Using TLB to Teach Transnational Litigation (2026 update)

One of TLB’s goals is to compile a set of educational resources for students and teachers. For the past couple of weeks we’ve been publishing updated guides on using TLB to teach different classes (all of which are available at our Teaching Resources page). This post focuses on, well, everything! It describes how teachers of Transnational Litigation might use TLB to build or supplement their syllabus.

Topic Pages and Primers

TLB has “primers” keyed to each topic page. These primers can serve as general introductions for students, akin to background material in a casebook. They also link to more in-depth posts and resources.

In addition to these primers, the topic pages include links to core primary documents (like cases, treaties, and statutes) that teachers may wish to assign, as well as major works of scholarship for those interested in additional readings. Relevant blog posts are also gathered on each topic page in reverse chronological order. Teachers might direct students to review recent posts as a method for building awareness of current developments and generating ideas or questions for discussion boards.

A Model Syllabus

To build a full syllabus, teachers may want to combine primers, primary resources identified on the topic pages, and individual blog posts that highlight recent developments or historical context. Here are some sample modules for a Transnational Litigation course:

Personal Jurisdiction

• A Primer on Personal Jurisdiction (linked from Personal Jurisdiction topic page)
• Fuld v. Palestine Liberation Organization, 606 U.S. __ (2025) (linked from Personal Jurisdiction topic page)
• Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co., 600 U.S. 122 (2023) (linked from Personal Jurisdiction topic page)
• Daimler AG v. Bauman, 571 U.S. 117 (2014) (linked from Personal Jurisdiction topic page)
• McIntyre Machinery, Ltd. v. Nicastro, 564 U.S. 873 (2011) (linked from Personal Jurisdiction topic page)
• Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(k) (linked from Personal Jurisdiction topic page)
•  Their Beef Is with Burger King
• How to Find Personal Jurisdiction Over Foreign Website Operators
• Legislative Control Over Personal Jurisdiction—An Opening Door

Foreign Sovereigns in U.S. Courts

• A Primer on Foreign Sovereign Immunity (linked from Foreign Sovereign Immunity topic page)
• Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (28 U.S.C. §§ 1603-1607, 28 U.S.C. § 1330) (linked from Foreign Sovereign Immunity topic page)
• Throwback Thursday: The Tate Letter and Foreign Sovereign Immunity
• Verlinden B.V. v. Central Bank of Nigeria, 461 U.S. 480 (1983) (linked from Foreign Sovereign Immunity topic page)
• Jurisdictional Immunities of the State (Germany v. Italy: Greece Intervening) (ICJ 2012) (linked from Foreign Sovereign Immunity topic page)
• A Primer on Foreign Official Immunity (linked from Foreign Official Immunity topic page)
• Samantar v. Yousuf, 560 U.S. 305 (2010) (linked from Foreign Official Immunity topic page)
• Foreign Dictators in U.S. Courts
• Is Nicolás Maduro Immune from Prosecution in U.S. Courts?

Choice of Law and State Law

• A Primer on Choice of Law (linked from Choice of Law topic page)
• A Primer on State Law in Transnational Litigation (linked from State Law topic page)
• Throwback Thursday: Joseph Story and the Comity of Nations
• Printable Chart of Choice-of-Law Methodology by State (linked from Choice of Law topic page)
• Demystifying Borrowing Statutes
• What Should Happen Next in Cassirer?
• Choice of Law in Shareholder Derivative Litigation

 Choice-of-Law Clauses and Forum Selection Clauses

• A Primer on Choice-of-Law Clauses (linked from Choice-of-Law Clauses topic page)
• The Marginal Utility of Choice-of-Law Clauses
• Prenuptial Agreements and Choice-of-Law Clauses
• A Primer on Forum Selection Clauses (linked from Forum Selection Clauses topic page)
• The Bremen v. Zapata Off-Shore Co., 407 U.S. 1 (1972) (linked from Forum Selection Clauses topic page)
• Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc. v. Shute, 499 U.S. 585 (1991) (linked from Forum Selection Clauses topic page)
• Data on the Enforcement of Forum Selection Clauses
• The Many Uses of the Forum Selection Clause

Prescriptive Jurisdiction and Extraterritoriality

• A Primer on Extraterritoriality (linked from Extraterritoriality topic page)
• Restatement (Fourth) of Foreign Relations Law §§ 404-406 (linked from Extraterritoriality topic page)
• Abitron Austria GmbH v. Hetronic International Inc. (2023) (linked from Extraterritoriality topic page)
• RJR Nabisco, Inc. v. European Cmty., 579 U.S. 325 (2016) (linked from Extraterritoriality topic page)
• Extraterritorial Application of State RICO Statutes
• Personal Jurisdiction and Extraterritoriality
• Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. v. Empagran S. A., 542 U.S. 155 (2004) (linked from Extraterritoriality topic page)
• Throwback Thursday: The Helms-Burton Act’s 30^th Anniversary

International Judicial Assistance: Service of Process

• A Primer on Service of Process (linked from Service of Process topic page)
• Volkswagenwerk Aktiengesellschaft v. Schlunk, 486 U.S. 694 (1988) (linked from Service of Process topic page)
• Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters, 658 U.N.T.S. 163 (linked from Service of Process topic page)
• Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(f) (linked from Service of Process topic page)
• Seventh Circuit Limits Email Service on Foreign Defendants
• Nonperforming States and the Hague Service Convention: What To Do about Russia
• “Waiving” the Hague Service Convention

International Judicial Assistance: Discovery

• A Primer on Transnational Discovery (linked from Discovery topic page)
• Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale v. U.S. Dist. Court for the S. Dist. of Iowa, 482 U.S. 522 (1987) (linked from Discovery topic page)
• Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters, 847 U.N.T.S. 231 (linked from Discovery topic page)
• 28 U.S.C. § 1782 (linked from Discovery topic page)
• Intel Corp. v. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., 542 U.S. 241 (2004) (linked from Discovery topic page)
• A Primer on Foreign State Compulsion (linked from Foreign State Compulsion topic page)
• National Security Concerns as a “Burden” in Discovery Disputes
• Applying China’s Personal Information Protection Law to U.S. Discovery Requests

Managing Parallel Litigation

• A Primer on Transnational Parallel Proceedings (linked from Parallel Proceedings topic page)
• How Do Federal Courts Treat Foreign Parallel Litigation?
• A Primer on Antisuit Injunctions (linked from Parallel Proceedings topic page)
• Restatement (Fourth) of Foreign Relations Law § 425 (antisuit injunctions) (linked from Parallel Proceedings topic page)
• Quaak v. Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler, 361 F.3d 11 (1st Cir. 2004) (linked from Parallel Proceedings topic page)
• SDNY Stays Action Based on International Comity
• Greenpeace Anti-SLAPP Suit Blocked by International Antisuit Injunction
• Civil Contempt Orders Against Non-Parties in Parallel Proceedings

Forum Non Conveniens

• A Primer on Forum Non Conveniens (linked from Forum Non Conveniens topic page)
• Piper Aircraft Co. v. Reyno, 454 U.S. 235 (1981) (linked from Forum Non Conveniens topic page)
• Can Defendants Be Sued at Home? Forum Non Conveniens, Expendable Lives, and the Legacy of Gore v. U.S. Steel Corp.
• State Doctrines of Forum Non Conveniens: Beyond Gulf Oil
• Transnational Employment Disputes and Forum Non Conveniens

Act of State

• A Primer on the Act of State Doctrine linked from Act of State topic page)
• S. Kirkpatrick & Co. v. Envt’l Tectonics Corp., 493 U.S. 400 (1990) (linked from Act of State topic page)
• Banco Nacional de Cuba v. Sabbatino, 376 U.S. 398 (1964) (linked from Act of State topic page)
• Throwback Thursday: Banco Nacional de Cuba v. Sabbatino
• D.C. Circuit Allows Venezuelan Expropriation Case to Proceed

Recognizing and Enforcing Foreign Judgments

• A Primer on Foreign Judgments (linked from Foreign Judgments topic page)
• Throwback Thursday: Hilton v. Guyot
• Uniform Foreign-Country Money Judgments Recognition Act of 2005 (linked from Foreign Judgments topic page)
• Enforcing Judgments in Non-Uniform Act States
• Jurisdictional Puzzles About the Enforcement of Judgments and Arbitral Awards
• Federal Court Issues Worldwide Anti-Enforcement Injunction
• Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (2019) (linked from Foreign Judgments topic page)
• United States Signs the Hague Judgments Convention
• Modernizing Foreign Judgments Law

Emerging Issues in Transnational Litigation

• The Protecting Americans From Russian Litigation Act
• Cert Grant in Climate Case
• China’s Covid Countersuit