LLM International Sale of Goods

This course will address the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (the Vienna Convention ). The rules of the Convention, to which more than eighty States adhere (including the U.S.), govern a great number of export/import transactions involving American parties. The seminar is designed to familiarize students with these rules and their application to specific aspects of international sales contracts, such as contract formation, remedies and allocation of risk. The discussion also will address the broader ramifications of the Vienna Convention. Topics of this nature include an assessment of fundamental problems, such as uniform interpretation, that are inherent in every effort to unify or harmonize legal rules. The course will also familiarize students with the standard mechanisms for international payments, including letters of credit and documentary collections.