Fall 2021
International and Comparative Law news and scholarship
Message from the Associate Dean
Andrew Torrance
Greetings from the University of Kansas School of Law and the International & Comparative Law Program, eh?

I am honored to step into my new role as Associate Dean of Graduate and International Law. Virginia Harper Ho has done an excellent job building up the program. While we are excited by the wonderful new opportunities Professor Harper Ho has chosen to pursue as a law professor in Hong Kong, the international and comparative law program at KU will sorely miss her leadership. I look forward to building on her solid foundations and making my contributions.

I, myself, am international - a Canadian from Toronto. This helps me anticipate some of the challenges our international graduate students face when coming to KU Law to study. For example, I can help them navigate issues like whether to call a Sprite a “soda,” “soft-drink,” “tonic,” “Coke” or “pop.”

A poorly kept secret is that I’ve taught Biodiversity Law in the Virgin Islands (U.S. and British) for a decade and a half, taking KU Law students out of the country to learn about international and comparative environmental law. I love teaching this class, which takes place during January, and I look forward to offering it again as soon as the pandemic allows.

The last few semesters have held challenges never before experienced in our program’s history, and my hope is there is light at the end of the tunnel. The rise of vaccinations around the world makes this seem more possible every day.

In this edition of our International & Comparative Law newsletter, you’ll learn about visiting scholars and their work; virtual workshops conducted with our international partners; an S.J.D. scholar’s achievements; degrees for international students; recent research; faculty service; alumni news and more.  

Kind regards,

Andrew Torrance
Professor and Associate Dean, 
Graduate and International Law 
International and Comparative Law Faculty

Numerous KU Law faculty are involved in international and comparative law, including:
KU Law welcomes visiting scholars from Uzbekistan and Turkey
Sardorbek Yusupov
Hilal Lale Ayhan Izmirli
The University of Kansas School of Law regularly hosts visiting scholars from around the world. These scholars are warmly welcomed and integrated into the life of the law school.

Sardorbek Yusupov is a legal scholar and law professor from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Yusupov is participating in KU Law’s Overseas Visiting Scholars Program this fall as a fellow in the Faculty Enrichment Program administered by the American Councils for International Education. Read more

Hilal Lale Ayhan Izmirli is a law professor from Ankara, Turkey. Ayhan Izmirli is the second participant in KU Law’s Overseas Visiting Scholar Program this fall. During her time in Lawrence, Ayhan Izmirli will continue her research on the legal aspects of international countertrade. Read more 
KU Law and UCR alternative dispute resolution teaching workshop via Zoom
KU Law hosts alternative dispute resolution and business law workshops with University of Costa Rica
The University of Kansas School of Law and the University of Costa Rica hosted an alternative dispute resolution teaching workshop on October 1. The institutions are long-standing international partners.


Moderators
 
Presenters

The University of Kansas School of Law and the University of Costa Rica hosted a workshop on oral advocacy and moot court last spring.
Casad Lecture: Save the date
Aerial view of Lawrence campus
The Casad lecture series is named in honor of Professor Emeritus Robert C. Casad, who joined the faculty at the KU School of Law in 1959 and is internationally known for his scholarship in comparative civil procedure. He retired from classroom teaching in 1997 and continues to conduct research and publish books and articles.

Professor Jens Woelk, of the University of Trento (Italy) and the multinational Institute for Comparative Federalism, will present the 2022 Robert C. Casad Comparative Law Lecture. His lecture will draw from his specializations in federalism and comparative constitutional law. The lecture will take place during the week of April 18-22. More information will be available on the Lectures & Conferences page of the KU Law website.
Virginia Harper Ho lecturing
Fall 2021 events
KU Law hosted several events related to international and comparative law during fall 2021, encouraging students to learn, connect and expand their horizons.

  • Welcome Back Picnic with International Law Society and Energy & Environmental Law Society, Thursday, August 26
  • International Law Society Opening Meeting, Tuesday, August 31
  • Jessup International Law Moot Court Information Meeting, Thursday, September 2 
  • Professor John Head presented Crisis and Change in World Agriculture, Tuesday, September 14 
  • Professor Raj Bhala presented Current Events in Afghanistan, Thursday, September 16 
  • Professor Virginia Harper Ho hosted Hong Kong and U.S.-China Relations Discussion, Tuesday, October 5
  • Professor John Head presented Climate Crisis Update: Assessment, Advocacy, Action, Tuesday, October 26
  • Career Opportunities in International Law and Business, Tuesday, November 2 
Bander Almohammadi presenting his paper on The SPS Agreement and Climate Change via Zoom
S.J.D. scholar honored by professionals and peers
Bander Almohammadi is an international scholar from Saudi Arabia and an S.J.D. candidate at KU Law.

Almohammadi was chosen to present his paper titled “The SPS Agreement and Climate Change” at the American Society of Comparative Law’s Young Comparativists (YCC) Conference on October 23. The virtual conference was hosted by University of Wisconsin Law School.

Almohammadi's paper titled “Liability in Partnerships: A Comparative Analysis of American Common Law and Islamic Law,” was recently published by the Manchester Journal of Transitional Law & Practice. Almohammadi participated as a panelist at the KU International Affairs Advisory Board Spring 2021 Meeting, where he responded to inquiries about his international studies.

The University of Kansas School of Law is one of the few law schools in the United States to offer a Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.), a research doctorate in law. The S.J.D. program is designed for students interested in deep legal research and writing, and a career as a legal scholar or a senior public official.

Almohammadi’s peers in the KU Student Senate recently selected him to serve as the chair of the Legal Services for Students Advisory Board.
A group of international students with Professor Raj Bhala in the KU Law courtroom
Degrees for international students at KU Law
The University of Kansas School of Law offers a first-class program in international and comparative law. At its core is a menu of courses in the areas most relevant to practice around the world, including international business and commercial law, intellectual property law, environmental law and international dispute resolution.

KU Law offers four degree programs, including the J.D., Two-Year J.D. for Foreign-Trained Lawyers, LL.M. in American Legal Studies, and Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.).

The law school offers a Legal English Program for entering international students through KU's Applied English Center. The four-week summer program helps students prepare for law school.

Interested in learning more about the international and comparative law program at KU? Join the virtual information session hosted by admissions on December 2.

Learn about the programs in our multilingual brochure:

Degree program information is available on the KU Law website:
Faculty notes
Raj Bhala, Brenneisen Distinguished Professor, is an active scholar, researcher and expert in international and comparative law. Bhala is the author of the four-volume International Trade Law: A Comprehensive Textbook; the first treatise on GATT in nearly 50 years, Modern GATT Law; and a textbook on Islamic Law, Understanding Islamic Law (Sharī'a). Bhala writes a monthly "On Point" column, which is published by BloombergQuint (Mumbai). Bhala's recent work in international and comparative law includes:

  • Bhala was invited to serve on the Council on Foreign Relations Advisory Committee on Reforming the Rules on International Subsidies. Bhala will work on a "Council Special Report" on international subsidies reform. This report will discuss the potential clash between the (1) need to rein in China’s unique, state-led economic model that has been built on the back of substantial, largely undisciplined subsidies and (2) demand for significant new government spending in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere to address infrastructure needs, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Bhala joined a panel of esteemed contributors for a look at China’s role in Asia through economic, political-cultural, and military lenses on October 19. The event was hosted by the International Relations Council, the KU Center for East Asian Studies, and the World Trade Center-Kansas City. This local panel broadcast was followed by a national webcast of the 2021 CHINA Town Hall.
  • Bhala spoke as a panelist at the Trade Remedies Update (2) hosted by Inter-Pacific Bar Association in September 2021. Panelists discussed the recent developments in the world of trade remedies with new, heightened challenges brought on by COVID-19.
  • In June 2021, Bhala lectured as a distinguished speaker on "Historical Evolution of GATT and WTO" at the 19th Summer Course on International Law hosted by the Indian Society of International Law.
  • At the University of Kansas, Bhala presented “What Afghanistan Are We Looking At Over the Next Decade?” Sponsored by the Dwight D. Eisenhower International Law Society, the presentation took place in September 2021.
  • Bhala and KU Law graduate Eric Witmer co-wrote the peer-reviewed article “Pragmatic Literary Theories and WTO Treaty Interpretation” appearing in the Journal of World Trade.
  • In April 2021, Bhala contributed the lead article “Special Symposium on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement: Britain’s Brexit Deal Debacle” in the Manchester Journal of International Economic Law.
  • Media appearances:
  1. Mark Shklov, Afghanistan Journey ... What's At The End Of The Tunnel?, Think Tech Hawaii, August 2, 2021
  2. Lee, Hee-eun, Korean New Deal 2.0 – The Republic of Korea, A Country That Builds Future, Arirang TV – Seoul, Korea, July 21, 2021
  3. Mike Krings, Study: Brexit Was “Historic Debacle” in Which the U.K. Failed to Protect its Interests, KU Today, June 9, 2021
  4. Marta Mladenova, The Disaster in India – Shortage of Medicines, and Oxygen in the “Pharmacy of the World,” BULGARIAN NATIONAL RADIO (Horizon Channel), May 15, 2021
  • Bhala writes “On Point,” a regular analysis of international law and economics for BloombergQuint, based in Mumbai, India. His Bloomberg Quint columns are distributed to 6.2 million readers worldwide, plus an additional 400,000 through Bloomberg's financial market trading terminals. Recent articles include:
  1. "China in WTO at 20: Lessons for India and the world" June 30, 2021
  2. "What Afghanistan are we looking at over the next decade?" July 28, 2021
  3. "America fires a warning shot on currency manipulation" August 30, 2021
  4. "The forever Chinese-American trade war we're all stuck in" October 6, 2021
  5. "Miniature trade deals won't serve India's interests" November 1, 2021
Christopher R. Drahozal is the John M. Rounds Professor of Law at KU. Drahozal is the author of multiple books and numerous articles on commercial arbitration. He has given presentations on the subject in Europe, Asia, South America, Canada, Mexico and the United States, and has testified before Congress and state legislatures on arbitration matters as well. His recent work in international and comparative law includes: 

  • Drahozal, along with co-reporters, is finishing “Restatement of the U.S. Law of International Commercial and Investor-State Arbitration,” to be published by the American Law Institute in 2022.
  • Drahozal is working on a project with “Mediation and Arbitration for Resolving Disputes,” in Tbilisi, Georgia, on possible reforms to Georgian law governing consumer arbitration.
Virginia Harper Ho is a Professor of Law, the past Associate Dean for International & Comparative Law, and a past Docking Faculty Scholar. She was named as an Earl B. Shurtz Research Professor in 2019. Her research focuses on the intersections of corporate governance, sustainability and finance from a comparative perspective. Her recent work in international and comparative law includes:

  • Harper Ho joined a panel of experts on October 19 for a virtual discussion on "Foreign Direct Investment & U.S.-China Relations. The event was hosted by the University of Tennessee and followed a national webcast of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, U.S.-China Relations' 2021 CHINA Town Hall.
  • In October, Harper Ho made two presentations at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Comparative Law hosted by the University of Wisconsin School of Law (online), whose theme was “Internationalization of Comparative Law”:
  • “Board Duties: Monitoring, Risk Management & Compliance,” American Society of Comparative Law Annual Meeting, University of Wisconsin School of Law, Oct. 21, 2021. This was based on Harper Ho’s contribution to Handbook of Comparative Corporate Governance (2021).
  • “Transnational Network Innovation & Sustainable Finance: Implications for Comparative Law,” American Society of Comparative Law Annual Meeting, University of Wisconsin School of Law, Oct. 21, 2021.
John Head is the Robert W. Wagstaff Distinguished Professor at KU Law. He serves as faculty advisor for both the International Law Society and the Jessup international law moot court team. His scholarly books and articles focus mainly on international and comparative law, with emphasis on the legal aspects of international business, international environmental protection and international economic relations. His recent work in international and comparative law includes:

  • Head completed a book chapter slated for publication in late 2021 on Chinese law and morality.
  • Head has been involved in professional exchanges (including marketing & publicity efforts) relating to his most recent book – DEEP AGROECOLOGY AND THE HOMERIC EPICS: GLOBAL CULTURAL REFORM FOR A NATURAL SYSTEMS AGRICULTURE (Routledge, Earthscan Food & Agriculture Series, 2021). This is “Book #4” in a four-book series examining legal, institutional, and cultural aspects of transforming global agriculture.
  • Head finished teaching a transnational Comparative Law course based out of Istanbul and involving students mainly from Turkey and Cyprus, with faculty “coming” (remotely) from Germany, the UK, Turkey, and the U.S.
  • Head engaged in summer research revolving around international legal and institutional reforms on environmental issues, including climate change.
  • Head continued building the “GRP Team” for the Global RESTORATION Project he founded last year with several colleagues.
  • Head co-authored a law journal article on Canada-U.S. cooperative structures for ecological reform, which has been accepted for publication (in early 2022) by the Kansas Law Review.
  • Head continued collaboration with The Land Institute, with special attention to international issues.
  • Head hosted two “open discussions.” The first in September 2021 on "Crisis and Change in World Agriculture." The second in October 2021 on "Climate Crisis Update: Assessment, Advocacy, Action." Both were presented as special class sessions in Head’s course on Global Challenges in Law, Agriculture, Development, and Ecology. Special invitations were extended to participants in the “International Scholars and Students Initiative,” which Head founded in 2019.
Uma Outka works at the intersection of energy law and environmental law. Her scholarship explores the legal context for energy transition, with particular interests in energy and environmental justice, renewable energy, electricity regulation, and decarbonization of the electric grid. Outka's recent work in international and comparative law includes:

  • Outka is one of 80 invited members of the Scotia Group, a UK-based international network of leaders in politics, academia, law, and business who have convened for a series of dialogues during 2021 to contribute to the success of international climate action at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, Scotland. The Scotia Group COP26 Dialogues were organized in partnership with the University of Oxford, University St. Andrews, Harvard University, MIT, the Transatlantic Leadership Network, the Alan Turing Institute, and the International Bar Association. In this role, Outka has been a participant in the public dialogues and members-only majlis dialogues and has been asked to serve as a mentor to Scotia Fellows, who are leaders for climate action from across the globe under the age of 35.
  • Outka delivered a guest lecture in April 2021 to the Energy Law Institute and Centre for Commercial Law Studies at the Queen Mary University of London on the topic of “Law and Renewable Energy in the Critical Decade.”
  • Outka has two forthcoming chapters in international volumes:
  • "Ethical Drivers in the Renewable Energy Transition" is forthcoming in the Research Handbook on Energy Law and Ethics (edited by UK-based scholars) (Dahlan/Lastra eds., Edward Elgar 2022).
  • "Energy Communities in the U.S. and the EU" with Annalisa Savaresi (Stirling, UK) is forthcoming in the De Gruyter Handbook of Energy Law in the Low-Carbon Transition (edited by scholars based in Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and the US) (Bellantuono et al. eds., De Gruyter 2022).
Alumni news in international and comparative law
Rosemary O’Leary, L’81, published a co-authored short book with Cambridge University Press: Retrofitting Collaboration Into the New Public Management: Evidence from New Zealand. O’Leary is a distinguished professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at KU.  

Luis Gomar, L’05, joined Paul Hastings LLP in Houston as a partner. Gomar’s area of expertise is domestic and international energy transactions. He was previously at Baker McKenzie.

Cody Wood, L'17, was promoted to managing associate at Dentons US LLP. He is a member of the firm's federal regulatory and compliance practice. Wood recently worked with Professor Raj Bhala on a remote CLE presentation to in-house corporate counsel titled, "International Trade Law and Policy in the New American Administration: What's Changed, What's Not, and What to Expect?" The presentation attracted 650 registrants.

Joshua DeMoss, L’17, joined the Foreign Agricultural Service as a foreign service officer trainee. DeMoss will cover the Asia Pacific region during training until his first post abroad.

Report your alumni news and update your contact and employment information at law.ku.edu/keep-touch. Have a story of interest to fellow alumni? Contact Margaret Hair at mhair@ku.edu.