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Here's what I did this afternoon: More details at Soul of Miami and Sex and the Beach. It was a good party - met Mustang Bobby and saw the Miami Beach 411 crowd - always the life of the party. Plus I met the Genius of Despair (but not, alas, Gimleteye, with whom it seems I may have a few things in common. There was a loud band, which I would enjoyed more under other circumstances. The folks at Graziano's were pouring lethal rum-and-cokes; I haven't seen ratios like that since college. One glass... Posted on November 21, 2009 at 08:07 am by Michael

Jonathan Simon writes that California's protesters should Strike Against Prisons not Education. (Note: Jon wrote this before the latest round of protests.) Posted on November 20, 2009 at 08:01 pm by Michael

Advocates of a 'plain meaning' approach to constitutional interpretation may have to conclude that Texas accidentally banned all marriage, as described in this McClatchy report, Texas' gay marriage ban may have banned all marriages Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general, says that a 22-word clause in a 2005 constitutional amendment designed to ban gay marriages erroneously endangers the legal status of all marriages in the state. The amendment,... Posted on November 20, 2009 at 07:38 pm by Michael

(Today IntLawGrrls reproduces in full the speech that Stephen J. Rapp, U.S. Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues, gave Thursday to the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court, meeting now at The Hague. We've added hypertexts to enhance thinking about these remarks, which, as posted represent a new U.S. engagement with the ICC. Our thanks to the U.S. State Department for furnishing the text.) It is a pleasure to address you on behalf of the US Delegation, which for... Posted on November 20, 2009 at 09:01 pm

On this day in ... ... 1979 (30 years ago today), in Islamabad, a "five-hour siege" that "began as an organised student protest" turned into a mob attack that resulted in the death of one Marine at the U.S. embassy in Pakistan, which was burned to the ground. The BBC attributed the attack to a radio broadcast in which Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini contended that "Americans were behind the occupation of Islam's holiest site, the Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia" -- a broadcast that the U.S. State... Posted on November 20, 2009 at 09:00 pm

The International Committee of the Red Cross has just released an unusually critical report on internal displacement in armed conflict. The report challenges the excessive labeling of forced migrants, a phenomenon that this author attributes to the legalization of humanitarian emergencies, and questions the international community's focus on camps as the locus of humanitarian aid to victims of forced displacement in armed conflict. In 2008, there were 26 million internally displaced, many of... Posted on November 20, 2009 at 03:00 am

Policy hurts Japanese nationals too Lawyer for Christopher Savoie foresees curbs on visits 'home' with kids By JEREMY D. MORLEY In the debate about whether Japan should sign the Hague abduction convention, a serious consequence of Japan's failure to ratify the treaty is being overlooked. Japan's failure to sign the convention is extremely damaging to Japanese nationals living overseas, since it makes it far harder for them to bring their children to Japan for visits, and encourages them to... Posted on November 16, 2009 at 09:38 pm by Jeremy Morley

/**/ Does the U.S. comply with the Hague Abduction Convention? By Jeremy Morley The United States Congress has instructed the U.S. Secretary of State to issue annual reports evaluating the compliance by other countries of their obligations under the Hague Abduction Convention. Valuable efforts are under way that seek to expand such oversight by agencies of the U.S. Government. All of this naturally raises the question of the extent to which the United States is itself in reasonable compliance... Posted on November 13, 2009 at 06:40 am by Jeremy Morley

Korea is apparently taking steps towards signing the Hague Abduction Convention. This would be a major step forward in the prevention of international child abduction. Korea Mulls Signing Treaty to Protect Kids Korea is moving to sign an international treaty to protect children against parental abuse and possible abduction in cases of multi-cultural marriage breakdown. A government source said the nation is inching closer to joining the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child... Posted on October 25, 2009 at 04:17 am by Jeremy Morley

Security Council Compendium, a juscogens.net feature, provides a comprehensive, concise summary of the work of the United Nations Security Council in an organized, central location and an unbiased, objective manner. For comments or suggestions, please contact editor@juscogens.net. Security Council Resolutions S/RES/1726 (15 December 2006) The situation in C&#xc3&#xb4te d'Ivoire Synopsis of Resolution 1726: Acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, Resolution 1726 extends the mandate of the United... Posted on January 3, 2007 at 03:20 am by Editor

International Courts & Tribunals at a Glance, a juscogens.net feature, aims to provide timely notice of recent happenings and trial developments in an organized, central location and an unbiased, objective manner. For comments or suggestions, please contact editor@juscogens.net. International Court of Justice (ICJ) The International Court of Justice revises Practice Directions IX and XI and adopts new Practice Directions IXbis and IXter (13 December 2006) From the ICJ: "As part of the... Posted on December 19, 2006 at 02:01 am by Editor

This Week in Public International Law Scholarship, a juscogens.net feature, highlights new and notable books and articles concerning public international law. For comments, suggestions, or omissions please contact editor@juscogens.net. Books: Ola Engdahl, Protection of Personnel in Peace Operations: The Role of the 'Safety Convention' Against the Background of General International Law Vitit Muntarbhorn, A Commentary on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: Sexual... Posted on December 17, 2006 at 02:19 pm by Editor

Harvard Law School is hosting in a couple of weeks what is certain to be a very interesting small conference on the Alien Tort Statute. I was lucky enough to be one of the invitees, addressing the issue of corporate liability under the ATS. I address the issue of corporate liability under the ATS, but am actually interested in it from a broader perspective, the "jurisprudential" perspective on the distinct and sharply divided "communities of interpretive authority" over such issues in the ATS... Posted on October 14, 2009 at 06:58 pm

I see that I'm quoted by Mark Mazetti and Scott Shane in their New York Times article today, CIA Had Plan to Assassinate Qaeda Leaders (July 13, 2009). I'm trying hard to maintain radio silence and not blog to let my shoulder heal up, but let me say something very brief about this. Also, I only post occasionally here - mostly I post these days at Volokh Conspiracy and Opinio Juris and CTLab. First, I'm delighted, of course, that the CIA post 9-11 was formulating plans to try and kill Al Qaeda... Posted on July 14, 2009 at 08:16 am

I have a new essay just published yesterday in the European Journal of International Law, titled (if link doesn't work and you still want the piece, email me and I'll send it that way): The Rise of International Criminal Law: Intended and Unintended Consequences. (EJIL, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 331-358, June 2009.) EJIL is a subscriber wall Oxford UP journal, but I'm allowed to put up a link to the full text here on my personal website. If you'd like to read it, this link is supposed to work to the... Posted on July 2, 2009 at 09:29 am

TRATADO DE LA OMPI SOBRE DERECHO DE AUTOR (WCT) Adoptado en la Conferencia Diplom&#xc3&#xa1tica sobre ciertas cuestiones de derecho de autor y derechos conexos que tuvo lugar en Ginebra del 2 al 20 de diciembre de 1996.PRE&#xc3MBULOLas Partes Contratantes,Deseosas de desarrollar y mantener la protecci&#xc3&#xb3n de los derechos de los autores sobre sus obras literarias y art&#xc3&#xadsticas de la manera m&#xc3&#xa1s eficaz y uniforme posible,Reconociendo la necesidad de introducir nuevas normas internacionales y clarificar la... Posted on June 2, 2009 at 05:00 pm by Julio César Córdoba

CONVENCI&#xc3&#x93N INTERNACIONAL SOBRE LA PROTECCI&#xc3&#x93N DE LOS ARTISTAS, INT&#xc3&#x89RPRETES O EJECUTANTES, LOS PRODUCTORES DE FONOGRAMAS Y LOS ORGANISMOS DE RADIODIFUSI&#xc3&#x93N Los Estados contratantes, animados del deseo de asegurar la protecci&#xc3&#xb3n de los derechos de los artistas int&#xc3&#xa9rpretes o ejecutantes, de los productores de fonogramas y de los organismos de radiodifusi&#xc3&#xb3n,Han convenido:Art. 1.&#xe2€&#x91 La protecci&#xc3&#xb3n prevista en la presente convenci&#xc3&#xb3n dejar&#xc3&#xa1 intacta y no afectar&#xc3&#xa1 en modo alguno a la protecci&#xc3&#xb3n... Posted on June 1, 2009 at 05:00 pm by Julio César Córdoba

CONVENIO PARA LA PROTECCI&#xc3&#x93N DE LOS PRODUCTORES DE FONOGRAMAS CONTRA LA REPRODUCCI&#xc3&#x93N NO AUTORIZADA DE SUS FONOGRAMAS Los Estados contratantes,Preocupados por la extensi&#xc3&#xb3n e incremento de la reproducci&#xc3&#xb3n no autorizada de fonogramas y por el perjuicio resultante para los intereses de los autores, de los artistas int&#xc3&#xa9rpretes o ejecutantes y de los productores de fonogramas;Convencidos de que la protecci&#xc3&#xb3n de los productores de fonogramas contra los actos referidos beneficiar&#xc3&#xa1 tambi&#xc3&#xa9n a los... Posted on May 31, 2009 at 05:00 pm by Julio César Córdoba

I'm often surprised by how much support there is for "Buy National" provisions (see, e.g., the proposal of many U.S. Democratic house members here). WTO DG Pascal Lamy, in his 2009 annual report on trade and trade-related developments, discusses the issue in the context of the recent stimulus measures, and then presents a brief critique of such policies: 70. Annexes 2 and 3 provide factual information on the general economic stimulus measures and the specific measures for financial... Posted on November 22, 2009 at 05:33 am by Simon Lester

From Dean Baker (via Todd Tucker): ... the US doesn't have to "pressure" China to boost the yuan. Contrary to what you may have read in the paper, Washington is not helpless in this story. Just as China can set a value of its currency against the dollar, the US government can set a value of the dollar against the yuan. The Chinese government currently supports an exchange rate at which the dollar can buy 6.8 yuan. This high value of the dollar makes US goods uncompetitive relative to China's.... Posted on November 22, 2009 at 05:19 am by Simon Lester

Some Democrats (127 in the House) are urging a "new direction" for U.S. trade policy. For instance: H.R. 3012, TRADE Act ... The bill spells out what should be in trade agreements including standards on: labor, environment, food and product safety, agriculture, human rights, currency anti-manipulation rules, national security, procurement, investment The bill also lists issues that should NOT be in trade agreements including: bans on Buy America, bans on anti-sweatshop rules, new rights for... Posted on November 20, 2009 at 06:14 am by Simon Lester

John R. Crook (George Washington Univ. - Law), Brooks Daly (Permanent Court of Arbitration), and Wendy Miles (Wilmer Hale) will speak today at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law on "Resolving Competing Claims: The Recent Abyei Arbitration in Sudan." Posted on November 22, 2009 at 04:18 pm by Jacob Katz Cogan

Deborah Pearlstein (Princeton Univ. - Woodrow Wilson School) will give a talk today at the Georgetown University Law Center Foreign Relations Law Colloquium on "Form and Function in the National Security Constitution." Posted on November 22, 2009 at 04:10 pm by Jacob Katz Cogan

Daniel Bodansky (Univ. of Georgia - Law) has published The Art and Craft of International Environmental Law (Harvard Univ. Press 2009). Here's the abstract: International environmental law is often closer to home than we know, affecting the food we eat, the products we buy, and even the air we breathe. Drawing on more than two decades of experience as a government negotiator, consultant, and academic, Daniel Bodansky brings a real-world perspective on the processes by which international... Posted on November 22, 2009 at 01:05 am by Jacob Katz Cogan

As you can tell, Korea Law Blog is pretty moribund. I've simply decided that my opinion on legal matters is not a matter of urgency for all people. That said, I think I might be interested in keeping a generalized blog under a different URL, one which would accommodate my opinions on cats, bacon-flavored mayonnaise, and such matters-including politics and Korean legal matters. Watch this space. Posted on June 1, 2009 at 04:02 am by Brendon Carr

SsangYong Motor Company (SYMC), Korea's fifth carmaker and a holdover "zombie" company from the 1998 financial crisis, appears to be on the brink of bankruptcy, with its major shareholder Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, apparently having had enough of the company and its union, threatening to walk away from the company and to allow the company to go bankrupt. Will this contribute to a reordering of the Korean labor market? Probably not. There is an important difference between the US... Posted on December 25, 2008 at 10:41 pm by Brendon Carr

Some good news for a change: The Seoul High Court has ruled that foreign residents of Korea cannot be deported simply because of testing HIV positive, according to a report in the Law Times I noticed today. The High Court, an intermediate appellate court, affirmed a district court ruling in favor of a Chinese migrant laborer, a Mr. (Ms.?) Heo, who challenged a deportation order by the Seoul Bureau of the Immigration Service prompted by an HIV-positive blood test result. Presiding Judge Yu... Posted on November 14, 2008 at 03:29 am by Brendon Carr

A senior Australian police officer was arrested earlier this week in Sydney, charged with conspiracy for allegedly coordinating a plan to smuggle precursor chemicals into the country in an attempt to synthesize over $115 million worth of methamphetamine. Mark Standen, 51, who served as Assistant Director of the New South Wales Crime Commission, was arrested in his office Monday, following a Posted on June 6, 2008 at 10:14 am by McNabb Associates, P.C.

Early last week, 38 persons from Romania and the United States, some with alleged connections to organized crime, were indicted in US federal court for computer and credit card fraud. The scam reportedly involved "phishing," soliciting personal information via email for illegal use, and "smishing," soliciting personal information via text messages for illegal use.[1] Deputy Attorney General Posted on May 28, 2008 at 12:41 am by McNabb Associates, P.C.

Alleged international arms dealer Viktor Bout, arrested in March in Thailand during a joint operation involving agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, was indicted by a federal grand jury this week on charges of conspiracy and supporting terrorism.[1] As previously reported in this blog, Bout had been accused of trafficking arms to various blacklisted rebel groups and governments, Posted on May 11, 2008 at 09:32 am by McNabb Associates, P.C.

Fourteen alleged warlords have been extradited from Columbia to the United States to face drug trafficking charges in a move the Bush administration feels supports a trade deal with Columbia.[1] Many Colombians fear a narrow U.S. focus on drug crimes would allow for the warlords and their allies to evade responsibility for committing alleged human rights violations including the deaths of nearly 10,000 people.[2] Salvatore Mancuso and other top leaders of Colombia's right-wing militias were... Posted on May 18, 2008 at 05:24 am by McNabb Associates, P.C.

Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher has announced that Carlos Mario Jimenez-Naranjo, has been extradited from Colombia to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. Jimenez-Naranjo faces drug-related charges in the District of Columbia and the Southern District of Florida. Jimenez-Naranjo has already made his initial appearance before Judge Alan Kay in the District of Columbia.[1] Jimenez-Naranjo was indicted in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to manufacture and... Posted on May 10, 2008 at 09:19 am by McNabb Associates, P.C.

A member of the House Armed Services Committee has called for the Department of Defense to review what he believes is a botched investigation of a case involving a corporal accused of the murder and rape of a pregnant Marine.[1] Authorities have alleged that Cpl. Cesar Laurean, killed fellow Marine Maria Lauterbach in mid-December of 2007. Laurean is currently awaiting extradition back to the United States after his arrest in Mexico. He has been charged with murder.[2] Rep. Michael Turner... Posted on April 26, 2008 at 04:02 pm by McNabb Associates, P.C.

In 1997, the Member States adopted a code of conduct for business taxation, by which they agreed to dismantle progressively specific tax measures categorised as harmful, while the Commission expressed its intention to examine or re-examine, with regard to the rules governing State aid, the tax schemes in force in the Member States. In the course of that examination, the Commission requested details on a scheme introduced by the Netherlands concerning international financing activities carried... Posted on November 11, 2009 at 01:30 am by Allard Knook

This reference for a preliminary ruling concerned the legal regime governing public-private partnership arrangements in the context of the management of public services. As is well known, the direct attribution of the management of public services to a semi-public company is contrary to Community law if the requirements of the directives on public procurement are not satisfied. As pointed out by the Advocate General to this case, this case had "a specific characteristic which set it apart from... Posted on November 10, 2009 at 03:09 am by Allard Knook

>> Court interprets several provisions of &#xc3&#x85rhus Directive, EIA Directive and IPPC Directive This was an interesting case on Directive 2003/35, which, as was well known, together with Directive 2003/4/EC, implemented the first and second "pillars" of the &#xc3&#x85rhus Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. In short, this case was based on two different pre-litigation procedures. First, the Commission complained... Posted on September 16, 2009 at 03:43 pm by Allard Knook

The New York Times writes about the two new (or upgraded) posts that were filled in for the European Union yesterday: Leaders of the 27 countries of the European Union on Thursday night chose Herman Van Rompuy, the Belgian prime minister, as the European Union's first president, and Catherine Ashton of Britain, currently the bloc's trade commissioner, as its high representative for foreign policy. The vote was unanimous. Both officials are highly respected but little known outside their own... Posted on November 20, 2009 at 07:33 am

An agreement negotiated between the US and the EU on sharing bank data in the context of antiterrorism has just been blocked by Germany, France, Finland and Austria. This shift in German policy signals general political changes that will continue to impact transatlantic relations. Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, German Minister of Justice, has a strong socially liberal profile. She had the same post in a CDU/CSU-FDP coalition in the '90s and resigned when her party agreed to far-reaching... Posted on November 16, 2009 at 02:12 am

"America's Defining Choice" is a simple one, writes Nicholas Kristof in the NY Times: What's the best way to spend $100 billion per year? Health reform or troops for Afghanistan? Simple, because lack of insurance kills far more Americans than the Taliban does. And Europe has made that decision already a long time ago... Posted on November 12, 2009 at 09:54 am

Ma&#xc3&#xb1ana jueves 5 de noviembre de 2009 a las 15 hs. se dictar&#xc3&#xa1 en el aula 1 de extensi&#xc3&#xb3n universitaria de la Facultad de Derecho de la UBA una conferencia sobre la Resoluci&#xc3&#xb3n alternativa de disputas: evaluaci&#xc3&#xb3n neutral previa. La experiencia norteamericana. La misma estar&#xc3&#xa1 a cargo de Wayne Brazil, quien ser&#xc3&#xa1 presentado por Gladys &#xc3lvarez. La entrada es libre y gratuita y se entregar&#xc3&#xa1n certificados de asistencia. Posted on November 4, 2009 at 03:53 am by Julio César Córdoba

El pr&#xc3&#xb3ximo d&#xc3&#xada martes 17 de noviembre a las 19 horas la profesora Katharina Boele-Woelki dictar&#xc3&#xa1 una conferencia titulada "The Application of a Law other than a National Law in International Contracts". La presentaci&#xc3&#xb3n de la disertante estar&#xc3&#xa1 a cargo de la profesora Mar&#xc3&#xada Blanca Noodt Taquela. Katharina Boele-Woelki es profesora de Derecho internacional privado, Derecho comparado y Derecho de Familia de la Universidad de Utrecht, Pa&#xc3&#xadses Bajos. Ha sido investigadora en el departamento de... Posted on November 3, 2009 at 03:08 am by Julio César Córdoba

El a&#xc3&#xb1o pasado la Convenci&#xc3&#xb3n de Nueva York de 1958 sobre el Reconocimiento y Ejecuci&#xc3&#xb3n de las Sentencias Arbitrales Extranjeras cumpli&#xc3&#xb3 sus primeros 50 a&#xc3&#xb1os de vida. Dif&#xc3&#xadcilmente este tratado requiera presentaci&#xc3&#xb3n de mi parte: vigente en casi todo el planeta, es uno de los instrumentos internacionales m&#xc3&#xa1s exitosos y ha sido definido como la piedra fundamental del arbitraje comercial internacional. Los aniversarios son ocasiones propicias para realizar balances y tal vez por eso la... Posted on October 16, 2009 at 03:28 am by Julio César Córdoba

Sometimes it takes a while for things to actually hit the front of my brain. Such is the case with a June 2009 decision of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals involving an appeal from a criminal conviction under ITAR. In the spirit of "better late than never," here is a summary of U.S. v. Pulungan (No. 08-3000, decided Jun. 15, 2009). Mr. Pulungan tried to export some riflescopes to Indonesia. Believing there to be an arms embargo on Indonesia, he planned conceal the actual destination by... Posted on November 17, 2009 at 12:57 am by Larry

Here is an interesting footnote to my recent post on Customs and Border Protection's enforcement of intellectual property rights. First, I received an e-mail from some well-respected customs lawyers expressing concerns over Customs' enforcement. The concerns included the timing of infringement decisions and, surprisingly, the fact that Customs' has seized legitimate merchandise bearing registered a trademark on the theory that the registered trademark infringed another registered trademark.... Posted on November 10, 2009 at 11:43 am by Larry

It has been a while since I have done a purely off-topic post. For purposes of efficiency and recognizing that most visitors to this blog are looking for specific and useful information, I have avoided the "whatever strikes my fancy" kind of post. Facebook has also given me a more appropriate outlet for those topics. That said, I am moved to write about an episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. I am not a fan of classic American musical theater. I would rather do just about anything than... Posted on November 8, 2009 at 03:29 am by Larry

Silvio Berlusconi is a modern dictator. He controls all the most important functions of the state and is THE key player in the private sphere. Modern dictators are characterized by an ability to disguise their authoritarianism through subtle strategies of marketing and communication. Mr B is unusually suited for this role. Since 1994 he poisoned Italian political life, after having wrecked the italian cultural environment with its commercial televisions. Its legacy, unfortunately, will be... Posted on September 3, 2009 at 09:48 pm by Lorenzo Zucca

Does anyone out there know who Barroso is? More importantly does anybody know what was his best achievement during his four years as President of the European Commission, the highest institution within the EU? Very few will be able to answer those questions. And even those 'in the know' will have trouble chanting the praise of a strawman. Here comes the most important question? Why do European Member States want to re-elect him as President? Sadly, the only possible answer is that Barroso does... Posted on September 1, 2009 at 10:20 pm by Lorenzo Zucca

Berlin was like a honeymoon between America and Europe. But Obama's honey words, were a little too sweet: That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot turn inward. America has no better partner than Europe. Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that bound us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice, and a global commitment to progress, to meet the... Posted on July 25, 2008 at 10:21 am

by Kevin Jon Heller It is becoming increasingly clear that the Registry made no attempt to comply with the Appeals Chamber's decision in Seselj. I have now learned that the Registry arranged for Dr. Karadzic to meet with five defence barristers, including Mr. Harvey. Dr. Karadzic was then given a deadline to choose one. Instead, citing Seselj, Dr. Karadzic asked for a copy of the Rule 44 list so that he could have a wider selection. In particular, he wanted the opportunity to choose a barrister... Posted on November 21, 2009 at 04:54 am by Kevin Jon Heller

by Julian Ku James Comey and Jack Goldsmith provide here the best (although not completely convincing) defense of the decision to try KSM in New York. I agree that the most defensible explanation is that military commissions remain constitutionally vulnerable, hence it makes sense to use the civilian courts for your most important cases. I don't quite buy this, but I think this is the most sensible explanation of what seems otherwise a totally baffling decision. Posted on November 21, 2009 at 04:00 am by Julian Ku

by Kevin Jon Heller When I critique the US's refusal to join the ICC in my international criminal law class, I make sure to emphasize not only that the US has traditionally played a very positive role in ICL - from Nuremberg to the SCSL - but also that the Rome Statute would be considerably worse but for the input of the American representatives at PrepCom and the Rome Conference. Like many others, therefore, I am encouraged by the US's recent decision to observe the Review Conference in 2010.... Posted on November 20, 2009 at 10:54 pm by Kevin Jon Heller

The American Society of International Law publishes a series of short articles to explain current issues in international law. The latest is "Germany Sues Italy at the International Court of Justice on Foreign Sovereign Immunity - Legal Underpinnings and Implications... Posted on November 20, 2009 at 11:53 am by InternationalLaw Blogger

Herman van Rompuy of Belgium was elected as the first President of the European Council. He is described as a "little-known Belgian federalist" Baroness Catherine Ashton of the United Kingdom was elected as the first EU High Representative for Foreign... Posted on November 20, 2009 at 11:39 am by InternationalLaw Blogger

OK, we don't make these things up. The UN has designated World Toilet Day. The underlying idea is sound (about providing proper sanitation for prisoners and others) but gosh, I think they need a new name for this day. Then... Posted on November 19, 2009 at 06:06 pm by InternationalLaw Blogger

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The announcement below came in from Steve Griffin at Tulane. It sounds like an exceptional opportunity from one of the great centers of comparative law in the U.S. --- Tulane Law School is seeking a full-time tenured faculty member interested in international development to teach and become the Executive Director of the School's Payson Center for International Development and Technology Transfer. This is a unique opportunity to head a Center with international impact and to develop its... Posted on November 15, 2009 at 12:33 pm by Tom Ginsburg

Allison Christians (Wisconsin Law) has an interesting new piece on tax law and development that is worth reading called Global Trends and Constraints on Tax Policy in the Least Developed Countries. ABSTRACT: Through decades of tax reform and cross-border collaboration, the world's wealthiest countries have adopted domestic tax policy norms that meet their mutually beneficial interests. But these norms have introduced rigorous change and increasingly rigid parameters for tax policy in the... Posted on November 10, 2009 at 02:30 am by D. Daniel Sokol

With the climate change meetings in Copenhagen now less than a month away, it appears the goal of the meetings could be changing. The meetings next month were expected to result in a legally binding treaty among many nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, it looks like talks next month will result in political declarations to cut emissions and on financing issues, rather than a legally binding agreement. Many believe that hopes for a legally binding treaty will be pushed to... Posted on November 17, 2009 at 07:50 am

United States President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao announced they have reached a clean-tech agreement. The agreement is aimed at increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy, and would create a US-China clean-tech research center. President Obama spoke on the agreement saying, "As the two largest consumers and producers of energy, there can be no solution to this challenge without the efforts of both China and the United States." The US-China Clean Energy Research Center... Posted on November 17, 2009 at 07:48 am

Sens. Jim Webb (D-VA) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) have introduced new climate change legislation as an alternative to the current cap-and-trade legislation. The bipartisan legislation calls for funding increases for clean energy technology. The "Clean Energy Act of 2009" would increase the DOE's loan guarantee authority to $100 billion and provide $750 million per year for five "mini-Manhattan" projects. Posted on November 17, 2009 at 07:44 am

The biggest gap in world trade includes the U.S. trade deficit and the Chinese trade surplus. This gap is driven, in part, by what some claim is China's pegging of the Yuan at an artificially low rate against the U.S. dollar in an effort to boost exports. But exports are slowing, and, in a dramatic departure from previous policy China has indicated it may allow yuan appreciation against the dollar. The Yuan recently strengthened by nearly 20 percent against the Dollar (between July 2005 and... Posted on November 12, 2009 at 08:12 am by Aaron Ball

Pace International Law Review will host a symposium entitled "Comparative Constitutional Law: National Security Across the Globe" in conjunction with the Blaine Sloan Lecture on International Law: "After Gitmo: Obama Grapples with Preventive Detention." Scott Horton of Harper's Magazine is the keynote speaker. The symposium will be held on November 13, 2009. It is a day long discussion on the legal issues faced by various nations which must balance constitutional and civil rights with national... Posted on November 11, 2009 at 07:59 am by Aaron Ball

WHEN the figures are finally tallied, Colombia may prove to have weathered the world recession better than any other of the larger Latin American countries. After a slight contraction at the end of 2008, the economy has been growing modestly this year. This resilience stems from continued foreign investment, an increase in government spending on public works and easier money: since December the central bank has cut interest rates by six percentage points, to 4%, a steeper drop than anywhere in... Posted on October 22, 2009 at 12:40 pm by Aaron Ball

Cheap, fast, direct: dispute resolution's online future [www.cdr-news.com] Posted on November 4, 2009 at 11:47 am

Please visit Cyberweek 2009 for a diverse collection of opportunities and experiences related to ODR. Register so that we may send you information during the week. Questions or comments please contact us at the Center. Posted on October 27, 2009 at 01:41 pm

If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend you check out the U.S. General Services Administration's (GSA's) Office of Citizen Services & Communications latest Intergovernmental Solutions Newsletter, which is organized around the theme of "Engaging Citizens in Government." Not your typical newsletter, this 43-page PDF document includes article after article written by public and private sector leaders in public engagement. Contents include: - Increasing Citizen Engagement... Posted on October 5, 2009 at 12:53 pm

In Case T&#xe2€&#x91191/08 the European Court of Justice (ECJ) declined JOOP!'s motion to permit registration of a single exclamation mark placed inside a rectangle as a Community trademark. The court ruled that this mark lacks distinctive character and therefore can not be registered as a trademark, pursuant to Art 7 Sec. 1b) of Regulation No 40/94. The single exclamation mark is a mere eye catcher, not suitable to convey the origin of goods. The court also rejected the point that the mark had... Posted on October 11, 2009 at 09:00 pm by Chris

I have recently posted a comment about the Advocate General's Opinion in relation to Google AdWords. There is an excellent summary of the opinion here on Shireen Smith's blog ip-brands.com. &#xc2&#xa9 Chris for German Trademark Law In A Nutshell, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Posted on October 11, 2009 at 01:23 pm by Chris

There are some news in regards to cases involving the question whether the use of trademarked keywords in Google AdWords constitutes a trademark infringement. The Advocate General Poiares Maduro has delivered his opinion on the joined cases C&#xe2€&#x91236/08, C&#xe2€&#x91237/08 and C&#xe2€&#x91238/08 involving Google (France), Viaticum Luteciel, CNRRH and others, previously ruled by the French Cour de Cassation. This opinion is not to be confused with a judgement of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) nor is it in... Posted on September 27, 2009 at 01:59 pm by Chris

The Louisiana Law Review has published The English Fox in the Louisiana Civil Law Chausse- Trappe: Civil Law Concepts in the English Language; Comparativists Beware!, 69 La Law Rev 715 (Summer 2009), an article, presented in the La. Law Rev. in English, based on an article by Professor Alain Levasseur, published in French in the January 2009 issue of the Revue Internationale de Droit Compar&#xc3&#xa9 (R.I.D.C.). The title of the Article in the R.I.D.C. is Les maux des mots en droit compar&#xc3&#xa9. Professor... Posted on July 9, 2009 at 05:12 am by Vicenç Feliú

Last month I accepted a new job as the Director of the Law Library and assistant professor of law at the University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law. As can be expected, my duties there have very little to do with the civil law. However, I intend to keep this blog active as an archive of civil law resources and I intend to add to it as I will continue to maintain my personal interest in the civil law. Thank you all for following this modest effort and I hope that you... Posted on July 9, 2009 at 05:02 am by Vicenç Feliú

Online University Lowdown has published a list of 50 Best Blogs for Law Librarians and The Yellow Shoe Civil Law Blog is on the list! Posted on May 19, 2009 at 01:18 am by Vicenç Feliú

I am happy to report that our blogging hiatus is finally over. However, we won't be updating this site anymore - Tobias, Nicki and I are now part of the new team of the Invisible College. We hope to see you there. Posted on January 24, 2008 at 04:31 pm

Yes, I know I have already written a fair bit about the jurisdiction-related aspects of the Genocide case, but recent research, and a few ideas resulting from that, leads me to add a few short comments on the notion of res judicata applied by the Court (the judgment is now here, the Court's website having been much improved since my original post). It will be recalled that the Court treated the 1996 judgment as deciding not only that the Court had jurisdiction under Article 36 of the Statute,... Posted on June 23, 2007 at 09:44 am

As our loyal readers will have noticed, during the last weeks/months, we haven't had the time to blog as often as we would have liked to. It's not that there aren't interesting things to blog about, it's simply that we all don't have the time/energy, what with dissertations to write etc. As we don't really see that changing for a couple of months at least, we decided to make it an "official" blog hiatus. We might come back for a post or two to finish those "Part 1 of X"-series, but in general,... Posted on April 21, 2007 at 01:43 pm by Bjoern Elberling

This summer, I guided a 29 day backpacking expedition in the European Alps. My co-leader and I were in charge of a group of 14 high school students, who came from all over the United States. We flew into Paris and then took numerous forms of transportation to get to Chamonix, a town in southeastern [...] Posted on August 13, 2007 at 04:30 pm by mflynn

Hey everyone! My name is Stephen Wiese and I'm a rising 2L at WashU. I'm spending this summer doing public interest work at an NGO in Kathmandu, Nepal. It focuses generally on combatting corruption and protecting natural and cultural heritage in Nepal. I arrived about a week ago. After trying to fit as much touristy stuff in before [...] Posted on May 27, 2007 at 03:28 am by swiese

Hi everybody! I'm Gabriel Bell, and this is my return to Korea. Yes, return. Before I came to law school I spent three years living here and teaching English, and I've missed it so that I decided to to come back for a summer, maybe more. My summer will be spent working a 10 week summer associate [...] Posted on May 24, 2007 at 05:38 pm by gbell

I am happy to report that the team from my alma mater, Pepperdine Law School, won the prestigious Willem C. Vis (East) International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Hong Kong. The event is hosted annually and law students from all countries are eligible to compete. The moot always involves a contract dispute between two countries that are party to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. Traditionally, the Vis Arbitral Moot has been held in Vienna; the Hong... Posted on March 30, 2007 at 10:50 am by Erin E. Gleason, Esq.

Tomorrow, March 8th, is International Women's Day. It is a time set aside for people to celebrate the achievements of women around the world, and to inspire women to achieve their full potential. Observed since the early 1900's, International Women's Day has developed into an event celebrated the world over. Here are just a few examples of events that will happen this week: Pakistan: The first Women Excellence Awards will take place, an event to thank, congratulate and commemorate women's... Posted on March 7, 2007 at 07:30 am by Erin E. Gleason, Esq.

Various dispute resolution organizations are recognizing the importance of mentoring in developing one's practice. Mentoring can be an essential tool in honing technique, forming marketing strategies and building up your network early on in your career. Next month, at its annual meeting, the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution will sponsor a program entitled, "The Mentoring Master Class: Every Mediator Needs a Mentor, Every Mediator Can Be A Mentor, Too". Discussions will center on what you need... Posted on March 1, 2007 at 02:46 am by Erin E. Gleason, Esq.

Recent news articles suggest that Japan's real estate market is finally starting to recover from the "bubble" economy that burst more than a decade ago. Our direct experience in real estate transactions in Japan also supports that view. For those interested in developments in the real estate and REIT market in Japan, a new blog called Japan Real Estate Blog has current information and some useful links. Share this post: email it! | del.icio.us it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted on October 24, 2005 at 06:29 pm by Don Bell

The Japanese Government announced that the Japanese economy expanded by 3.3% in the second quarter, largely as a result of business and consumer spending. This is the first time since 1991 that the economy's recovery has been fueled by consumer spending and capital investment as opposed to government spending and exports. Share this post: email it! | del.icio.us it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted on October 10, 2005 at 06:32 pm by Don Bell

Tomen Corp. and Toyota Tsusho Corp., both Japanese trading houses related to the auto giant Toyota, plan to merge in April. The merger will create Japan's sixth largest trading house. Share this post: email it! | del.icio.us it! | digg it! | reddit! Posted on October 10, 2005 at 05:41 pm by Don Bell