The special issue revisits the notion of 'human problems' in Philip C Jessup's 1956 Transnational Law' Storrs Lectures on Jurisprudence. In order to explore the methodology and analytical utility of 'human problems' and transnational law, the contributions introduce various case studies on corporate (ir)responsibility. This introduction first presents the role of 'human problems' in Jessup’s lecture on transnational law. It then briefly outlines some of the analytical benefits of a transnational 'human problem' perspective in general and in the context of studying issues of corporate (ir)responsibility in particular. A final section provides summaries of the contributions brought together in this special issue.