United States Ninth Circuit

Under the Alien Tort Claims Act, while violations of jus congens will qualify as a violation of the "law of nations", they are not necessary to establish the "law of nations" element.

Appellate Information

• Argued Array
• Decided 09/11/2001
• Published 09/11/2001

Judges

• Before SCHROEDER, Chief Judge, GOODWIN, O'SCANNLAIN, RYMER, KLEINFELD, THOMAS, McKEOWN, FISHER, GOULD, PAEZ and TALLMAN, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• William J. Aceves, San Diego, CA, and Jennifer Green, Center for Constitutional Rights, New York, New York, were on the brief for amici curiae International Human Rights Organizations and International Law Scholars.


• For Appellees:
  
• Paul L. Hoffman,ACLU Foundation of Southern California, argued the cause for appellee/cross-appellant Humberto Alvarez-Machain.  Ralph G. Steinhardt, Joan Fitzpatrick, Alan Castillo, Dilan Esper, Robin S. Toma, Erwin Chemerinsky, ACLU Foundation of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA;  Alan Rubin, Epstein, Adelson & Rubin, Los Angeles, CA;  Peter Schey, Center for Constitutional Rights and Constitutional Law, Los Angeles, CA;  and Thomas Nanney, Morrison & Hecker, Kansas City, MO, were on the briefs., Carter G. Phillips, Sidley Austin Brown & Wood, Washington, DC, argued the case for appellant/cross-appellee Jose Francisco Sosa. Charles S. Leeper, Glenn S. Greene, Spriggs & Hollingsworth, Washington, DC, and Lee W. Cotugno, Kalisch, Cotugno & Rust, Beverly Hills, CA, were on the briefs., Robert M. Loeb, Attorney, Appellate Staff, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, argued the cause for cross-appellee United States of America.   Robert S. McCallum, Assistant Attorney General, John S. Gordon, U.S. Attorney, Barbara L. Herwig, August E. Flentje, Attorneys, Appellate Staff, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, were on the brief., Charles J. Cooper, Hamish P.M. Hume, Cooper & Kirk PLLC, Washington, DC, were on the brief for cross-appellees Jack Lawn, Peter Gruden, William Waters, and Hector Berellez.