Raj Bhala
Information about new books:
International Trade Law (PDF) | Understanding Islamic Law (PDF) | TPP Objectively (PDF)
Raj Bhala, an Indian-American, joined the KU Law faculty in 2003 and serves as the Brenneisen Distinguished Professor. He received the 2011 Woodyard International Educator Award, a university-wide award granted to one faculty member for outstanding contributions to internationalization efforts, the 2010 Moreau Award for advising and counseling students, and a 2008 Kemper Award for Teaching Excellence. He has worked in 28 countries and played in another 19 countries.
Bhala is a member of England's Royal Society for Asian Affairs, the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Law Institute, the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, and the All India Law Teacher's Congress. The Indian Society of International Law has conferred on him Life Membership.
Bhala's scholarly reputation in international trade is global, based in part on a sustained, prolific publication record. That record includes a treatise, “Modern GATT Law,” now in its two-volume second edition, and “International Trade Law,” a two-volume textbook in its forthcoming fourth edition. Both books are widely acclaimed for their substance and style. That record also includes more than three dozen provocative articles, including eight major pieces on the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations, several works on poor countries, and a trilogy on stare decisis. Bhala's articles have appeared in The International Lawyer, the most widely circulated international law review, five times.
Bhala's energy and enthusiasm extend to Islamic Law. He is the first non-Muslim American law professor to write a comprehensive textbook in the field, "Understanding Islamic Law Shari'a)." This highly praised, widely used work covers in an accessible manner the religion, history and law of Islam. Bhala is honored and humbled to teach Islamic Law to United States Special Operations Forces at the Command and General Staff College of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Bhala's eagerness to pioneer new fields in the American legal academy extends to India. He is under contract to write the first textbook on the business laws of modern India.
Bhala practiced international banking law at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which twice granted him the President's Award for Excellence. At the New York Fed, he represented the United States in international wire transfer negotiations at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), dealt with legal issues in the largest financial market in the world (foreign exchange) and was actively involved in international banking law enforcement, including the infamous scandal involving the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI). His UNCITRAL work earned him a Letter of Commendation from the State Department.
Bhala is a Senior Advisor to Dentons U.S. LLP. Working from the Dentons Kansas City office with the Federal Regulatory and Compliance Practice group, Bhala consults on International Trade Law, Islamic Law (Sharī‘a), Law of India, and related matters. Dentons is the largest law firm in the world, with approximately 136 offices across 57 countries, and 7,700 lawyers. Other Special Advisors include Former Democratic National Party Chairman and New Hampshire Governor Howard Dean, and Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Presidential Candidate Congressman Newt Gingrich.
Before joining Dentons, Bhala was an International Legal Consultant for The Al Ammari Law Firm, in association with Blake, Cassels & Graydon LL.P., Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Blakes is one of Canada's famed "Bay Street" (or "Seven Sisters") law firms, and Dr. Saud Al Ammari offices are renowned throughout the Gulf.
Bhala joined KU from George Washington, where he held the Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professorship, before which he began his teaching career at William & Mary.
Bhala is a summa cum laude graduate of Duke, where he was an Angier B. Duke Scholar. The British government awarded him a Marshall Scholarship, and he earned master's degrees from both the London School of Economics and Oxford in economics and management, respectively. He obtained his law degree with honors from Harvard.
- Advanced International Trade Law
- International Law and Literature
- International Trade Law
- Islamic Law (Shari'a)
- Public International Law
- Human Rights
- International Banking Law
- International Business Transactions
- Law and Business in India
Education
J.D., cum laude, Harvard, 1989; M.Sc., Oxford (Management), 1986; M.Sc., London School of Economics (Economics), 1985; A.B., summa cum laude, Duke (Economics), 1984.
Raj Bhala, who is an Indian American, joined the KU Law faculty in 2003 as the Rice Distinguished Professor, the highest university-level professorship at KU. In 2011, he received the George and Eleanor Woodyard International Educator Award, a university-wide award granted to one faculty member for outstanding contributions to internationalization efforts. He has worked in 25 countries and played in another 22 countries.
Along with professors John Head, Andrew Torrance, Elizabeth Kronk Warner and Virginia Harper Ho, Bhala is part of an outstanding International and Comparative Law (ICL) team, and continues the nearly 150-year long tradition of excellence in ICL at KU Law that includes Francis Heller, Robert Casad and John Murphy.
Bhala and Head are a unique duo among American law schools. Both have published leading texts in international business law and comparative law, both have extensive practical experience in international finance, both are Marshall Scholars, and both enthusiastically adhere to KU Law’s open-door policy, welcoming all students to their offices anytime.
Similarly, Bhala, Head and Harper Ho are a unique triumvirate: Head and Harper Ho are experts in Civil and Chinese Law, respectively, and Bhala is a student of Islamic Law and Indian Law. Their collective work thus spans much of the world’s legal systems. At Kansas, Bhala and his colleagues built the S.J.D. and Two-Year J.D. Degree Programs, and the Certificate in International Trade and Finance, yielding in the American Heartland an exceptional International and Comparative Law line up at an affordable price.
Bhala's scholarly reputation in international trade is global, based in part on a sustained, prolific publication record. That record includes a treatise, “Modern GATT Law,” and a leading textbook, “International Trade Law,” both of which are widely acclaimed for their substance and style. The two-volume treatise is in its 2nd edition, and the textbook has been used at roughly 100 countries around the world, with a two-volume 4th edition forthcoming.
That record also includes more than two dozen provocative articles, including five major pieces on the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations: “Poverty, Islamist Extremism, and the Debacle of Doha Round Counter-Terrorism: Part One of a Trilogy – Agricultural Tariffs and Subsidies,” 9 University of Saint Thomas Law Journal 5 (2011); “Poverty, Islamist Extremism, and the Debacle of Doha Round Counter-Terrorism: Part Two of a Trilogy – Non-Agricultural Market Access and Services Trade,” 44 Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law 1 (2011); “Poverty, Islamist Extremism, and the Debacle of Doha Round Counter-Terrorism: Part Three of a Trilogy – Trade Remedies and Facilitation,” 40 Denver Journal of International Law and Policy 237 (2012); "Doha Round Betrayals," 24 Emory International Law Review 147 (Summer 2010); “Resurrecting the Doha Round: Devilish Details, Grand Themes, and China Too,” 45 Texas International Law Journal (2009); “Doha Round Schisms – Numerous, Technical, and Deep,” 6 Loyola University Chicago International Law Review 5 (Fall/Winter 2008); “Empathizing with France and Pakistan on Agricultural Subsidy Issues in the Doha Round,” 40 Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 949 (October 2007); and “Poverty, Islam, and Doha,” 36 The International Lawyer 159 (2002).
Bhala’s articles have appeared in The International Lawyer, the most widely circulated international law review, five times. His Doha Round Trilogy (cited above) is a classic, as is his Stare Decisis Trilogy: “The Myth About Stare Decisis and International Trade Law (Part One of a Trilogy),” 14 American University International Law Review 845-956 (1999); “The Precedent Setters: De Facto Stare Decisis in WTO Adjudication (Part Two of a Trilogy),” 9 Florida State University Journal of Transnational Law and Policy 1-151 (Fall 1999); “The Power of the Past: Towards De Jure Stare Decisis in WTO Adjudication (Part Three of a Trilogy),” 33 George Washington International Law Review 873-978 (2001).
Bhala's scholarship in international trade law embodies four signature themes: (1) Trade law can be an effective instrument of counter-terrorism, and enhanced peace and security are possible through trade, but the Doha Round has failed in these respects; (2) protectionist devices are embedded in the details of trade law; (3) generosity and social justice ought to play a prominent role in the trade law; and (4) precedent operates as a de facto source of multilateral trade rules. These themes are the product of a synthesis of traditional doctrinal legal analysis with development economics and social justice theory.
The boundaries of Bhala’s scholarship extend beyond international trade law. His recent book, “Understanding Islamic Law (Shari’a)” (LexisNexis, 2011), is a text used widely by law schools and practitioners. It is the first comprehensive work on the law, history and religion of Islam designed for these markets written for the English-speaking world by a non-Muslim American law professor. The text provides systematic comparisons to U.S. law and Catholic Christianity. Bhala is honored and humbled to teach Islamic Law to United States Special Operations Forces at the Command and General Staff College of Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Bhala’s forthcoming book, “Business Law of Modern India” (Carolina Academic Press), aims to introduce to the American legal academy the legal system of the world’s largest free-market democracy that also is home to or hosts every major religion in the world.
Bhala’s scholarship is intra- and inter-disciplinary, and his methodology is eclectic. For instance, his article “Diversity within Unity: Import Laws of Islamic Countries on Ḥarām (Forbidden) Products,” 47 The International Lawyer 343 (2014) synthesizes ideas from International Trade Law and Islamic Law, and from philosophy and religion. The article relies on both doctrinal interpretation of GATT and exhaustive empirical analysis of the tariff schedules of every Muslim country.
Ever loyal to his former students and Research Assistants, Bhala co-authored “Diversity within Unity” with one of them, Shannon B. Keating, who practices trade and development law with New Markets Lab in Washington, D.C. He co-authored “WTO Case Reviews” with her and another former student and RA, Bruno Simões, a trade lawyer at FratiniVergano European Lawyers in Brussels.
Bhala practiced international banking law at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which twice granted him the President's Award for Excellence. At the New York Fed, he represented the United States in international wire transfer negotiations at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), dealt with legal issues in the largest financial market in the world (foreign exchange) and was actively involved in international banking law enforcement, including the infamous scandal involving the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI). His service as an American delegate to UNCITRAL earned him a Letter of Commendation from the State Department.
Bhala joined KU from George Washington, where he held the Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professorship, before which he began his teaching career at William & Mary.
Bhala is a summa cum laude graduate of Duke, where he was an Angier B. Duke Scholar. The British government awarded him a Marshall Scholarship, and he earned master's degrees from both the London School of Economics and Oxford in economics and management, respectively. He obtained his law degree with honors from Harvard.
Bhala is the editor of two book series, "Studies in Globalization and Society" (Carolina Academic Press) and "International Law and Development" (Martinus Nijoff Publishers). He is a member of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, Council on Foreign Relations, Royal Society of Asian Affairs, American Law Institute, All India Law Teachers Congress, and was awarded life membership by the Indian Society of International Law.
Bhala has lectured around the world, including at many law schools across India, the Arab Thought Foundation Annual Conference (Beirut), University of Auckland (New Zealand), Bahcesehir University (Istanbul), College of Shari'a and Law (Muscat, Oman), King Fahd University of Petroleum and Mining (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia), University of Dhaka (Bangladesh), LaTrobe University (Melbourne), University of London, University of Malaya (Kuala Lumpur), National University of Singapore and Pakistan College of Law (Lahore). He has been a visiting fellow at the Bank of Japan (Tokyo) and the University of Hong Kong. Bhala has won university-wide teaching awards at both KU and William & Mary.
Bhala is an International Legal Consultant for The Al Ammari Law Firm, in association with Blake, Cassels & Graydon LL.P., Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. He also has served as a legal consultant to international organizations, the U.S. and foreign governments, and private sector entities, including Cheniere Energy, particularly on trade-related projects.
Bhala is an avid long-distance runner and has completed many marathons and half-marathons, including the Boston, Des Moines, Los Angeles, New York, Omaha and Richmond marathons in under 3:45:00.
Teaching
Advanced International Trade Law, International Trade Law, Islamic Law (Shari'a), Public International Law, Human Rights, International Banking Law, International Business Transactions, Law and Business in India, International Law and Literature
Admitted
New York, District of Columbia, Colorado, 1990.
Career History
Attorney, Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Director, Graduate Program, William & Mary 1989-1993, 1993-1998; Professor, Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professor, Associate Dean for International and Comparative Legal Studies, George Washington University School of Law, 1998-2003; Visiting Professor Duke, 1996, Michigan 1999; University of Auckland, 2003, LaTrobe University (Melbourne), 2003, World Trade Institute (Berne), 2003-2006, Rice Distinguished Professor, Kansas, 2003-present, Associate Dean for International and Comparative Law, Kansas, 2011-present.
Consultant: Cheniere Energy, Inc. (Houston); United Arab Emirates University; U.S. Department of Commerce (Middle East Partnership Initiative); Saudi Aramco; Government of Laos; World Bank; International Monetary Fund.
Editorial Advisory Boards: LexisNexis Law School Publishing Advisory Board (1/09-12/11); Carolina Academic Press (12/97-12/08, 1/12-present); International Trade Law and Regulation (Thomson/Sweet and Maxwell, spring 2003-present); Shari'a and Law Journal (United Arab Emirates University, 12/07-present); Manchester Journal of International Economic Law (12/03-present); Benares Hindu University Universitas Annual Interdisciplinary Journal of Academique (3/13-present); Benares Hindu University Law Journal (7/12-present); and National Law University of Jodhpur, India, Trade, Law and Development (12/08-present).
Memberships
Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, Council on Foreign Relations, Royal Society for Asian Affairs, American Law Institute, All India Law Teacher's Congress, Indian Society of International Law.
Selected Publications
WTO Case Review 2017, 35(2018) Arizona Journal of International Law (forthcoming 2018)
What Should Brexit Mean for India?, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg Quint, 8 Dec. 2018) Available here.
Two Dimensional Hard-Soft Law Theory and the Advancement of Women's and LGBTQ + Rights through Free Trade Agreements, 47(2) Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law (forthcoming 12 Nov. 2018) Available here.
The Resurrection of Import Substitution, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg Quint, 30 Oct. 2018) Available here.
Trump’s “Principled Realism” Versus China’s Belt And Road Initiative, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg Quint, 5 Oct. 2018) Available here.
NAFTA 2.0 Negotiations: Nasty And False Trumpeting Again, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg Quint, 12 Sep. 2018) Available here.
Lessons About NAFTA Renegotiations from Shakespeare’s Othello: From the Three Amigo’s to America as Iago?, 33(Issue 1, Fall 2018) Maryland Journal of International Law 38-105 (7 Sep. 2018) Available here.
India At 71: Can India Fill A China Trade Gap?, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg Quint, 13 Aug. 2018) Available here.
Trade War Begins: Why China’s Growth Doesn’t Work For America Anymore, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg Quint, 6 Jul. 2018) Available here.
"America First" Need Not Mean "India Second", in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg, 7 Jun. 2018) Available here.
Reserve Bank of India, in Research Handbook on Central Banking 68-93 (Rosa Lastra ed., Edward Elgar Publishing, 22 May 2018) Available here.
What Trump Can Learn From Nixon About Iran, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg Quint, 4 May 2018) Available here.
Indian Argumentation in the 2015 Poultry Case, in India and WTO: Law, Economics, and Politics (Ernst Ulrich Petersmann, Harsha V Singh, Girish Ram Kumar ed., Routledge, forthcoming 1st Quarter 2018) Available here.
Would A China-U.S. Trade War Be “Just”?, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg Quint, 30 Mar. 2018) Available here.
Steel, Aluminium, and The New Trade War, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg Quint, 4 Mar. 2018) Available here.
Trump Trade Policy Incoherence, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg Quint, 14 Feb. 2018) Available here.
Iran: Why This Time Is Different, And What's Next, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg Quint, 9 Jan. 2018) Available here.
India's Long Road -- The Search for Prosperity , 14 Manchester Journal of International Economic Law 393-396 (25 Dec. 2017) (India's Long Road -- The Search for Prosperity) Available here.
Solve the Indo-American Food Fight and Save the WTO Farm, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (7 Dec. 2017) Available here.
Understanding Mohammed bin Salman's Saudi Arabia, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (17 Nov. 2017) Available here.
Targeting International Trade in Conventional Weapons, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (14 Oct. 2017) Available here.
TPP, American National Security, and Chinese SOEs, 16(4 (Oct. 2017)) World Trade Review 665-671 (13 Oct. 2017) Available here.
NAFTA: No A's For Trump's Administration, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg, 19 Sep. 2017) Available here.
Nine Dashes, lliberal Trade Interests, TPP, and Vietnam, XXIII(2) Brown Journal of World Affairs (Spring/Summer 2017) Available here.
India at 70: Unwinding the Partition with GATT, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (13 Aug. 2017) Available here.
WTO Case Review 2016, 34(2) Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law 281-460 (9 Aug. 2017)
Modi's U.S. Visit Was Underwhelming. Here's How It Could Be Different., in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg, 28 Jun. 2017) Available here.
What America Can Learn From India About Iran, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg, 14 Jun. 2017) Available here.
A Quiz on International Trade and National Security, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg, 21 May 2017) Available here.
Exposing the Forgotten TPP Chapter: Chapter 17 as a Model for Future International Trade Disciplines on SOEs, 14(1) Manchester Journal of International Economic Law 2-49 (30 Apr. 2017) Available here.
Trump Trade Policy Creates Opportunities For India, in Bloomberg Quint (India) (Bloomberg, 13 Apr. 2017) Available here.
2017, Is Trump Raj Trade Policy Narcissistic Populism? (Bloomberg, Mar. 17, 16 Mar. 2017) Available here.
Debate 2016 – To TPP or Not TPP? Should the U.S. Join the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Other International Trade Agreements?, XVI(1 (Winter 2016)) Journal of International Business and Law 52-74 (13 Mar. 2017) Available here Available here.
Feb. 18, 2017, Defining ‘America First’ In The Trump Raj (Bloomberg, 17 Feb. 2017) Available here.
Given the Breadth and Depth of Law, Job Opportunities are Splendid (Chapter 10), in Law for the Curious: Why Study Law? 96-100 (Kishor Vaidya ed., Curious Academic Publishing, Jan. 2017) Available here.
TPP, American National Security, and Chinese SOEs, Jan. 2017 (No. RSCAS 2017/03 ) Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Research Paper Series 22 (27 Jan. 2017) Available here.
(Bloomberg, 20 Jan. 2017) Available here.
WTO Case Review 2015, 33 Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law 505-629 (14 Nov. 2016)
Will India Be “Great Again” Too With President Trump? (Bloomberg, 9 Nov. 2016) Available here.
2016, Does India Matter to the U.S. Presidential Candidates? (Bloomberg, Nov. 7, 7 Nov. 2016) Available here.
TPP Objectively: Law, Economics, and National Security of History’s Largest, Longest Free Trade Agreement (1 Oct. 2016) Available here.
Legal Instruments of Political and Economic Competition: TPP T&A and Automotive ROOs, 8(1 (2016)) Indian Journal of International Economic Law (Aug. 2016) Available here.
Understanding Islamic Law (Shari'a), 2nd Edition (15 Aug. 2016) Available here.
Trans Pacific Partnership Intellectual Property Controversies, in A "Liber Amicorum:" Mitsuo Matsushita, A Critical Assessment of the International Economic Law and Governance (Julien Chaisse, Tsai-Yu Lin ed., Oxford University Press, 1 Apr. 2016)
International Investment Management: Theory, Practice, and Ethics (Routledge, Mar. 2016)
Design and Challenges of Banking and Foreign Exchange Regulation in India, 16(Fall) Asian Business Lawyer 27-72 (19 Dec. 2015) Available here.
WTO Case Review 2014, 31(2) Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law 497-646 (Oct. 2015) Available here.
Dictionary of International Trade Law (Lexis Nexis, 3rd, 19 Oct. 2015)
International Trade Law: An Interdisciplinary, Non-Western Textbook (Lexis Nexis, 4th, 20 Aug. 2015)
Decentralized Trade Liberalization, 2014 World Trade Review (Apr. 2015) (Liberalizing International Trade after Doha – Multilateral, Plurilateral, Regional and Unilateral Initiatives)
Fighting Iran with Trade Sanctions, 31(2) Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law 251-356 (18 Feb. 2015) Available here.
WTO Case Review 2013, 31(2) Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law 475-510 (28 Jan. 2015) Available here.
Liberalizing International Trade after Doha: Multilateral, Plurilateral, Regional and Unilateral Initiatives, 13 World Trade Review 721-724 (22 Sep. 2014) (Liberalizing International Trade after Doha – Multilateral, Plurilateral, Regional and Unilateral Initiatives) Available here.
Trans-Pacific Partnership or Trampling Poor Partners? A Tentative Critical Review, 11(1) Manchester Journal of International Economic Law 2-59 (20 Apr. 2014) Available here.
Diversity within Unity: Import Laws of Islamic Countries on Haram (Forbidden) Products, 47(3) The International Lawyer 343-406 (Winter 2014) Available here Available here.
First Generation Indian External Sector Reforms in Context, 5(1/Summer 2013) Trade, Law and Development 7-42 (6 Feb. 2014) Available here Available here.
WTO Case Review 2012, 30(2013) Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law 207-419 (2013)
Modern GATT Law: A Treatise on the Law and Political Economy of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and Other World Trade Organisation Agreements (Thomson Sweet & Maxwell, 31 May 2013) Available here.
Four Points about Trade and Human Rights, in International Trade Law and the WTO 354-390 (Professor Azizur Rahman Chowdhury, University of Dhaka, Faculty of Law, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Professor Jahid Hossain Bhuiyan, Professor Indira Carr, Professor Shawkat Alam ed., Federation Press, Apr./May 2013) Available here.
WTO Case Review 2011, 29(2) Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law 287-476 (21 Mar. 2013)
When are Rare Earths Raw Materials? Emerging GATT-WTO Jurisprudence on Export Restraints, 19(1) International Trade Law and Regulation 1-8 (Jan. 2013)
Understanding Islamic Law (Sharī‘a) (LexisNexis, 1st ed., May 2011)
International Trade Law: Interdisciplinary Theory and Practice (Michie 1st ed. 1996, LexisNexis 2d ed. 2001, LexisNexis, 3d ed., 2008)
Selected Presentations
Bhala, R. . (12/12/2018). Special and Differential and Non-Market Economy Treatment: History, Rules, Policies, and Controversies – Considerations for Taiwan. Government of Taiwan Office of Trade Negotiations Symposium on WTO Reform. Taipei, Taiwan
Bhala, R. . (12/11/2018). WTO Reform in Context: FTAs, National Security, and Three Specific Crises – Tentative Thoughts for Taiwan. Government of Taiwan, Office of Trade Negotiations Symposium on WTO Reform. Taipei, Taiwan
Bhala, R. . (10/18/2018). The Three-Dimensional International Trade War: Strategic Positioning for Canada in WTO, NAFTA, and Bilateral Battles. The Conference Board of Canada. Canada (nationwide, broadcast across all 5 time zones). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (10/04/2018). Merits and Demerits of Trump Administration Trade Law and Policy. Are Trade Wars “Easy to Win” or Even Worth Having? A Debate on the Trump Administration’s Trade Policy. Hofstra Law School. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (05/17/2018). Recent Developments in International Trade Law at the Multilateral, Regional, and National Levels. Recent Developments in the Law. University of Kansas, School of Law, Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A.
Bhala, R. & Wood, C. N. (05/10/2018). Advancing Women’s Rights Through “Hard” Law in Free Trade Agreements. Great Plains International and Comparative Law Colloquium. Washburn University and University of Kansas Schools of Law, Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A.
Bhala, R. Smith, J. M. & Anguelov, N. . (01/30/2018). Iran: Historic, Economic, Legal, and Policy Challenges and Opportunities. Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela in the Crosshairs: What Your Company Needs to Know About the New U.S. Sanctions. The Knowledge Group, Jersey City, New Jersey. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (11/30/2017). American Perspectives. NAFTA 2.0 -- Negotiations and Beyond, World Trade Center of Kansas City, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce . Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.A. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (10/20/2017). Lessons About NAFTA Renegotiations from Shakespeare’s Othello: From the Three Amigos to America as Iago? The U.S.–Mexico Relationship in International Law and Politics, Maryland Journal of International Law Symposium, The University of Maryland, School of Law.
Bhala, R. . (08/31/2017). An American Perspective on NAFTA's Past, Present, and Future. The Conference Board of Canada. Canada (nationwide, broadcast across all 5 time zones). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (06/09/2017). Islamic Banking and Finance. University of Auckland, Faculties of Law and Business, New Zealand Legal Research Foundation. Auckland, New Zealand. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (06/08/2017). Reinterpreting Islamic Law on Issues from Women to War. University of Auckland, Faculties of Law and Business, New Zealand Legal Research Foundation. Auckland, New Zealand. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (06/01/2017). India, China, and Turbulence in International Trade Law and Policy. Chapman Tripp (Law Firm). Auckland, New Zealand. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (05/31/2017). From Law and Literature to International Law and Literature: Scholarly and Pedagogical Innovation for Globalisation. University of Auckland, Faculty of Law, Staff Seminar. Auckland, New Zealand. Available Here
Bhala, R. & Kelsey, J. . (05/30/2017). A Dialogue on the Future of TPP -- And What Now For New Zealand? University of Auckland, Faculty of Law. Auckland, New Zealand. Available Here
Bhala, R. & Witmer, E. . (05/02/2017). Interpreting Interpretation: Methods from American Jurisprudence and Literary Theory to Decide WTO Appellate Body Cases. Great Plains International and Comparative Law Colloquium. Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (04/08/2017). Overview of Special Treatment for Agricultural Products in the World Trading System. Inter Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Annual Conference, Panel on “Wine, Cheese, and the High Life: Trade Barriers, Geographical Indications, and Other Challenges to Free Trade in Coveted Agricultural Products.” . Auckland, New Zealand. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (04/08/2017). Services Trade Liberalization in TISA and TPP. Inter Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Annual Conference, Panel on “Free Trade in Services or Not?: Efforts and Difficulties to Liberalize Trade in Services.”. Auckland, New Zealand. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (02/09/2017). The Legal, Economic, and National Security Dimensions of the Trans Pacific Partnership. University of Pittsburgh, School of Law. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (01/26/2017). Evaluating TPP. Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science Colloquium. University of Kansas, Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science, Lawrence, Kansas
Bhala, R. . (01/04/2017). A Conversation with Michael Froman (United States Trade Representative). Council on Foreign Relations (Not for Attribution). Washington, D.C. (via teleconference). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (11/06/2016). Penetrating the Rhetoric on Key Election Issues. Unitarian Universalist Forum. All Souls Unitarian Church, Kansas City, Missouri
Bhala, R. . (11/05/2016). Significant Islamic Legal Issues. Kansas National Guard, Annual Conference. Topeka, Kansas
Bhala, R. . (11/03/2016). Fact Checking: Anti-Trade Rhetoric -- U.S. Political Perception and Brexit Reality. Dentons, World Trade Center of Kansas City, and Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Board Room, Union Station, Kansas City, Missouri
Bhala, R. . (10/25/2016). Analyzing the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Objectively. Faculty Workshop. University of Kansas, School of Law
Bhala, R. . (10/05/2016). Chinese SOEs, National Security, and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in China: Trade and Competition Issues. Columbia Law School, New York, N.Y.
Bhala, R. . (09/15/2016). Legal and Political Legitimacy of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). Pre-Presidential Debate Conference on International Trade Agreements and the 2016 Presidential Election. Hofstra Law School, Hempstead, N.Y.
Bhala, R. . (08/04/2016). International Trade Law, National Security, and the New Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). Mount Oread Leadership Series, Strategic Broadening Seminar; Leading in a Global Environment. University of Kansas, Adams Alumni Center
Bhala, R. . (08/04/2016). Islamic Law. Mount Oread Leadership Series, Strategic Broadening Seminar; Leading in a Global Environment. University of Kansas, Adams Alumni Center
Bhala, R. . (05/05/2016). TPP Objectively: Law, Economics, and National Security of History's Largest, Longest Free Trade Agreement. Great Plains International and Comparative Law Colloquium. Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (04/27/2016). A Critical Evaluation of WTO Plus Standards in TPP. Harvard Law School, WTO 20th Anniversary Conference and Academics Symposium on Old Rules, New Problems: The WTO at 20. Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (04/15/2016). International and Cross-Border Perspectives on Contemporary Islamic Financial Transactions . Inter Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Annual Meeting, Panel on "A Discussion of Current Issues in Islamic Finance". Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (04/15/2016). TPP Membership and Enlargement Controversies. Inter Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Annual Meeting, Panel on TPP and the ASEAN Economic Community at the Crossroads of APEC?. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (04/14/2016). Overview of TPP. Inter Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Annual Meeting, Panel on "Resolution of Trade Disputes in TPP and Other FTAs". Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (04/13/2016). Risks and Opportunities with the Trans-Pacific Partnership for Malaysia. ASEAN Lawyers Group of Malaysia Annual General Meeting. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (04/12/2016). History of Trade Negotiations. Global Development Law & Consulting Group (Washington, D.C.), Bar Council of Malaysia (BCI), and Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Legal Development & Training Committee, Program on How to Participate in Trade Negotiations: Focus on the Trans Pacific Pa. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Bhala, R. . (03/31/2016). Understanding the Trans Pacific Partnership. Understanding the Trans Pacific Partnership. International Relations Council, Kansas City, Missouri. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/17/2016). The Trans Pacific Partnership – Objectively. Herbert Smith Freehills Law Firm and University of Sydney Law School, Lecture Series. Sydney, Australia. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (01/08/2016). Pentagon Briefing: The Education Battle, Sunni-Shi'a Split, and Authentic versus Inauthentic Precepts in Islamic Law. Joint Staff (J-5) Strategy and Plans, Political-Military Affairs, Middle East Directorate Strategic Integration Session. United States Department of Defense (The Pentagon), Washington, D.C. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (10/08/2015). Enduring Themes and Radical Transformations in International Trade Law. 3rd Annual Mercer Conference on Current Trends in International Trade. Atlanta, Georgia, Mercer University. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (10/07/2015). TPP: Trans Pacific Partnership or Trade Policy for the Plutocracy? BB&T Lecture. Macon, Georgia, Mercer University, School of Business. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (09/24/2015). Iran Nuclear Deal. International Relations Council, Panel on "War With ISIS, Alliances with Iran: Examining U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East". Kansas City, Missouri. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (09/21/2015). Design and Challenges of Banking and Foreign Exchange Regulation in India. 2nd Asian Business Lawyer Symposium, “Business and Finance Regulation from Comparative and International Perspectives.”. Korea University College of Law, Seoul, Korea. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (09/01/2015). Evolution and Revolution of International Trade Law Scholarship and Pedagogy through the 20 Year Journey of a Textbook. Faculty Workshop. University of Kansas School of Law, Lawrence, Kansas. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (05/14/2015). Evolution and Revolution of International Trade Law Scholarship and Pedagogy through the 20 Year Journey of a Textbook. Great Plains International and Comparative Law Colloquium. Washburn University, School of Law, Topeka, Kansas. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (05/07/2015). Promoting and/or Undermining Labor Rights through International Trade? Linkages between Free Trade and Labor Rights. Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Annual Conference. Hong Kong. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (05/06/2015). Critical Analysis of Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Law, East Asian International Economic Law & Policy Program, Asian Institute of International Financial Law, and RGC Theme-based Research Project: Enhancing Hong Kong's Future as a Leading International Financial Center. Hong Kong. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (05/05/2015). Views from Riyadh and Delhi on GATT-WTO and FTA Developments. Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Faculty of Law, Center for Financial Regulation and Economic Development (CFRED), Thirteenth Trade and Investment Law Seminar. Hong Kong. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (04/29/2015). The Kingdom and Recent Developments in World Trade. Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Harvard Association of Saudi Arabia (HASA). Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/24/2015). Recent Developments in International and Indian Trade Law and Policy. Gang of Youngsters (GOY) Conference. V.M. Salgaocar College of Law, Miramar, Panaji, Goa, India
Bhala, R. . (03/19/2015). Recent Developments in International and Indian Trade Law and Policy. Special Meeting. World Trade Center, Mumbai (Bombay), India
Bhala, R. . (03/17/2015). International Trade, Investment, and Intellectual Property Law and Policy in India and Beyond. Harvard College in Asia Program (HCAP) Conference. Saint Xavier's College, Mumbai (Bombay), India
Bhala, R. . (03/17/2015). Lecture on "Recent Developments in International and Indian Trade Law and Policy," followed by Panel on "India’s Trade Policies: Prospects and Challenges” with Mr. Richard Bale, Consul General of Canada to Mumbai. Government Law College (GLC) Mumbai (Bombay), India
Bhala, R. . (01/20/2015). International Business Law and Catholic Social Justice Teaching. Saint Thomas More Society Meeting. University of Kansas, School of Law, Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A.
Bhala, R. . (10/22/2014). Risks to International Business in Asia. Risks to International Business. International Trade Council of Greater Kansas City, Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City, Missouri. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (09/08/2014). Congratulations on United States Citizenship. Citizenship Naturalization Proceedings. United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (04/23/2014). India and North America: Revitalising Ties. Indian Foreign Policy: Views from Abroad. Gateway House (Indian Council on Global Relations, Mumbai, India). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/12/2014). Overview of Islamic Law. INDIA (New Delhi) - Indian Law Institute (IL). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/12/2014). WTO and TRIPs. INDIA (New Delhi) - Indian Law Institute (ILI). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/11/2014). Overview of GATT and WTO. INDIA (New Delhi) - Indian Law Institute (ILI). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/11/2014). United States and India’s Trade Law and Policy. INDIA (New Delhi) - Indian Law Institute (ILI). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/11/2014). Women’s Issues in Islamic Law. INDIA (New Delhi) - Indian Law Institute (ILI). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/10/2014). Overview of Islamic Law, Primary, Secondary, and Additional Sources of Islamic Law, and Women's Issues and Islamic Law. INDIA (Sonipat, Haryana) - Jindal Global Law School (JGLS). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/10/2014). Trade Preferences for Poor Countries, The Doha Round Debacle, and United States and Indian Trade Law and Policy. INDIA (Sonipat, Haryana) - Jindal Global Law School (JGLS). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/07/2014). Women’s Issues and Islamic Law. INDIA (New Delhi) - University of Delhi, Faculty of Law, Law Centre II. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/05/2014). The Rights of Women Under the Sharīʻa as Practiced in Islamic Countries. Muslims and Sharīʻa: Learning from Experiences of Other Countries. INDIA (Mumbai) - Tata Institute for Social Sciences (TISS). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/04/2014). An Overview of International Trade Law. INDIA (Mumbai) - SNDT Women's University Faculty of Law. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/04/2014). Recent Developments and Current Controversies in International Trade Law. INDIA (Mumbai) - University of Mumbai Department of Law. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/04/2014). The Trans-Pacific Partnership and Implications for India. INDIA (Mumbai) - Gateway House (India Council on Global Affairs). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/03/2014). An Overview of International Trade Law. INDIA (Mumbai) - Government Law College (GLC). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/03/2014). The Future of the GATT-WTO System, American Trade Policy, and Implications for the Indian Subcontinent. INDIA (Mumbai) - Government Law College (GLC). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (02/28/2014). Anti Dumping Provisions in the United States and Pitfalls to be Avoided, and Export Diversification Opportunities in Emerging Markets. INDIA (Mumbai) - Office of Additional Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (02/25/2014). Indian Trade Reforms and Its Doha Round Negotiating Positions. INDIA (Hyderabad) - National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (02/25/2014). Where is India in Free Trade Agreements and the Trans Pacific Partnership? INDIA (Hyderabad) - National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (02/24/2014). An Overview of International Trade Law. INDIA (Hyderabad) - National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (02/14/2014). Islamic Law. J. Reuben Clark Law Society Annual Conference, "Obedience to Law is Liberty". University of Missouri - Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri. Available Here
Bhala, R. & . (11/26/2013). Understanding the Iran Nuclear Deal, Council on Foreign Relations A Conversation with Ray Takeyh, Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow, Middle Eastern Studies, and Michael A. Levi, Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow, Energy and the Environmen. National Teleconference. New York, N.Y. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (11/17/2013). Understanding Islamic Law (Shari'a). Witherspoon Class Series. Second Presbyterian Church, Kansas City, Missouri. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (11/08/2013). Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) in Academics. National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and National Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (NAPALSA) Annual Convention. Kansas City, Missouri. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (09/20/2013). “Great Satan” Squeezes “Evil Āyatollāhs” as the Centrifuges Keep Spinning: American Trade Sanctions Against Iran . Justice Beyond the State: Transnationalism and Law. University of Windsor Faculty of Law. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (08/30/2013). Writing Big Books: Six Secrets for Santosh. University of Kansas School of Law Workshop Series. University of Kansas School of Law, Lawrence, Kansas
Bhala, R. & Boyer, R. . (05/21/2013). The Rise of Anti-Sharia Legislation. National Public Radio (NPR), Radio Broadcast on Kansas City Affiliate KCUR, 89.3 FM, "Central Standard" Show. Available Here
Amos, G. F., Odierno, G. T., Welsh, G. A., Papp, A. J., Ferguson, A. & Bhala, R. . (05/03/2013). Robert B. McKeon Endowed Series on Military Strategy with the Service Chiefs. Council on Foreign Relations National Teleconference. New York
Summers, L. H. & Bhala, R. . (04/02/2013). A Conversation with Lawrence H. Summers on U.S. Economic Strategy, Former U.S. Treasury Secretary and President Emeritus, Harvard University. Council on Foreign Relations National Teleconference. New York. Available Here
Bhala, R. . (03/07/2013). Themes and Controversies in Understanding Islamic Law. Washburn University School of Law
Bhala, R. Filpi, J. & Buntin, J. . (02/13/2013). Key Developments in U.S. Trade Relations in the Middle East and North Africa. American Bar Association (ABA), Section of International Law, Middle East Committee and International Trade Committee. Washington, D.C. (via teleconference). Available Here
Bhala, R. . (05/28/2012). Islamic Finance. Carey y Cia (Largest law firm in Chile). Santiago, Chile
Selected Awards & Honors
Alumni Fellowship Award for Excellence in Teaching
College of William & Mary
Indian Society of International Law (ISIL)
Life Membership
Indian Society of International Law (ISIL)
2013 - Present
Moreau Award
University of Kansas, School of Law,
Student Bar Association (SBA)
2012 - Present
George and Eleanor Woodyard International Educator Award
University of Kansas
2011 - Present
Chaired Professorship
University of Kansas
2003 - Present
Law School Research Chaired Professorship
The George Washington University Law School
2000 - Present
University-wide Distinguished Teaching Award
William & Mary Society of the Alumni
1996 - Present
President's Award for Excellence
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
1992 - Present
Letter of Commendation for Service at United Nations
U.S. Department of State
1991 - Present
President's Award for Excellence
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
1990 - Present
Moreau Award
University of Kansas, School of Law,
Student Bar Association (SBA)
2015
Kemper Teaching Award
University of Kansas
2008
Marshall Scholarship
Oxford University and London School of Economics
1984 - 1986
Angier B. Duke Scholarship
Duke University
1980 - 1984