How to Do Things with International Law

"This concise user's manual to the international rule of law teaches a broad audience--starting with international lawyers themselves--how to think about an increasingly prominent set of norms and field of study. International law, Hurd shows, authorizes and depoliticizes; it does not only constrain and improve."--Samuel Moyn, Yale University"International law has long struggled to be more than just one foreign policy justification among others. In this thoughtful book, Ian Hurd provides an insightful analysis of the relationship between norms and politics, as well as law and power."--Simon Chesterman, National University of Singapore"Most scholars examining the relationship between international law and international relations draw a distinction between the realms of law and politics. Ian Hurd's perceptive book questions this traditional bifurcation. Using case studies, Hurd illuminates how international law can constrain global action and enable it, and how states remake international law as they use it. This is a brilliant, accessible book."--Hilary Charlesworth, University of Melbourne"Hurd argues that 'the international rule of law, ' a widely used phrase among governments, lawyers, and international organizations, is a powerful ideology at play in world politics. This book is an important addition to international relations scholarship on international law and global governance and will be useful not just for graduate students but also for advanced undergraduates in political science, world politics, and international studies programs."--Jennifer Mitzen, Ohio State University"A useful corrective to the overly positivist view of international law that dominates the literature, this original and engaging book provides a nuanced explanation of what international law is and how it functions. It offers a sophisticated assessment of the interaction between international law and politics on cutting-edge issues."--Ian Johnstone, Tufts University