Spring 2026
Professor(s):
Elizabeth Trujillo (FACULTY)
Credits: 3
Course Areas: International Law
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law
Time: 2:30p-4:00p TTH Location:
Course Outline: This course introduces students to basic legal principles of international trade and its relevance to economic development and sustainability principles. The course provides historical and comparative perspectives on sustainability principles and how they have evolved into trade and economic policy. Students will review U.S. trade law and policy and its connection to the international trade rules established through the GATT, the World Trade Organization, and relevant regional trade agreements. As countries begin to transition their economies towards clean methods of supply-chain production and clean energy, international trade rules become increasingly relevant to business practices. Local and global aspects of sustainable development will be discussed as well as related topics of dispute settlement, supply-chain management, corporate social responsibility and international standards, border tax adjustments, tariff and non-tariff policies, digitalization and technology, human rights, and energy policy.
This course will have a final take-home exam.
No pre-requisites are required to take this course.
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Course Syllabus:
Course Notes: (Synchronous Online) The UH registration system instruction mode for this course is listed in parenthesis. Contrary to the UH information, some student materials may not be available online, such as an assigned casebook. A physical classroom may be assigned for this course to give students a location in the Law Center to join the virtual class sessions. If the course has a final examination, the final and any other assessment for the course, such as a mid-term exam, will be conducted without the need to physically come to the Law Center, such as, for example, via the EBB portal as a take home exam or under remote proctoring.
Quota=20.
Prerequisites:
First Day Assignments:
Final Exam Schedule:
This course will have:
Exam:
Paper:
Satisfies Senior Upper Level Writing Requirement: No
Experiential Course Type: No
Bar Course: No
DistanceEd ABA: Yes
Pass-Fail Student Election: Unavailable (Instructor Preference)
Course Materials
Book(s) Required
Course Materials: The Sustainability Revolution in International Trade Agreements, Des. By Geraldo Vidigal and Kathleen Claussen (Oxford University Press) (print or ebook);Pursuing Sustainability: A Guide to the Science and Practice by Pamela Matson, William C. Clark, and Krister Andersson (print or ebook); Online book, International Trade Law for a System in Crisis E-book by Gao, Hillman, Lamp and Pauwelyn
The Sustainability Revolution in International Trade Agreements
Pursuing Sustainability
International Trade Law for a System in Crisis. Note from professor: They may need to join The Beyond Trade Network to access the book. They can use my name and state the name of the course and the university of Houston Law Center. It should be a free access.