This advanced, practice-focused seminar examines the extraterritorial application of U.S. law—how and when U.S. statutes, regulations, and enforcement actions extend beyond national borders to regulate foreign conduct, multinational corporations, and global markets.
The course focuses on how lawyers advise clients operating internationally in the face of overlapping and sometimes conflicting legal regimes. Students will analyze key doctrines such as the presumption against extraterritoriality, jurisdictional limits under international law, and enforcement mechanisms used by U.S. regulators. The seminar also explores major regulatory areas with extraterritorial reach, including securities law, antitrust, anti-corruption, sanctions, export controls, and environmental law.
The course treats extraterritoriality as a core strategic issue in global legal practice, where legal doctrine, geopolitical considerations, and business realities intersect. Students will develop practical skills in risk assessment, compliance structuring, and cross-border dispute strategy.
This course assumes prior study of constitutional law, international law, or administrative law.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
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Analyze when and how U.S. laws apply extraterritorially.
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Interpret the presumption against extraterritoriality.
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Evaluate jurisdictional bases under U.S. and international law.
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Identify compliance risks for multinational clients.
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Understand enforcement tools used by U.S. regulators.
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Analyze conflicts between U.S. and foreign legal regimes.
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Structure transactions to mitigate extraterritorial risk.
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Evaluate litigation strategies in cross-border disputes.
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Advise clients on regulatory exposure.
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Develop practical legal strategies for global operations.
