Learning the law across borders
CWRU law professor’s course reaches a global audience
With frequent news reports of war crimes in countries such as Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, Sudan and Yemen over the last decade, international law has been a topic of interest for many people—more than 200,000, to be precise.
Coursera, a global MOOC provider established in 2012 by two Stanford University professors, works with universities, including Case Western Reserve, to offer online courses, certifications and degrees for a variety of subjects. Soon after its founding, Michael Scharf, CWRU’s Joseph C. Hostetler - BakerHostetler Professor of Law, was invited to become one of Coursera’s first instructors.
Twelve years on, Scharf’s online course on international criminal law has become a Coursera favorite, with more than 200,000 enrollees and an average 4.8/5 stars. The course comprises eight one-hour units, covering war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, terrorism, piracy, extradition and international criminal trials. There are reading and writing assignments, as well as quizzes.
“The MOOC has been a great recruitment tool,” says Scharf, who is also associate dean for global legal studies at the law school. “Many students who enroll here tell me that they first heard of CWRU School of Law when they took the MOOC.”
Scharf's MOOC is also required reading for the law school's new spring break program in the Hague through which students and alumni will travel to The Netherlands from March 9–13, 2026 to meet with the officials of several international criminal tribunals.
