Oxford University Press has just launched a new online database called International Law in Domestic Courts. It is edited by Professors André Nolkaemper and Erika de Wet of the University of Amsterdam. The Board of Editors includes Dinah Shelton and Ralph Steinhardt, among other luminaries. The goal of the database is to collect all the major domestic...
I had lunch today in London with a very prominent British international law scholar and, of course, the main topic of conversation was Tony Blair. I will not reveal the name of the person to respect confidences, but will outline the gist of his impressions. He said that Tony Blair has done many good things in the domestic...
A federal court in California rendered a decision last week that included one of the most unusual references to international law I have ever seen. In the case of United States v. Slocum, 2007 WL 1290249, prison gang members Ronald Slocum (a.k.a. "McKool") and Henry Houston (a.k.a. "Tweek") received a message written in invisible ink from gang leaders outside...
The Southern District of New York last week dismissed a class action lawsuit by plaintiffs alleging that Israel has been systematically committing acts of targeted assassination of suspected terrorists. In the case of Matar v. Dichter, the defendant Avraham Dichter was the former director of GSS, an Israeli security organization. The complaint alleges that the defendant “developed, implemented,...
Based on this excerpt, can you guess the identity of this famous commencement speaker? More than any other generation of Americans, yours is tasked with resolving challenges that lie far beyond your doorstep — even far beyond America's borders. Between cell phones and the Internet, you have a world of information literally at your fingertips. And because our world is so...
I said a few days ago that I wanted to do a few posts on the unusual topic of the intersection between genocide and religion. Let me start this discussion by asking whether religion is somehow a factor in the decisionmaking process of those who choose to stand up and resist genocide. That was the question raised a...
As announced in today's orders, the Supreme Court has granted certiorari in Medellin v. Texas. Cert. briefs are available here. Not surprising, given that both Mexico and the United States filed amicus briefs supporting the grant of cert. ...
I would hazard that most undergraduate students have very little introduction to international law and if they do, it likely will come in a political science class. Of course a political science major likely will be exposed to international law in some upper-level classes, but the overwhelming majority of students do not venture beyond PoliSci 101. If these assumptions are...
Last night my family watched American Idol's charity event "Idol Gives Back" to raise money for charities in Africa and the United States. (You can watch some of the program here.) American Idol has partnered with organizations such as Malaria No More, UNICEF, Save the Children, The Global Fund, Boys and Girls Club of America, and America's Second...
I'm sorry but I just could not resist posting this wonderful letter to the editor sent by a reader in Hot Springs, Arkansas. (click to enlarge). The letter reads, "You may have noticed that March of this year was particularly hot. As a matter of fact, I understand that it was the hottest March since the beginning of...
Let me add my own thoughts to what Julian has said regarding yesterday's oral argument in Permanent Mission to India v. City of New York. I agree that the case is boring, but there is one really interesting issue regarding the use of a foreign treaty as legislative history. The precise statutory question was the meaning of the...
I had the good fortune to visit Columbia Law School last week to debate with Sarah Cleveland the merits and demerits of constitutional comparativism. It was a first class program with an introduction from ASIL President Jose Alvarez and thoughtful reflections from the panelists. The low point for me was the attempt by one speaker (not Alvarez, Cleveland or Jackson)...
