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LOS ANGELES PUBLIC INTEREST LAW JOURNAL
2 L.A. PUB. INT. L.J. 129
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THE ALIEN TORT STATUTE:
AN INTRODUCTION FOR CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYERS
Paul Hoffman & Adrienne Quarry

Given the rapid developments in international human rights law since the end of World War II, civil rights lawyers should not ignore the possibility of using the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) to vindicate civil rights in the federal courts.  This essay provides a basic introduction to the ATS and suggests area of international law where non-citizens may bring ATS claims for civil rights violations that occur in the United States.

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Authors

Paul Hoffman is the former Chair of Amnesty International and former Legal Director of the ACLU Foundation of Southern California. He has litigated dozens of ATS cases. He argued Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain in the United States Supreme Court.

Adrienne Quarry is an international human rights lawyer who has worked on several ATS cases.