Professor Johns seems so approachable and makes the subject matter seem so straightforward and easy in class, but she (or her TA, I'm not sure) is a ruthless grader. For a class where there is not always a clear right or wrong answer, it was surprising that even after filling up the entire page for short answers that it would be given 0/10 points. The weekly quizzes on the case studies are easy points, and that might depend on which TA you get. The exams are curved tremendously though. The final exam was quickly turned into a take-home assignment consisting of 4 short answer questions, with "no clear right or wrong answer" and I spent hours doing it and still got a 66%, which was curved to 83%. In the end I got a B+ (the first ever non-A in my time at UCLA). Also, she sent out quite an insensitive email regarding too many people asking for help/extensions in response to COVID-19, which threw a lot of students off. Take this class at your own risk.

This was probably the most fun and engaging poli sci class I've taken here at UCLA. Professor Johns is an amazing lecturer who is super helpful and fun to talk to outside of class. She makes the materials easier to understand despite the concepts being complex. Also she kind of writes the textbook materials for this class so if you have any questions on the readings, you can go directly to her because she wrote it. Overall, take the class. Her exams are a little hard but if you go to lectures, do the readings, and study, then you'll be fine.

Great class. Articulate professor. Dead organized. No reason not to get an A. Just outline the cases, memorize the terms well in advance, go to lecture, and do the readings.

100% recommend taking 123 w Prof. Johns
her lectures are very engaging and she wrote her own book, so you'll always read exactly what you need to know & the reading won't be tedious. study at least 3 days before the exams because there is a lot of memorization but her curve is AMAZING. one quiz at each section based on a case reading, really helps understand concepts discussed that week. participation is 15% but you'll find yourself asking questions and answering even if you're not confident (like me). overall, a great class, would definitely take her again!

This class is tough but very rewarding. Professor Johns is structured and the book she's written goes perfectly with the class. The shaw readings were difficult reads so hopefully by the time you take this class, she's finished her book. I'd take this class if I were you!

Prof Johns is honestly amazing and very fair. Her lectures (and TA discussion sections) are super structured. She wrote the course reader and almost all the readings, which makes the course information a lot easier to navigate. The readings aren't difficult, but there is a decent amount of it. If you take good lecture notes and know the readings well, it shouldn't be too difficult to study for the exams.

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.