Symposium Introduction: The Tattered Tapestry of International Law

Abstract

International Law Weekend - West was convened on January 26, 2001 at Pepperdine Law School by the American Branch of the International Law Association ("ABILA") and the Pepperdine Law Review. While the ABILA has presented annual conferences on the East Coast for many years, this was the first such conference held on the West Coast. Indeed, the goal of the Symposium organizers was to promote a fruitful discussion of international law on this forgotten coast. The Symposium joined scholars and practitioners in a dialogue designed to bridge geographic as well as disciplinary divides. 

This Symposium Issue addresses a variety of topics that were raised at International Law Weekend - West, including dispute settlement, ethnic cleansing, intellectual property, labor rights, trade, and sports law. At first glance, there does not appear to be a common thread among these disparate topics. It is difficult to imagine any relationship, for example, between the mechanisms for sports law arbitration and the consequences of ethnic cleansing. The connection between ad hoc international criminal tribunals and dispute settlement panels is equally unclear. In this respect, the articles in this Symposium Issue mirror the diverse theory and practice of international law.