Al-Ahram Weekly
date = 2001-06-07
url = http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2001/537/ec3.htm
accessdate = 2008-28-02

3. cite web
last =
first =
title = AUC Academic Catalog: International Human Rights Law (M.A.)
url=http://catalog.aucegypt.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=8&poid=835&bc=1
accessdate = 2008-03-02

4. cite web
last =
first =
title = AUC Academic Catalog: International and Comparative Law (LL.M.)
url=http://catalog.aucegypt.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=8&poid=834&bc=1
accessdate = 2008-03-02 5. cite web
last =
first =
title = Law Department Faculty webpage
url=http://www.aucegypt.edu/academics/dept/law/faculty/Pages/default.aspx
accessdate = 2008-03-02

External links

Official Website http://www.aucegypt.edu/academics/dept/law/Pages/default.aspx

ee also

* American University in Cairo
* Human Rights in the Middle East
* Human Rights Education
* International Law
* Comparative Law