International and Civil Law in the United States

This chapter discusses sources of information about international law and civil law in the United States. In beginning to look at U.S. practice in international law, a researcher needs to consider the sources of the law. The most important sources that may impose requirements or restrictions are treaties, which are agreements entered into between states. When approaching treaty research, researchers must consider three major steps. First, they must identify and locate the treaty; second, they must determine whether the treaty is “in force” and against whom; and third, they must consider how the terms of the treaty will be interpreted. In addition to treaties, the main sources of international law included in the Statute of the International Court of Justice are customary law, general principles of law, judicial decisions, and the writings of scholars or other publicists. The chapter then considers the place civil law had in the historical development of American law.