
Weijia Rao
Associate Professor of Law
BA, Tsinghua University
LLB, Tsinghua University
LLM, University of Chicago Law School
JSD, University of Chicago Law School
Biography
Weijia Rao’s research applies empirical methods to the study of international and comparative law, with a focus on legal institutions governing global trade and investment. Her work has examined the influence of global businesses on government regulations, the role of domestic politics in international dispute resolution, the evolution and impacts of international investment agreements, and China’s engagement with the international legal order. She teaches Contracts, International Trade Regulations, and a seminar on comparative law and China.
Professor Rao’s recent scholarship has been published or is forthcoming in the American Law and Economics Review, Journal of Law and Economics, Journal of Legal Studies, Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, Journal of Law and Courts, International Review of Law and Economics, Harvard International Law Journal, Yale Journal of International Law, and Chicago Journal of International Law.
Prior to joining Boston University, Rao was an assistant professor of law at George Mason University for four years. Prior to that, she practiced international trade and investment law at Sidley Austin LLP in Washington DC. She also has experience working at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), an investment arbitration institution under the World Bank Group. Professor Rao graduated from the University of Chicago Law School with a master’s degree (LLM) and a doctoral degree (JSD) in international law. Before coming to the United States, Professor Rao completed her undergraduate studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing, where she received a dual degree in law and economics. She is admitted to the New York State Bar.
- Profile Types
- Faculty, Full-Time Faculty, and Professors & Clinical Instructors
- Areas of Interest
- Contracts, Corporate, Business & Transactional Law, Empirical Legal Studies, International & Comparative Law, and International Arbitration
Publications
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Adam Chilton & Weijia Rao, Bilateral Treaties and Foreign Policy Convergence: Evidence from Bilateral Investment Treaties (forthcoming) American Law and Economics Review (2025)
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Weijia Rao, Signaling Through National Security Lawmaking (forthcoming) 59 U.C. Davis Law Review (2025)
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Nuno Garoupa & Weijia Rao, Foreign Judges and Foreign Case Citations: A Study of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal 2025 Journal of Law and Courts (2025)
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Adam Chilton & Weijia Rao, The Limits of Diplomacy by Treaty: Evidence from China’s Bilateral Investment Treaty Program 21 Journal of Empirical Legal Studies (2024)
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Weijia Rao, Large Corporations and Investor-State Arbitration 65 Harvard International Law Journal (2023)
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Cree Jones & Weijia Rao, (Un)stable BITs 47 Yale Journal of International Law (2022)
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Weijia Rao, Social Science Research and Reforms of International Institutions 22 Chicago Journal of International Law (2021)
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Weijia Rao, Are Arbitrators Biased in ICSID Arbitration? A Dynamic Perspective 66 International Review of Law and Economics (2021)
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Weijia Rao, Domestic Politics and Settlement in Investor-State Arbitration 50 The Journal of Legal Studies (2021)
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Cree Jones & Weijia Rao, Sticky BITs 61 Harvard International Law Journal (2020)
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Weijia Rao, Development Status and Decision-Making in Investment Treaty Arbitration 59 International Review of Law and Economics (2019)
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Weijia Rao, China's Market Economy Status Under WTO Antidumping Law After 2016 5 Tsinghua China Law Review (2013)
Scholarly Commons
Stories from The Record
Activities & Engagements
No upcoming activities or engagements.
Law, Globalization and Development Colloquium at NYU
Get DetailsInternational Law Colloquium at the University of Georgia: “Signaling through National Security Lawmaking”
Get DetailsAmerican Society of International Law Midyear Meeting
Get Details18th Annual Conference on Empirical Legal Studies at Emory University
Get DetailsBiennial Conference on International Law and Social Science at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law
Get DetailsBusiness Law Workshop at University of Oxford: “Signalling and China’s National Security Lawmaking”
Get DetailsCourses
Comparative Law and China: LAW JD 915
This seminar surveys the legal system of the People’s Republic of China, using China as a vehicle to explore and understand broader questions about law and legal comparison. Topics covered include China’s basic political and economic structure, sources of law, courts and dispute resolution, the legal profession, and selected topics in administrative law, corporate law, competition law, foreign investment, environment law, and international law. The seminar is designed to be accessible to all students, including those without prior knowledge of China, who are interested in understanding the legal dynamics of an increasingly important global power. UPPER-CLASS WRITING REQUIREMENT: A limited number of students may use this class to satisfy the requirement. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar, or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 915 A1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025Days | Start | End | Credits | Instructors | Bldg | Room |
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Tue | 4:20 pm | 6:20 pm | 3 | Weijia Rao | LAW | 416 |
International Trade Regulation: LAW JD 858
This course focuses on the law governing international trade, including both the law established by the World Trade Organization and relevant U.S. laws. This will include an in-depth analysis of the treaties, regulations, and case law that govern international trade. The course will cover the basic principles and mechanisms of international trade law, including most-favored-nation (MFN), national treatment, dispute settlement, as well as relevant laws in different substantive areas such as tariffs, quotas, services, intellectual property, and trade remedies. The course will also examine the political economy of international trade relations, including how economic and political forces have shaped current regulatory policies and may shape future policies.
SPRG 2025: LAW JD 858 A1 , Jan 13th to Apr 23rd 2025Days | Start | End | Credits | Instructors | Bldg | Room |
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Mon,Wed | 2:15 pm | 3:40 pm | 3 | Weijia Rao | LAW | 209 |
Supervised Research and Writing: LAW JD 841
Upper-class students may pursue a special research interest under the guidance of a full time faculty member, and earn one or two semester credits for a Supervised Research and Writing project (also known as an Independent Study). The study must involve a substantial investment of time and effort, and result in significant written work that reflects a high standard of legal scholarship. The student's final grade will be based solely upon written work submitted, and will be included in the student's average. NOTE: Students must register for Supervised Research and Writing directly with the Registrar's Office. You may not register via the Student Link.
FALL 2024: LAW JD 841 A1 , Sep 3rd to Dec 5th 2024Days | Start | End | Credits | Instructors | Bldg | Room |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Ngozi Okidegbe |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Sarah R. Sherman-Stokes |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Michael J. Meurer |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Robert L. Tsai |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Karen Pita Loor |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Naomi M. Mann |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Yoana Kuzmova |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Shira M. Diner |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Julio Henriquez |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Aziza Ahmed |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Sadiq Reza |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Stacey Dogan |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Stefanie B. Weigmann |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Shira M. Diner |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Sadiq Reza |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Caitlin Glass |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Alan L. Feld |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Erika George |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Katharine B. Silbaugh |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Keith N. Hylton |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Keith N. Hylton |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Debbie Freitas |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | David H. Webber |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Hodo Walker |
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ARR | 12:00 am | 12:00 am | Var | Weijia Rao |
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