The Law of Peace

This course introduces peace as foundational to the study and practice of law. What is peace? Is there a right to peace? What are the roots of positive peace and how do wars end? What lessons should we learn from successful peace movements? Drawing from history, law, and peace studies, this course examines the concept of peace through law. Part I considers the historical and theoretical origins of the concept of peace in law in the ancient world, drawing from Egyptian, Greek, Persian and Roman law and philosophy. Part II examines peace and law in the world today, studying the relevant sources of law and institutions tasked with its promotion. Students will learn about the United Nations’s role in advancing peace and the relevant treaties and sources of international law, international humanitarian law, and human rights law that guide this work. Part III looks to the future and the creation of a globally inclusive agenda for peace, engaging with relevant scholarly discourses from TWAIL, feminist, decolonial and other perspectives. 

This course is designed to develop students’ expertise as a scholars and writers. Students will develop a historically informed and conceptually rich research paper on the role and relationship between peace and law that satisfies the UCLA Law School SAW Requirement. Students will have opportunities to workshop drafts and engage in peer-feedback.