Postgraduate Module Descriptor

LAWM084: International Commercial Arbitration

This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.

Module Aims

The module will provide you with a summary of the evolution of arbitration from a rudimentary alternative to the lengthy delays and expense that increasingly characterize urban civil litigation, to a dispute resolution mechanism that has its own qualities, tradition and benefits, all intended to operate efficiently in virtually any location in the world. You will gain insights into the history and progress of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)—which arbitration and mediation dominate and the many varied research topics that are both instructive and timely. And you will learn of the pivotal role that ADR plays in the resolution of disputes involving Free Trade Agreements and Bilateral Investment Treaties and other international trade agreements.

Employment opportunities are most frequently found at major law firms, most large corporations, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Government bodies such as (in the U.S.) the Office of the Trade Representative, The Department of State and the Department of Commerce and international organizations like the EU, WTO. They all have a requirement for arbitral expertise as do the multiple Institutional Providers (e.g., the AmericanArbitrationAssociation-InternationalCenter for Dispute Resolution—AAA ICDR, which is headquartered in Dublin). Most of these organizations offer internships which provide an interesting means of gaining experience in an intriguing international legal/business area.  

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. demonstrate deep, systematic knowledge and understanding of the practice of international Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and its major components—mediation and arbitration.
2. undertake complex critical evaluation of the main legal rules and procedures relevant to international arbitral practice using specialist literature and research.
3. compare and analyse the principal rules relating to international arbitration competently and independently.
Discipline-Specific Skills4. demonstrate detailed and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of legal concepts and critical awareness of their social and political implications.
5. apply detailed and comprehensive legal knowledge to hypothetical case studies and to argue alternative approaches and innovative solutions persuasively.
6. integrate and assess complex information from primary and secondary legal sources by using appropriate interpretative techniques.
Personal and Key Skills7. interact effectively and proactively within a learning group to share information and ideas and to manage conflict in a positive manner.
8. confidently manage relevant learning resources, information and strategies and to develop your own opinions at a high professional level.
9. effectively communicate and engage in oral and written debate in a manner appropriate to the discipline.