Foreign and Comparative Law Webinars
This page includes information about webinars regarding foreign, comparative, and international law issues, focusing particularly on those researched by the foreign law experts at the Law Library and the Law Library collections that support this work.
Foreign and Comparative Law Webinar Series
The Foreign and Comparative Law Webinar Series of classes is designed to shed light on some of the foreign, comparative, and international law issues researched by the foreign law experts at the Law Library of Congress.
Upcoming Webinars:
Legal Education in Eastern Africa
In this session, guest speaker Judy Wairimu Ng'ang'a, library assistant at the Kenya School of Law, will discuss the role of law librarians in enhancing access to and effective use of Kenyan legal information. The session will examine key tools, digital platforms, and best practices that support the discovery and use of legal resources, and will highlight the contribution of law librarians to legal information literacy and advancement of quality legal education and research.
January 29th, 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
To sign up for this webinar, please visit this registration page.
The European Convention on Human Rights at 75+ - Toothless Tiger or Effective Enforcer?
November 4, 2025, marked 75 years since the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) opened for signature. In this presentation, foreign law specialists Jenny Gesley and Elin Hofverberg will discuss its legacy. The webinar will provide a brief overview of the rights protected in the ECHR and how they have evolved over time. It will highlight specific cases and interpretations of the rights by the European Court of Human Rights and how the execution of decisions is supervised. Concrete examples will be shared to illustrate the ECHR’s impact, or lack thereof, on national law and policy and to address issues that sometimes arise with regard to the execution of judgments, such as noncompliance, delays in executing decisions, and inadequate implementation.
Feburary 26, 2026, 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
To sign up for this webinar, please visit this registration page.
Future Webinars
Role of Legislative Bodies in Arab League Member States: Comparative Overview
March 26, 2026, 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
In this webinar, foreign law specialist George Sadek will discuss the Arab League, founded in Cairo on March 22, 1945, with seven members and now comprising 22 states. The session will outline the League's purpose, membership, headquarters, Secretary General, and charter. It will identify the bicameral or unicameral legislatures of member states, explain how parliamentarians are elected or appointed and their eligibility requirements, and analyze legislative processes across the region, including in states with suspended legislatures such as Kuwait and in conflict affected countries such as Yemen, Libya, and Syria.
Nationality, Borders, and Stability: A Historical Legal Analysis of Citizenship in the Democratic Republic of Congo
April 23, 2026, 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Citizenship law in the Democratic Republic of Congo lies at the intersection of borders, identity, and conflict. In this presentation, foreign law specialist Louis Gilbert will trace the legal construction of Congolese nationality from the colonial period to the present, with particular attention to the North Kivu region, and examines how successive governments have used citizenship law to regulate territory, population, and political authority. He will explore how nationality law continues to function as a structural driver of conflict in eastern Congo and how citizenship is not merely a status but a legal instrument with far-reaching security implications.
Parliamentary Rules and Sanctions for Language/Behavior in New Zealand and Australia
May 28, 2026, 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
During the past two years, several members of parliament in Australia and New Zealand have faced sanctions for their behavior in the debating chamber. In particular, there have been suspensions handed down for performing a haka in the New Zealand Parliament and for wearing a burqa in the Australian Senate. Foreign law specialist Kelly Buchanan will outline the rules that regulate the conduct of members of the two national parliaments and how they are enforced, including their application in these two cases.
Regulation of Internet Shutdowns in India and Pakistan
June 25, 2026, 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Foreign law specialist Tariq Ahmad will discuss in a comparative format how India and Pakistan regulate government actions to shut down the internet. The session will examine the relevant legal frameworks, judicial responses, and the impacts and human rights implications associated with shutdown measures in both countries.
Finding Laws of Pakistan Online
July 16, 2026, 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Eurasia: Development of Legal Framework
August 27, 2026, 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
In this webinar, legal research analyst Iana Fremer and foreign law specialist Peter Roudik will discuss legal models introduced in select Eurasian countries (e.g., Albania, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine) to regulate the development and use of artificial intelligence, particularly in public administration and critical infrastructure. The session will review different methods of AI regulation that reflect national approaches to digital transformation, institutional capacities, and enforcement practices. It will also analyze regulatory frameworks adopted in the surveyed jurisdictions, including statute based government control systems, digital governance, and sectoral regulation, in order to assess broader regional trends in regulating the application of generative AI models.
Legal Developments Ahead of the Upcoming Israeli National Election
September 24, 2026, 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
October 27, 2026, is the date set for Israel's next national election, unless an earlier vote is triggered by a no confidence motion in the Knesset. In this presentation, foreign law specialist Ruth Levush will discuss the legal developments unfolding in the lead up to the election. The webinar will examine government efforts to advance legislation regulating the appointment of an investigative commission tasked with reviewing the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the subsequent war. It will also address the continuation of legal reforms introduced after the government’s inauguration, reforms that affect the status and relationship among the branches of government and that have been the subject of public debate. Concrete examples will be provided to illustrate how these initiatives function and to identify issues that have arisen in their implementation.
Digging In: Regulation of Mineral Excavation and Local Self-Determination in the Nordics
October 29, 2026, 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
The Nordic countries hold significant deposits of rare earth minerals. In this session, foreign law specialist Elin Hofverberg will discuss how mineral excavation is regulated in the Nordics and how it relates to local self-determination. The webinar will compare legislation and regulatory approaches across the region and highlight relevant court decisions, including on the right of the local population and indigenous people to be consulted on or veto the establishment and expansion of mines.
Migration Trends in Key Latin American Jurisdictions: A Legal Perspective
November 12, 2026, 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Migration flows in the Western Hemisphere have intensified in recent years, leading several Latin American countries to adopt pertinent legal frameworks and policy responses. In this presentation, foreign law specialists Stephania Alvarez and Gustavo Guerra provide an overview of recent legal and policy trends that some Latin American nations have implemented at the national and in some cases regional levels to manage migration flows.
Download full 2026 Foreign and Comparative Law Webinar schedule