By Ben CasolaroBenjamin Casolaro graduated this spring from Albany Law School. He studied political science as an undergraduate at American University. While at Albany Law, he was a summer intern with the New York State Law Revision Commission. He has also interned for the Judge Robert Littlefield of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of New York, and for Judge Lawrence E. Kahn of the Northern District of New York. A member of the Law Review, he served in his 3rd year as an Executive Editor for Notes and Comments.
He wrote this paper for the International Law of War and Crime Seminar, Fall 2011.
The concept of sovereignty is an integral part of international law. It plays a role in almost every issue debated today. This paper aims to give a primer on the concept of sovereignty, and how it impacts international relations today.
This paper will provide a definition of sovereignty, as well as of several types of sovereignty. It will discuss how various schools of thought in international relations view sovereignty.
The Paper will also discuss the importance of legitimacy, and will examine the theoretical underpinnings of legitimacy in international relations today. Finally, it will discuss some of the important treaties that touch upon sovereignty, and will give an example that demonstrates the complexity and necessity of sovereignty in today’s world.*
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* To read the entire paper, open HERE.
