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.

What to memorize 100 pages of notes? Then take this class. This class is extremely extremely difficult. Johns gives you no guidance at all for the midterm or final which means a lot considering it is A TON of information. She doesn't post slides and her book does not cover lecture so if you miss clas your screwed. To do well in this class you have to go to every single lecture and type with the speed of god because she speaks fast. The TAs are important for clarity but they can't help you for the exams because they don't know what's on it. There are weekly quizzes in section that are difficult sometimes so you have to read. If I could do it over I would avoid this class. International law is really interesting but it's not worth the workload. You will spend the majority of your time on this class. The midterm was pretty straightforward but The final was impossible. She tests you on random terms from her book that she never covered or parts of lecture that were super minuscule. Would not recommend this class unless you have ample time or can read minds.

ATHLETES she will not let you reschedule midterms due to scheduling conflicts. No exceptions. Do not take if you have a conflict.

Easy for PS 20. Hard for PS 123A.
need the books for PS 20? shoot an email to *************, selling cheap.

123A: International Law

nice lady, decent topic (even though at the end of the day, all international law is completely illegitimate) but this class gives zero handouts. and maybe it shouldn't, but it makes it THAT much harder than you typical UCLA class where any and all resource is available to encourage your success.

it is a real pain in the butt that she does not

a. record her lectures for future reference when studying for finals
b. post her slides online
c. give out any study guide whatsoever for a TON of information. what is on the final remains unknown

they say you should take this class as an example of a law school class. they are right.

I actually took 123A...

I liked her. She's very organized, I did the readings assigned for quizzes, and got an A+.
She does not post her lectures online, and that makes it an absolute requirement to show up to her class. The grade consists of a midterm, a final, and weekly quizzes in the discussions.
I recommend to bring a laptop to class to type up the lectures, because it goes by very fast.
The midterm and the final are straight out of the lectures and the readings; I just memorized it.
The weekly quizzes I found were a bit hard, so I recommend taking good notes, which is what I did, to do well on the quizzes.
She's friendly, nice, and the TA's were okay..fair good graders, but I didn't find that my particular TA supplemented the class well.
Grade received: A+.

This class is incredibly intense, but definitely worth the work. If you're looking for an A, you need to be willing to do all the reading(professor johns probably anticipated people slacking because there were section quizzes almost every week), take amazing notes( sometimes difficult because she speaks incredibly fast, but she has slides), and study incredibly hard. If you're interested in getting a general feel for international law this is an excellent class, but it's gonna have to be your priority. Difficult course, but getting an A is definitely possible.

I actually had her for 123A International Law (but it wasn't an option). She teaches from the new thought of political science. That is, she really believes in numbers and game theory analysis. Many times in class I would sit there and just be thinking, "what is she talking about". But at other times I would be on the edge of my seat because International Law has many interesting aspects. The difficult thing is that there was LOTS of reading and LOTS of notes. If you do not do the reading or take good notes you will not do well. The class was based on a midterm test, which was very difficult, and a final paper that also had a take home part (just as difficult). The take home part of the test was fun because you finally got to do some analysis rather than spitting out the notes she gave you. She teaches very interesting stuff, but presents it in the most dull way possible. If you want an easy class do not take her. I will admit though, I rememeber a lot from the class.