LibGuides: International Law Research Guide: Find Books

Selected Books on International Law

Study Aids

Quick Review of International Law by Sherri Burr
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 9781647083892
Publication Date: 2020-10-20
This book provides a foundation for students studying international law who need to supplement knowledge from their courses or obtain a quick overview to prepare for an exam. The topics covered range from the historic foundations of international law (including an overview of the subject's founders) to the laws of wars and use of force. The book contains information on wars ranging from the 100-years war to Vietnam and the one in Iraq. The book provides a comprehensive overview of state formation and obligations, including state requirements to treat all individuals (citizens, immigrants, and aliens) humanely. Students who review the state responsibility chapter will obtain an approach to writing essay questions on international law or briefs for international tribunals.

Legal Analysis

The New Sovereignty: Compliance with International Regulatory Agreements by Abram Chayes; Antonia Handler Chayes
Call Number: KZ1301 .C48 1995 (Available Online)
ISBN: 0674029453
Publication Date: 2009-06-30
In an increasingly complex and interdependent world, states resort to a bewildering array of regulatory agreements to deal with problems as disparate as climate change, nuclear proliferation, international trade, satellite communications, species destruction, and intellectual property. In such a system, there must be some means of ensuring reasonably reliable performance of treaty obligations. The standard approach to this problem, by academics and politicians alike, is a search for treaties with "teeth"--military or economic sanctions to deter and punish violation. The New Sovereignty argues that this approach is misconceived.

Select Bibliography of International Law Books

Oppenheim's International Law by Robert Jennings (deceased) (Editor); Arthur Watts KCMG QC (deceased) (Editor)
Call Number: 5th Stacks ; KZ3264.A3 I6 1996
ISBN: 0582302455
Publication Date: 2008-09-15
The essential reference work on international law, edited by two leading authors in the field.
Rosenne's Law and Practice of the International Court: 1920-2015 (4 Volume Set) by Malcolm N. Shaw QC
Call Number: 5th Stacks ; KZ6275 .R67 2016
ISBN: 9004217983
Publication Date: 2016-11-15
The popularity of his monumental and definitive works established Shabtai Rosenne as the undisputed expert on the International Court of Justice's law and practice of his time. Irrefutably the leading work on the court, previous editions of Rosenne's Law and Practice of the International Court have influenced generations of legal scholars, practitioners, judges, and students alike. The Fifth Edition, by Malcolm N. Shaw, combines his expertise as both an academic and practitioner to bring this monumental resource up-to-date while retaining Rosenne's distinctive voice, erudition, and rigorous objectives. Preserving Rosenne's focus on the caselaw of the Court, the Fifth Edition is supplemented with increased references to the leading academic literature, and, like the Fourth Edition, is divided into four substantive volumes.
The Statute of the International Court of Justice by Karin Oellers-Frahm (Editor); Christian Tomuschat (Editor); Christian J. Tams (Editor); Andreas Zimmermann (Editor)
Call Number: 5th Stacks ; KZ6275 .S73 2012
ISBN: 0199692998
Publication Date: 2012-12-12
The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and plays a central role in both the peaceful settlement of international disputes and the development of international law. This comprehensive Commentary on the Statute of the International Court of Justice analyses in detail not only the Statute of the Court itself but also the related provisions of the United Nations Charter as well as the relevant provisions of the Court's Rules of Procedure.
Recognition in International Law by Hersh Lauterpacht
Call Number: 5th Stacks ; KZ4041 .L38 1947r
ISBN: 0404153380
Publication Date: 1978-01-01
Detailed study of recognition in international law, examining its crucial significance in relation to statehood, governments and belligerency. The author develops a strong argument for positioning recognition within the context of international law, reacting against the widely accepted conception of it as an area of international politics. Numerous examples of the use of law and conscious adherence to legal principle in the practice of states are used to give weight to this perspective.
International Law: norms, actors, process : a problem-oriented approach by Jeffrey Dunoff; Steven R. Ratner; David Wippman
Call Number: 5th Stacks ; KZ3410 .D86 2010
ISBN: 9780735589179
Publication Date: 2010-07-29
Using real-life case studies as teaching problems, the text explores the processes for making and applying international law, with an interdisciplinary approach that goes beyond mere doctrinal explanation.
International Law: being the collected papers of Hersch Lauterpacht by Hersch Lauterpacht; E. Lauterpacht (Editor)
Call Number: 5th Stacks ; KZ3225.L38 A2 1970
ISBN: 0521076439
Publication Date: 1970-07-02
International Court of Justice, Digest of Judgments and Advisory Opinions, Canon and Case Law 1946 - 2012 (2 Vols. ) by Guenther Dahlhoff (Editor)
Call Number: 5th Stacks; KZ213 .I58 2012
ISBN: 9004230629
Publication Date: 2012-08-03
This work offers ease of access to the ICJ's judgments and advisory opinions given between 25 March 1949 and 3 February 2012. It seeks to help scholars, practitioners and students of international public law quickly to review the Court’s jurisprudence for precedents in the Court’s "canon" and "case law". It allows the reader to read the judgments and opinions themselves, reduced to the unabbreviated and undistorted essence of the Court’s reasoning. The work contains all the timeless elements of the Court’s jurisprudence in one volume, and a highly detailed index of the relevant terms and phrases of the judgments and advisory opinions.
Fairness in International Law and Institutions by Thomas M. Franck
Call Number: 5th Stacks ; KZ1258 .F73 1995
ISBN: 0198259018
Publication Date: 1996-01-11
A compelling view of modern international law. Based upon his Hague Academy lectures, the author establishes a framework through which the legal reasoning and theories which inform modern international law can be understood by students seeking an introduction to this large and complex area of law. He offers a critical analysis of the prescriptive norms and institutions of modern international law and argues that they have the capacity to advance, in practice, the abstract social values shared by the community of States and persons.
The Development of International Law by the International Court by Hersch Lauterpacht
Call Number: 5th Stacks ; KZ6260 .L38 1982
ISBN: 0906496306
Publication Date: 1982-01-01
An appraisal of the international judicial process as a factor in the development of the law. Ideas of great depth and subtlety are put forward regarding the nature of international justice and its possibilities. This is an important book that will be of value to anyone with an interest in its subject.
The Power of Legitimacy among Nations by Thomas M. Franck
Call Number: 5th Stacks ; KZ4041 .F68 1990
ISBN: 0195061780
Publication Date: 1990-07-26
Although there is no international government, and no global police agency enforces the rules, nations obey international law. In this provocative study, Franck employs a broad range of historical, legal, sociological, anthropological, political, and philosophical modes of analysis to unravel the mystery of what makes states and people perceive rules as legitimate. Demonstrating that virtually all nations obey most rules nearly all of the time, Franck reveals that the more legitimate laws and institutions appear to be, the greater is their capacity for compliance. Distilling those factors which increase the perception of legitimacy, he shows how a community of rules can be fashioned from a system of sovereign states without creating a global leviathan.
The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary by Bruno Simma (Editor); Daniel-Erasmus Khan (Editor); Georg Nolte (Editor); Andreas Paulus (Editor)
Call Number: 5th Stacks ; KZ4991 .S56 2012
ISBN: 9780199580156
Publication Date: 2013-01-20
Authoritative, article-by-article account of the legislative history, interpretation, and practical application of each and every Charter provision. Written by a team of distinguished scholars and practitioners, this book combines academic research with the insights of practice, and is an indispensable work of reference for all those interested in the UN.
Customary International Law: a new theory with practical applications by Brian D. Lepard
Call Number: 5th Stacks ; KZ1277 .L47 2010
ISBN: 9780521138727
Publication Date: 2010-01-11
Customary international law, although long recognized as a primary source of international law, remains replete with enigmas, both conceptual and practical. These include how to determine the existence of opinio juris, the function of the state practice requirement, the definition of jus cogens customary norms, and the relationship between customary international law and ethics. In part because of these enigmas, the subject has generated a wide-ranging literature. However, no recent book-length work has attempted to articulate a comprehensive theory of customary international law that can effectively resolve these questions. This book sets out to accomplish this goal. Its approach is unique in a number of ways. For example, it is multidisciplinary and draws insights from fields such as legal theory, philosophy, political science, and game theory. In addition, it is anchored in a sophisticated ethical framework and explores at length the interconnections between customary international law and ethics.

The Power of Legitimacy among Nations

Oppenheim's International Law

Foundations of International Law

The Statute of the International Court of Justice

The Law and Practice of the International Court, 1920-2005

Finding Books at UC Law SF

If you can find a few good books analyzing your topic, it can make your research much easier. UC Law SF has a very good collection of books on most aspects of international law. For an even wider selection of available books, search the sources below to see if other libraries have books you can borrow through inter-library loan.

To find books at UC Law SF use the UC Law SF catalog which allows you to do a quick one-box search to find books at UC Law SF.

The advanced search feature allows more complex title, author and subject searching.
Search WorldCat to locate and borrow books from other libraries.

Here is a sample search which locates a broad selection of the books in the UC Law SF library covering international law. The following subject searches may be useful, and you can create your own advanced searches by combining more than one search term in more than one search field.

How to Browse for Books

Books at UC Law SF are organized by call number. Most of the International Law books are on the 5th floor in the KZ call number range.

If you find a book that looks interesting and you are not on campus, locate the book in our library catalog, then click on the book title, and then scroll to the bottom of the screen to virtually browse the titles nearby on the shelf. Of course, if you are on campus, browsing the shelves is a great way to find relevant books.

Borrow Books through Inter-Library Loan

For a wider selection of available books, search to see if other libraries have books you can borrow through:

Inter-Library Loan (ILL)

If the book you want is not in the UC Law SF Library, or you would like to locate other books on your topic, use:

WorldCat
a database containing information about books from most of the libraries in the English-speaking world. Once you find a book, select "Request Item Through Interlibrary Loan" to borrow the book.

Selected International Law Books at UC Law SF

The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary (Simma)
Customary International Law: A New Theory with Practical Applications (Lepard)
The Development of International Law by the International Court (Lauterpacht)
Fairness in International Law and Institutions (Thomas M. Franck, 1995)
International Court of Justice: Digest of Judgments and Advisory Opinions, Canon and Case Law 1946-2012 (Dahlhoff)
International Law: Being the Collected Papers of Hersch Lauterpacht
International Encyclopedia for Labour Law and Industrial Relations (Blanpain)
International Law: Norms, Actors, Process: A Problem-Oriented Approach. (Dunoff, Ratner & Wippman, 2010) [Introductory international law casebook covering the basic principles and concepts.]
International Labor and Employment Laws - (Available online with UC Law SF subscription BNA access]
The Law and Practice of the International Court (Rosenne)
The Littler Mendelson Guide to International Employment and Labor Law - Vol. III (2012)
Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law
Oppenheim's International Law
Parry & Grant Encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law
The Power of Legitimacy Among Nations (Thomas M. Franck, 1990)
Recognition in International Law (Lauterpacht)
Sources of International Law (Thirlway)
The Statute of the International Court of Justice: A Commentary (Zimmermann)