Because this is the first (and currently the only) published casebook for U.S. law courses in the fields of comparative and/or international family law, the book's fourteen chapters are designed so that they may be used flexibly in a wide variety of two- or three-credit courses or seminars emphasizing either the transnational practice of family law; the treatment of traditional family law topics from a comparative and international perspective; or a mixture of both approaches, depending on the instructor's preferences.

Through a broad array of topics, Blair and Weiner explore four central themes: the role of state and religion in the regulation of family law matters across time and culture; the legal position of women and children in the family; the tension between respect for cultural diversity and the advancement of human rights; and the tension between "law on the books" and "the law in action." A wide range of private international law issues are extensively covered, including international custody disputes, international adoption, international child support enforcement, and the international recognition of marriages and divorces. The book also explores the potential and actual impact of public international law on both domestic and international regulation of the family, through topics such as public international law's ability to address family violence through global and regional human rights conventions. The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child is examined in a variety of contexts, including a chapter devoted to Balancing the Child's Rights, Family Members' Rights and Duties, and the Community's Responsibilities. Finally, many chapters permit students to engage in comparative analysis of a wide range of traditional family law topics, such as the regulation of marriage, various divorce reform movements, the recognition of rights of nontraditional couples, adoption, reproductive freedom, assisted conception, abortion, and the support of children. In addition to the judgments of various international tribunals, each chapter utilizes cases and materials from nations in many regions of the world, and contains extensive problems to facilitate a wide variety of instructional approaches.

A teacher's manual is forthcoming.

Available Supplements:

• International Family Law Conventions, Statutes, and Regulatory Materials2003, 592 pp, paper, ISBN-10: 0-89089-342-X, ISBN-13: 978-0-89089-342-5 $35.00