"International Law and Violence" is a rigorous college-level course that critically examines the intersection of international law and the use of violence in a variety of contexts. We start by questioning the strict opposition between “force” and “law” in the domestic setting. Using a critical legal theory approach to real life encounters with law, we engage the intimate connection between law and violence: Every legal decision is also a violent act as far as it creates a forceful and punishable distinction between what is inside and what is outside the law, what is legal and illegal, what is the norm(al) and what is the exception. With these insights we move in the main part of the course to the international sphere and examine the historical developments in which, following WWII, the use of force was prohibited.This part of the course is then divided in two. The first part introduces the post WWII legal framework that regulates violence in the international sphere – namely, the laws of war: jus ad bellum, jus in bello, international human rights law, criminal international law, and international environmental law. The second part uses a variety of critical approaches that shed light on the question of the relationship between international law and violence, including: third world approaches to international law, feminist approaches to international law, international law and migration, and queer approaches to international law. Throughout the course, students will engage in critical analysis of case studies and contemporary issues, such as drone strikes, targeted killings, and cyber warfare. They will also engage in class discussions, debates, and writing assignments to explore the complexities of the legal and ethical issues surrounding the use of force and the critiques of the current legal framework.