The Unreality of International Law in the United States and the LaGrand Case

The Judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the LaGrand case has not to date resulted in a discernible improvement in United States compliance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.2 The gross deficiencies of U.S. practice regarding consular access under Article 36 of the Convention are a sad but telling reflection of the unreality of international law in the United States today. The lessons from LaGrand are varied and important.