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 Reasons of the Emerge of Personal Bankruptcy Regulation in China

March 5, 2022

By Olivia Dai Among the world’s top ten economies (2018), only China mainland, Brazil, and China’s Macao region used to not have personal bankruptcy systems.[1] But Shenzhen, a Special Economic Zone of China mainland first provides legal rescue for honest but unfortunate individual bankrupts by enacting the Personal Bankruptcy Regulation of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone […]

Everybody loses when the East feuds: Trade Ramifications from the Escalating Russo Ukrainian Conflict

February 17, 2022

By Maleah L. Riley-Brown After nearly 8 years of conflict, it has been alleged by American forces that Vladimir Putin has mounted troops along the Russian-Ukrainian border and is preparing to invade Ukraine at a moment’s notice.[1] The potential issues that would result should Russia make good on the globe’s fear will not only trigger […]

You Don’t Have to Go Home, But You Can’t Stay Here: How the U.S.’s Remain in Mexico Protocol Violates the Convention Against Torture

February 12, 2022

By Lexie Robinson The Migrant Protection Protocols (known as the ‘Remain in Mexico’ protocol) “authorizes the Government to return certain third-country nationals arriving in the United States to Mexico or Canada for the duration of their removal proceedings.”[1] This means that asylum seekers traveling through Mexico from other countries can be sent to border cities […]

The Implications of the Rwandan Government Sentencing Paul Rusesabagina, Who Saved 1,268 People During the Rwandan Genocide, to Prison on Terrorism Charges

February 1, 2022

By Min Ji Kim Over a span of 100 days in 1994, an estimated 800,000 to one million people were slaughtered during the Rwandan Genocide.[1] The genocide arose from hundreds of years of conflict between the Hutus and the Tutsis, two ethnic groups of Rwanda, exacerbated by Belgian and German colonial rule.[2] The killings ceased […]

I Don’t Know About You, But Merging Companies Might Not Be Feelin’ 22

January 4, 2022

By Hattie Van Metre Merging companies are facing higher scrutiny from the European Union’s competition regulatory body, creating uncertainty for transactions that might have otherwise escaped review. In September 2020, Commissioner Margrethe Vestager of the European Commission (“EC”)[1] announced that the EC would begin evaluating mergers “worth reviewing at the EU level” based on referrals […]

An Evolving Regulatory Framework For Microtransactions: Loot Boxes and Gacha Games

December 4, 2021

By Noah C. Hummel-Hall Video games are now an inextricable part of the modern American social fabric.  Nearly 227 million Americans play video games for at least one hour a week.[1]  Seventy-seven percent of those 227 million play three or more hours a week.[2]  And these “gamers” do not live in an alternate reality from […]

Can International Law Address Crises Like the Poland-Belarus Border Crisis?

November 29, 2021

By Elizabeth Mathie Thousands of migrants who had been camped between the borders of Poland and Belarus, not permitted to return to Belarus and kept from entering Poland, were cleared from the border and given shelter in Belarussian warehouses on Nov. 18.[1] Though this action has eased somewhat the humanitarian crisis posed by the migrants […]

Nestlé USA, Inc. v. Doe, The Alien Tort Statute and Corporate Human Rights Liability

November 17, 2021

By Carlos A. Alonso Gayon On June 17, 2021, the United States Supreme Court reversed and remanded a Ninth Circuit decision admitting an Alien Tort Statute (ATS) claim against Nestlé USA Inc. and Cargill Inc.[1] The suit was filed by three Malian former child slaves that have been forced to harvest cocoa in the Ivory […]

Combatting the International Supply Chain Issues

November 10, 2021

By Jett Malkowski COVID-19 has changed the supply and demand chain to a point where companies are unsure of what the actual demand is currently. This post will discuss what has caused these issues, what can and has been done legally about the issues, and how companies can potentially combat these international supply chain issues. […]

Chinese Crackdown of Cryptocurrency and Implications for the Future of Crypto

October 21, 2021

By Jimmy Pierce Over the past two decades, China has become an economic powerhouse, with its GDP soaring from $1.211 trillion in 2000 to $14.723 trillion in 2020.[1] China’s increase in economic prosperity has coincided with a newfound role on the international stage, and with international projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative[2] and […]