At law school, I wanted to pursue international law. I studied International Relations in college, worked in foreign policy — anything with the word “global” in it, I was in. But what is international law? Some people say that it doesn’t exist. Others define it as a confusing mess of conventions, treaties and standards, with no real enforcement. 

I’d like to draw a different picture. International law sets the norms for global politics and helps facilitate socio-economic development across the world. Perhaps most importantly, international law regulates the conduct of war.