Global Trade Academy

Today, the GTA continues to be an indispensable boot camp in a seminar-like atmosphere on the Georgetown Law campus, offering participants an unparalleled deep dive into the most salient and complex legal and policy issues in global trade today.

Trade law and policy is front and center in today’s business climate, on the news, and in political debates around the globe.  One of IIEL’s signature Executive Education programs, the GTA both examines the legal foundations and constitutional underpinnings of the global trading system and offers insight into the most cutting-edge global trade issues of the day with the world’s leading global trade experts.

GLOBAL TRADE ACADEMY 2024

The 2024 Global Trade Academy has concluded. Please stay tuned for updates regarding the 2025 Global Trade Academy. 

Continuing Learning Education (CLE)

The 2024 Global Trade Academy offers 26 CLE credits in Pennsylvania and New York, and additional states via reciprocity and self-filing. Additional states can be added upon request.

THE CURRICULUM

The five-day Academy examines the legal obligations and policy underpinnings of the WTO and its agreements, in the context of how the WTO operates and how it relates to national governments.  The GTA strengthens participants’ critical thinking about the role of the WTO in solving real-world commercial problems, and addresses fundamental policy challenges.

The first half of the week provides insights into the foundation of trade law and policy (i.e. workshops and lectures on trade in services, dispute settlement, trade in goods, trade remedies, and intellectual property protections). The second half of the week focuses on “trade plus” issues (i.e. workshops and lectures on export controls and sanctions, WTO & development, labor and environment, elections and trade, digital trade and the digital economy, and populist backlash to globalization).

EXPERT FACULTY

Academy Faculty hail from diverse backgrounds, including academia, government, law firms, the diplomatic corps, the corporate world, NGOs, and former senior trade negotiators. Past presenters include former U.S. Trade Representative and World Bank President Robert Zoellick; former acting Trade Representative Stephen Vaughn; former Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment at the U.S. Department of State Catherine Novelli; President of the National Foreign Trade Council and former Deputy General of the WTO Amb. Rufus Yerxa; and esteemed Georgetown Law faculty including Professors Jennifer Hillman, Sean Hagan, Michael Gadbaw, and Katrin Kuhlmann.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This IIEL Executive Education program is designed to build knowledge and networks to facilitate engagement in the international economic legal system, by training legal professionals; public policy officials; members of the international business, IGO, and NGO communities; academics; and others – including those from developing countries and transition economies. By design, this Executive Education program is open to experienced leaders and younger professionals alike. One need not be an attorney to attend.

In order to enhance each participant’s learning experience, space may be limited.  Therefore, we recommend early registration. Reach out to lawiiel@georgetown.edu for more info.