AMERICAN JUDGES AND INTERNATIONAL LAW Introduction I. The Nature of Customary International Law II. The Traditional American Approach to Customary International Law IlL. Current American Approaches to Determining the Content of Customary International law A. The Concept of Jus Cogens B. The Courts of Appeals and Jus Cogens C. Critique of the Jus Cogens Decisions of the Courts of Appeal 1. Articles Basing Legal Rules on Sources Other than State Practice.. 40 2. The restatement 3. Decisions of American Courts 4. Decisions of International Courts IV. A Suggested Alternative V. ConclAMERICAN JUDGES AND INTERNATIONAL LAW Introduction ............................................................1 I. The Nature of Customary International Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 II. The Traditional American Approach to Customary International Law . . . . . . . . . . . 12 III. Current American Approaches to Determining the Content of Customary International Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 A. The Concept of Jus Cogens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 B. The Courts of Appeals and Jus Cogens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 C. Critique of the Jus Cogens Decisions of the Courts of Appeals . . . . . . . . . . 34 1. Articles Basing Legal Rules on Sources Other than State Practice . . 40 2. The Restatement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 3. Decisions of American Courts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 4. Decisions of International Courts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 IV. A Suggested Alternative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 V. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74