The atrocities committed during and after the Second World War led to increased demands for accountability. This course will explore the contours of international criminal law and the institutions and mechanisms created to apply it. We will examine the breadth and scope of the “core” international crimes — genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression — and the range of actors considered potentially responsible for such violations. In so doing, we will study the application of this body of law through international courts, including the International Criminal Tribunals for Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR), hybrid and/or specialized courts, such as Cambodia, and the International Criminal Court (ICC). The course will also introduce students to transitional justice mechanisms, such as Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, peace processes, local community methods of rendering justice, and reparations. Primary source documents, such as treaties and statutes, United Nations Security Council Resolutions — including Explanations of Vote — and key court rulings, will be utilized. Throughout the course, we will look at the role of diplomacy, global politics, the problem of selectivity, and asymmetric influence on international criminal justice, with students evaluating whether (and how) current situations (e.g., Ukraine, DR Congo, Myanmar, Syria, etc.) might be resolved through existing institutions and structures, focusing on their legitimacy, or potential reforms. This course will be taught in a small seminar format, with an emphasis on critical thinking, rigorous analysis and application of the law, and earnest participation in class discussions.