The class was very straight-forward and very well organized. I have gotten by in most classes with just paying attention in lecture but I definitely found the need to read her textbook PDFs that she assigns. There's a lot of material covered in the exams so you will definitely need to study but she doesn't play games or try to pull any fast ones - it is all very straight forward. Also, she did not upload her lecture slides or provide study guides for the midterm/final so that is something to be aware of as well.

The way Professor Johns taught the class was super organized – each concept built on a previous concept, and the readings were all helpful and the classes were interesting and not too slow.

The workload was a lot in terms of reading and the number of concepts you need to remember, but if you’e interested in international law, this class really sets the foundation for that. You just have to do the readings and study!

The class was structured with one blue book midterm and one final, plus weekly quizzes and participation points in section. The midterm and final are pretty straightforward as long as you read the questions through carefully. The quizzes are also pretty clear, and the lowest two grades are dropped.

I loved this class and highly recommend it for those interested in law! Her class is very organized and you know what to expect when studying for the exams. She is very clear and thorough during lecture and does not overcomplicate things! Reading the casebook is essential to the class since this is what the weekly quizzes are on. Her textbook chapters are also on the denser side but they are helpful as they identify important terms that show up on the exams!

Professor Johns is the best professor and lecturer I've had here to date. She is in the process of writing her own textbook that explains complex issues in International Law in understandable language. This skill is demonstrated in her lectures as well, which I found highly engaging. The quizzes are doable so long as you read the cases, and the tests will require you to memorize most of the lecture notes. This class is a challenge, but is rewarding--especially if you are interested in attending law school.

I learned a lot about IL, which is a good thing because that is the course title. Johns is a really good professor. The first half of the course is much more riveting than the latter half, however. In the first half you unpack the flowery, conceptual aspects of international law while the latter half covers its contemporary applications. She wrote a textbook that clearly maps the main ideas for the course and made following her lectures easy. However, this textbook does not span the breadth of the course; the last month is a hodgepodge of prosaic texts and scholarly articles that are much more difficult to follow and not as pertinent to her lecture material.

She is very accessible in office hours and her exams can be difficult if you didn't study. It is impossible to cram for an exam - it is too much content. Staying on top of the readings is paramount.

Professor Johns is the absolute best. She revamped the class this past winter, so you no longer are required to buy a massive IL book. Instead, she’s actually writing an International Law textbook so all the readings were in CCLE (yes, she’s ~that~ knowledgeable). The only thing you need to buy is a course reader of court cases, which you need for the section quizzes. I think it’s like $45 but I never bought it, just took pics of friend’s readers which was no big deal. Quizzes in section are nothing to worry about if you read the cases and you get 7/10 points for just writing your name. Johns doesn’t post lecture slides or bruincard so going to class is a must but I actually really enjoyed her lectures. She’s incredibly engaging and knows the material like the back of her hand (she’s been teaching IL for 11 years). Students would hurl obscure “what if’s” in her direction and she always managed to give a well thought out & clever answer off the cuff. Not to mention she has a sharp sense of humor, which is always entertaining. The midterm and the final are difficult and require a lot of studying (easier if you read the textbook consistently) but her curve is very generous, think A’s getting curved to A+’s and B’s getting curved to A-‘s.

TLDR: Professor Johns is fantastic, read her textbook, study in a group, and be prepared to L E A R N a whole lot :)

TAKE THIS CLASS!

I recommend taking this political science class, it was my first upper division and I thought it would be hard but it was manageable. The textbook is unnecessary but read the cases in the course readers since there are quizzes in discussion each week on the cases which are easy. The test is also straightforward and based on the lectures. Therefore, if you miss one lecture it will be bad since she does not post slides or podcasts the class. You need to go to every lecture to understand the materials. Going to her office hours is helpful as well. Super nice professor and I would take another class with her

First off, don't read the Shaw text book. Don't even buy it. It's a waste of time and money. I went into this class hearing it was the hardest class in the PS Major and talking to a guy who apparently worked at Bloomberg fresh out of undergrad and he said he got a B-. So I went into this class full tilt, read everything, etc. It's really not that hard. (Though obviously you are going to have to work)

Professor Johns is SUPER clear on everything, her power points are very straight forward, and her curve in the exams is beyond generous. Pay attention to lectures and read the case studies and know them really well. The final is cumulative so it's a ton of memorization, but if you work hard and know the material you won't get killed, and her curve will save you.

I really liked this class. There is an ENORMOUS law textbook that she requires, but I bought it and didn't open it once and did fine. The only books you need are the one she writes, which is pretty cheap on amazon, and the casebook from the UCLA store which is $10. The class is organized, her slides are clear and easy to follow, and she is a very engaging lecturer. The section quizzes are simple if you read; I would usually read them about an hour before section. If reading cases seems daunting, the casebook is edited by her so only the relevant parts are left, and the longest one is maybe 8 pages. She doesn't post her slides or record her lectures, so if you miss class you're kinda screwed. I didn't find the exams overly difficult, but they definitely require a moderate studying. Just make sure you take good notes during lecture. She also has an adorable puppy that she has at her office hours most weeks. I would recommend this class to most PS majors, especially if you are considering law school.

Every subject we covered was extremely interesting and Professor Johns is very clear and summarized complex information really well. The tests were mainly on the lecture slides but the textbooks are very helpful to get a better understanding of the topics since she flys through them a mile a minute in lecture. You must get her textbook and the casebooks since those were always tested. If you have a great memory, you’ll thrive in this class. Take amazing notes and be ready to dedicate a good chunk of time to studying them week by week otherwise you’ll be trying to cram 50+ pages of notes for the midterm. This class is the hardest I have taken but also the most rewarding and useful in framing studies of international relations.