LAW 477P - Global Corruption Law Practicum

Corruption in government, politics, business, sports, academia, and other aspects of life are front-page news around the world and, with regularity, in the United States and other countries.At the same time, international and national anti-corruption legal frameworks, with varying degrees of scope and effectiveness, have become increasingly prevalent around the world, and governments in multiple countries have shown greater willingness to cooperate in the operation and implementation of those frameworks.

Using the lens of leading international anti-corruption conventions pertaining to preventive measures, criminalization, international cooperation, and asset recovery, this course will explore the meaning, causes, and consequences of corruption; corruption in action in public procurement and various industries; examples of domestic-corruption offenses and enforcement measures; the relationship between corruption, money laundering, kleptocracy, and beneficial ownership transparency; and private-sector anti-corruption ethics and compliance programs. It will emphasize current information and issues of concern in the practice of anti-corruption law, and will periodically feature speakers from government, law firms, and non-profit entities.

As this is a practicum course, the principal project in which students will participate is the drafting of written guidance, in the form of one or more white papers, for the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). CIPE is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that is actively supporting the Government of Sudan in its effort to develop a national anti-corruption framework, through implementation of an anti-corruption commission, revisions of relevant laws, and preventive measures with reference to its commitments as a State Party to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).This guidance may be published on the Sudan Anti-corruption Resource Center website and, as circumstances permit, students may also have an opportunity to present their findings and recommendations remotely to representatives of Sudanese government agencies and private-sector entities.

The course will therefore use Sudan, and the anti-corruption issues it presents, as a recurring point of reference and discussion in multiple classes, including development and drafting of the written guidance.The professors will also set deadlines during the semester for the preparation of outlines and drafts of the guidance. Credits: 5. Boswell & Rusch This course will satisfy the “actual practice” graduation requirement. Restricted to 3L students only.