What should you read for ASIL Research Forum 2015?

The fifth annual ASIL Research Forum is taking place on 23-24 October 2015 in Washington, DC. Attendees will present and discuss works-in-progress that explore many topics in international law including energy, financial regulation, international criminal courts, trade, and treaty practice.

To help you prepare for the Research Forum, we have created a reading list that corresponds with the topics discussed at this year’s conference panels, and features works by key contributors to the field of international law. All panels will be held at American University Washington College of Law.

Research Forum Session I


Friday, 23 October, 1:45-3:15 p.m.
Indigenous/Cultural Property

International Cultural Heritage Law, by Janet Blake

International Cultural Heritage Law, as well as the entire Cultural Heritage Law and Policy series, is the perfect companion to this panel. The book examines the links between international cultural heritage and other areas of international law, focusing on the wider policy and cultural context of cultural heritage protection.

Research Forum Session II


Friday, 23 October, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
International Criminal Courts

The Law and Practice of the International Criminal Court, edited by Carsten Stahn

Written by over 40 leading contributors, this title reviews the case law and practice of the International Criminal Court in its first ten years. Panelists will discuss international criminal courts, and you can read about the International Court of Justice with Stahn’s article on the Connally Reservation, available for free on the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law.

International Legal History

The Oxford Handbook of the History of International Law, edited by Bardo Fassbender and Anne Peters

Legal history will be a popular conference topic and this Oxford Handbook comprehensively covers the growth and evolution of international law from the 15th century until the end of World War II. You can read the Introduction, “Towards A Global History Of International Law,” for free on Oxford Handbooks Online. For even more information, browse our History of International Law Timeline, which delves into some of the major developments in the history of international law and features freed-up chapters from the Oxford Historical Treaties, the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, relevant books, as well as blog pieces and journal articles.

War & Crime

The War on Terror and the Laws of War: A Military Perspective, Second Edition, by Geoffrey S. Corn, James A. Schoettler, Jr., Dru Brenner-Beck, Victor M. Hansen, Richard B. “Dick” Jackson, Eric Talbot Jensen, Michael W. Lewis, and Foreword by Charles J. Dunlap, Jr.

The War on Terror and the Laws of War applies the law of war to US military practice and offers a practical exposition of the challenges facing military officers on the battlefield. It complements the War & Crime panel, and to prepare, you can read the book’s third chapter, “Targeting of Persons and Property,” for free on Oxford Scholarship Online.

Research Forum Session IV


Saturday, 24 October, 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Health and Environment

Climate Change Impacts on Ocean and Coastal Law: U.S. and International Perspectives, edited by Randall S. Abate

Abate’s volume raises important questions about whether and how ocean and coastal law will respond to the regulatory challenges that climate change presents. Read the book’s first chapter before the panel, which is freely available on Oxford Scholarship Online.

Post-Conflict Issues

International Journal of Transitional Justice, editors-in-chief: Laurel E. Fletcher and Hugo van der Merwe

Laurel Fletcher will present “Transitional Justice and the Demise of State Accountability” at the Post-Conflict Issues panel. Learn more about this rapidly growing field with our collection of freely available articles from the International Journal of Transitional Justice.

Private Lawmaking

Corporate Obligations Under International Law, by Markos Karavias

Markos Karavias’s book analyzes corporate obligations under international human rights law and the Introduction is freely available on Oxford Scholarship Online. He will present “Inducing Compliance with International Law through Private Standard Setting” as part of the Private Lawmaking panel.

Research Forum Session V


Saturday, 24 October, 2:00-3:30 p.m.
International Investment

Development at the WTO, by Sonia E. Rolland

Development at the WTO analyzes the question of the WTO and development from an institutionalist perspective. Sonia E. Rolland will co-present “Predictable, Fair & Development-friendly Investment Protection: Post-BIT Trends from Emerging Economies” at the panel, and you can read the introduction of her book, which has been made freely available on Oxford Scholarship Online.

War, Commerce, and International Law, by James Thuo Gathii

Offering new and compelling arguments about the relationship between war, commerce and international law, this book relates to more than one conference theme. The author will delve further into the international investment side of law with “Regime Shift: How IPR Law Making and Enforcement is Moving to International Investment Law.”

Research Forum Session VI


Saturday, 24 October, 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Refugees & Stateless Persons

OUP’s collection of free resources on refugee law

In response to Europe’s refugee crisis, we have made over 30 book chapters, journal articles, and content from online resources that explore the framework of rights and obligations concerning refugees freely accessible. Browse our collection before the Refugees & Stateless Persons panel, which will discuss child soldiers, refugees and international commerce, and stateless children.

Unconventional Conflict

Cyber War: Law and Ethics for Virtual Conflicts, edited by Jens David Ohlin, Kevin Govern, and Claire Finkelstein

The legal and ethical controversy surrounding cyber warfare is discussed in Cyber War: Law and Ethics for Virtual Conflicts, and this panel will similarly shed light on this timely and important topic.

We hope that you find this reading list helpful in preparing for the ASIL Research Forum. If you are attending the Forum, don’t forget to stop by the OUP booth where you can take advantage of the 20% conference discount to pick up some of these titles and more. We will also have sample copies of our law journals, as well as free access to the online products. See you in DC!

Image Credit: “Washington DC” by BKL. CC  BY NC 2.0 via Flickr.

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