The work of legal practitioners in the field of international law, particularly when working in a ministry of foreign affairs, takes place at the crossroads of international relations and international law. The legal advisers of ministries of foreign affairs provide advice on the content of international law, and how it should be interpreted and applied in a particular situation. Since Johan Lammers became Legal Adviser, the Netherlands - quite unexpectedly - was increasingly facing situations in which it would become involved in litigation concerning international law. The first essays in...