Category Archives: Uncategorized

Finding Customary International Law

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Ryan Scoville

I just posted the final, published version of my paper Finding Customary International Law, which came out in the Iowa Law Review last month. It’s available here.

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The Study of International Law in American Law Schools: A Brief History

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Ryan Scoville

As I’ve discussed in other posts, international law has a fairly peripheral role in American legal education. Only eight schools require their students to complete a course on the subject, and the range of international electives tends to be quite limited. … Continue reading →

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The Senkaku Islands and the Problem of Intertemporality

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Ryan Scoville

An underappreciated complexity in the dispute over the Senkaku Islands is that the merits of the competing claims don’t hinge exclusively on contemporary international law. One of the most central issues is whether the Senkakus were terra nullius when Japan … Continue reading →

Posted in International Law, Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands, Uncategorized, 尖閣諸島 | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Some Historical Perspective on Netanyahu’s Address to Congress

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Ryan Scoville

Today there’s some interesting news from the realm of foreign relations law: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will give an address to Congress next month on the topic of Iran’s nuclear program, presumably to encourage legislators to support a hardline … Continue reading →

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A Short Response to the Dudden Op-Ed

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Ryan Scoville

The New York Times published an op-ed today by University of Connecticut history professor Alexis Dudden, who criticizes the Japanese government for starting or at least intensifying territorial disputes with China, Korea, and Russia. Dudden contends that Japan’s territorial claims … Continue reading →

Posted in International Law, Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands, Uncategorized, 尖閣諸島 | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Senkakus in the ICJ

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Ryan Scoville

The Japan Times published an article today reporting that, in Jerome Cohen’s view, Japan should take the dispute over the Senkaku Islands to the International Court of Justice. From Tokyo’s perspective, this could be a win-win: either China consents to jurisdiction, in … Continue reading →

Posted in International Law, Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands, Uncategorized, 尖閣諸島 | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Recommended Reading on U.S. Foreign Relations Law: 2014 Edition

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Ryan Scoville

With the end of the year approaching, I’ll share a list of 10 really good articles from 2014 on the subject of U.S. foreign relations law, somewhat broadly defined. These aren’t the only noteworthy articles, but each stood out to me … Continue reading →

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Back From Japan: What I Learned

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Ryan Scoville

Recently I went to Japan as part of a small group of American academics and researchers who are interested in Japanese foreign policy. During the trip, we met with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Coast Guard, … Continue reading →

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Guest Post at Opinio Juris

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Ryan Scoville

I’ve done a guest post on Zivotofsky v. Kerry, the Israel passport case, over at the international law blog Opinio Juris. It’s available here.

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State Legislation on the “Sea of Japan” / “East Sea”

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Ryan Scoville

Recently certain Korean American groups have begun lobbying for state legislation requiring public school textbooks to explain that the “Sea of Japan” is also called the “East Sea.” Japan prefers and uses the former, while South Korea the latter. Bills … Continue reading →

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