Graduate Certificate in International Law

Georgia Law hosts third annual International Law Hackathon, led by Professor Jonathan Peters

The University of Georgia School of Law hosted its third annual International Law Hackathon, led by Jonathan Peters, a media law scholar and the head of UGA’s Department of Journalism in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Peters also holds a courtesy faculty appointment in the law school.

The International Law Hackathon is a one-credit course offered for J.D., LL.M, and graduate students participating in the Graduate Certificate in International Law. This year’s Hackathon focused on social media and the implications of privately governing speech in a globally networked society. Over the span of six weeks, students discussed content moderation and free speech principles, as well as the biggest content challenges that platforms are confronting, such as misinformation and disinformation, bullying and harassment, depictions of violence, and sexual exploitation and abuse.

The Hackathon concluded Saturday, February 15th with student presentations on the challenges posed by regulating speech on social media platforms. Then, working in groups, students proposed updates to General Comment No. 34 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) drafted by the United Nations Human Rights Committee. (General Comment No. 34 is an interpretive commentary on the ICCPR provision guaranteeing the freedoms of opinion and expression.) Each group delivered a presentation to a panel of judges outlining the proposed updates and how the changes would impact social media.

This year’s winning team included Zulma Perez (LL.M. ’25) and Brandtley Grace Vickery (J.D. ’25). Their proposal focused on how to reduce the presence of hate speech on YouTube.

The panel of judges included: John B. Meixner, Assistant Professor of Law; Clare R. Norins, Clinical Associate Professor & First Amendment Clinic Director; and Christina Lee, a Legal Fellow in the First Amendment Clinic.

Coursework to begin for 2025 cohort of students seeking Graduate Certificate in International Law

The start of the spring 2025 semester this week marks the arrival of the fourth cohort of Graduate Certificate in International Law students here at the University of Georgia School of Law.

Administered through Georgia Law’s Dean Rusk International Law Center, postgraduate students from other disciplines within the university will earn this academic certificate following their successful completion, in classes alongside J.D., LL.M., and M.S.L. students, of fifteen credit hours chosen from among the law school’s rich comparative, transnational, and international law curriculum.

Joining the law school’s first previous cohorts (introduced here, here, and here), this fourth class of six students includes:

  • Mari Diaz: Master of International Policy student, School of Public and International Affairs
  • Ben Enyetornye: Ph.D. student in Comparative Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Md. Asaduzzaman (“Asad”) Jabin: Ph.D. student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
  • Kobi Korankye: Ph.D. student in Philosophy, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
  • Beatrice Robson: Ph.D. student in Agricultural and Applied Economics, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
  • Uyiosa (“Uyi”) Ugiagbe: Ph.D. student in Mathematics Education, Mary Frances Early College of Education

All information about the Graduate Certificate in International Law, including upcoming application cycles and virtual information sessions, can be found here.

UGA Law coursework to begin for new cohort of students seeking Graduate Certificate in International Law

The start of the spring 2024 semester next week marks the arrival of the third cohort of Graduate Certificate in International Law students here at the University of Georgia School of Law.

Administered through UGA Law’s Dean Rusk International Law Center, postgraduate students from other disciplines within the university will earn this academic certificate following their successful completion, in classes alongside J.D., LL.M., and M.L.S. students, of fifteen credit hours chosen from among the law school’s rich comparative, transnational, and international law curriculum; courses include Public International Law, International Human Rights, International Trade Law, Immigration Law, International Law Colloquium, and Global Governance.

Joining the law school’s first two cohorts (introduced here and here), this third class of seven students includes:

Five doctoral students, including: Madina Bekisheva and Elizabeth Stark, both a Ph.D. students in the School of Public and International Affairs studying Political Science and International Affairs; Nathanael Mickelson and Hao Yang, both Ph.D. students in the Franklin College of Arts & Sciences, studying History and Geography, respectively; and Anastasia Marx, a Ph.D. student in the School of Engineering, studying Biomedical Engineering.

Two master’s students, including: Emilio Suarez Romero, a graduate student in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who is pursuing a Master of Science in Horticulture, and Michael Williams, a graduate student in the School of Public and International Affairs, who is pursuing a Masters of Public Administration.

All information about the Graduate Certificate in International Law, including upcoming application cycles and upcoming virtual information sessions, can be found here.