International Law: 50 Ways It Harms Our Lives

Abstract

At its 100th anniversary, the American Society of International Law released a brochure, “100 Ways International Law Shapes Our Lives”. At the 101st Annual Meeting of the Society, the President, Jose E. Alvarez, used the occasion of his annual address to present “The Future of Our Society” (subsequently published in the American Society of International Law’s Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting, April 9-12, 2008 at 499.) As part of that address, he introduced his “50 Ways International Law Hurts Our Lives.” As Alvarez indicates in his address, while the ASIL’s 100 Ways remains a useful instrument to educate the general public about the uses of international law, his much more critical “50 Ways” seeks to prevent complacency and encourage critical thought among those who write or practice international law. Today, Professor Alvarez still uses both the “100 Ways” and the “50 Ways” as a way to introduce international law to those just beginning to study it.