International Law Research Guides
One of Charles International Law's missions is to make the law more accessible to everyone. To that end, we've published some of our multimedia research guides, which include practical advice and background information on the legal topics within our expertise. Please enjoy these free resources, and check back frequently as these guides are living materials we revise and update occasionally.
If you are struggling with a question that these guides do not effectively answer, please consider one of the following:
Schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys here. There is a fee so that we limit our time to serious inquiries. However, consistent with our mission to educate the public, the cost is well below the industry average.
Request that we publish a guide on your topic. Again, we hope to make these resources as helpful for as many people as possible. We are happy to consider your ideas for new topics within our expertise. Please submit your requests here.
Tips and Warnings for Using These Guides:
Each guide should contain a date of information (“DOI”) near the top of the page. International law, particularly U.S. law related to foreign affairs and immigration, is subject to rapid changes based on current events. Please do not rely on information that might be stale based on the DOI. If you think one of our guides needs an update due to current events, please let us know by submitting a research request here.
We are not perfect. If you think our materials contain an error, please let us know here.
Our guides contain many links to outside materials we find helpful. However, we cannot guarantee the quality or completeness of anyone else’s research.
If there is a topic listed in the index but no hyperlink, we have recognized the need for a guide on that topic but have yet to build a page for it. Again, please feel free to suggest new topics here or prompt us to create a page for a topic that concerns you.
Index
Immigration
Temporary Protected Status
Parole in the U.S. Immigration System
The Re-parole Process for Afghans in the United States
Travel to the United States under a Visa Waiver
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (“ESTA”)
Nonimmigrant Visas to the United States
Pleasure Visas
B Visas
Work-Based Nonimmigrant Visas
H-1B Visas
H-2B Visas
O Visas
Immigrant Visas with Pathways to Citizenship in the United States
Humanitarian Immigration
International Standards Underlying U.S. Asylum Law
Legal Standards for Asylum in the United States
Persecution
Persecution by Official Actors vice Private Actors
The Presumption of Future Persecution Based on Past Persecution
The Five Protected Grounds for Persecution
Race
Religion
Nationality
Membership in a Particular Social Group
Political Opinion
Affirmative Asylum Procedures
Defensive Asylum Procedures
Circumvention of Lawful Pathways
Defending Against CLP Arguments in Removal Proceedings
Challenging the Validity of the CLP Rule
The Family Unity Exception to the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Rule
Family Unity Exception to Circumvention of Lawful Pathways
Refugee Resettlement
Family Based Immigration
Family-Based Immigration Generally
Fiance Visas for Married Couples?
Employment-Based Immigration
Employment-Based Immigration Generally
Preparing to Hire Foreign Workers with the PERM Process
Employment and Healthcare Resources for Newly Arrived Immigrants
International Treaties and Customary International Law
Laws of Armed Conflict and International Humanitarian Law
The Geneva Conventions
Mercenaries, Foreign Legions, and Independent Contractors in International Conflict
International Criminal Law
Substantive International Criminal Law
Crimes Against Humanity
Crimes Against Peace
International Criminal Procedure and Law Enforcement
International Criminal Tribunals
The International Criminal Court
International Extradition
The Rights and Duties of U.S. Citizens Travelling Overseas
INTERPOL
Interpol Notices
Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties
Letters Rogatory
U.S. Participation in International Law and the Effect of International Law on U.S. Law
What are “Treaties,” and What Do They Mean for U.S. Law
The United Nations Participation Act
National Security and Foreign Relations Law in the United States
Powers of the Executive Branch to Regulate National Security and Foreign Affairs
Counterterrorism
Terrorism in the Context of Insurgency and Revolutionary Conflict
Military Operations to Combat Terrorism
Terrorism as a Crime
Terrorism as an Intelligence Challenge
Economic Sanctions, Trade Embargos, and Export Controls
Sanctions and Export Controls Generally
International Sanctions
The Legal Basis for International Sanctions
International Sanctions within a Broader National Security Strategy
Import and Export Controls
The Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations
Export Controls on Dual Use Goods
Counterintelligence and Foreign Agency
Foreign Investment in the United States
Use of Military Force
Use of the Military Overseas
Declaration of War under the U.S. Constitution
The War Powers Act
Authority for the Use of Special Operations Forces outside a Declared Theater of Armed Conflict
Authority for Train, Advise, and Assist Missions
Authority for Special Reconnaissance and Direct Action under a Congressional Authorization for the Use of Military Force
Use of the Military Domestically
The Posse Comitatus Act
The Insurrection Act
The U.S. Intelligence Community
Executive Order 12333 and the Creation of the U.S. Intelligence Community
Intelligence Oversight
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
Covert Action
Tariffs and Trade
International Civil Aviation
The Chicago Convention
The International Civil Aviation Organization
International Accident Investigations under Article 13 of the Chicago Convention
International Airman Ratings and Certificates under the Chicago Convention
Admiralty
Conducting Factual Investigations
The Basics of Investigative Analysis
The Freedom of Information Act and State Equivalents
Miscellaneous Advice
Using USCIS Online