Minnesota Journal of International Law

The Minnesota Journal of International Law is a student-led publication at the University of Minnesota Law School. We aspire to be a leader in the multidisciplinary study of international and comparative law. The Journal annually publishes two print volumes and one online edition.

Current Issue

MJIL Blog

The Rise of Nationalism in Sweden and the 2018 General Election

February 16, 2019

Michele C. Perles, Staff Member On September 9th 2018, Sweden had one of the most unique elections in its history. In the highest voter turnout since 1985[1], the Swedish people destabilized their own government by not electing a majority party. One of the driving forces of the result was the rise of the Sweden Democrats, […]

A Primer on Venezuela’s Crisis

February 8, 2019

Scott Hancox, Staff Member Venezuela is currently suffering from a serious economic crisis and humanitarian emergency so dire that it is now being referred to as “the world’s worst economy.”[1] Despite this, there has been confusion regarding the underlying causes of the crisis, exacerbated by Venezuela’s borders which have long appeared opaque to Western sources. […]

Will the U.S.–China Trade War Mitigate in March?

January 29, 2019

Wei Cui, Staff Member The U.S. and China are locked in an escalating trade battle in recent years. Before taking office in 2016, U.S. president Donald Trump has complained about China’s trading practices. [1] In 2017, the U.S. launched an investigation into Chinese trade policies.[2] Last year, the U.S. imposed tariffs on $ 250 billions […]

China Triggers Investigation at WTO over Tariffs Imposed by U.S.

January 29, 2019

Zihan Jiang, Staff Member Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in 2016,  he has complained about China’s trading practice.[1]  In order to solve this problem, President Trump has imposed three rounds of tariffs on Chinese goods, totaling more than $250 billion dollars.[2] The duties covers a wide range of industrial and consumer items.[3] And […]

The USMCA and its Effects on Environmental Protections

December 5, 2018

David Woger, Staff Member After a year of negotiations, President Trump, Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto the President of Mexico, and Justin Trudeau the Prime Minister of Canada have signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). While all three countries have signed the agreement, their comments have […]

A Second Referendum for Britain?

November 26, 2018

By Gillian Gilbert, Staff Member As Brexit negotiations reach critical mass, the possibility of a second referendum on the Britain’s exit from the European Union has re-emerged. In 2016 British citizens voted, by a narrow majority, to leave the European Union.[1] Both the political and economic challenges of leaving the Union have proved daunting during […]

Project Goldcrest, Amazon’s Elaborate Tax Arrangement

November 20, 2018

By Charlie Ryu, Staff Member In 2017, Amazon had a great year; it announced the opening of a second headquarters, inviting numerous biddings from many city governments and officials[1], bought Whole Foods for approximately $14 billion[2], and its stock price grew by 56%[3].[4] However, despite having such a successful year, Amazon paid zero in federal […]

Déjà Vu? Argentina Is on Track to Default . . . Again

November 13, 2018

By Lindsey Schwalbach, Staff Member In the last twenty years a number of prominent sovereigns have defaulted, including most notably Argentina in 2001-2002 and 2014[1], Greece in 2012[2] and 2014[3], and Venezuela[4] and Puerto Rico[5] in 2017. Argentina is obviously no stranger to the sovereign debt restructuring process.[6] Since the year 2000, Argentina has defaulted […]

Advancing Primary Health Care Through The Astana Declaration

November 5, 2018

By Caroline Sell, Staff Member This October 2018, world leaders and stakeholders gathered to reaffirm the principles of the Declaration of Alma-Ata through the Astana Declaration on Primary Health Care.[1] Led by a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO), under the direction of Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the United Nations Children’s Fund […]

The Demise of the International War on Drugs

November 1, 2018

By Sam Horowitz, Staff Member On October 17, 2018, the Cannabis Act came into effect in Canada and recreational marijuana became legal.[1] Canada became the second country in the world—after Uruguay—and the only country in the G20 to legalize the drug.[2] Half a century and hundreds of billions of dollars into the war on drugs,[3] […]