Key points
- Separate the source of an obligation from the route to enforcing it.
- Practise treaty interpretation with the actual provision, not isolated quotations.
- Use short, timed arguments to expose gaps in application.
- Confirm module fit and price; retain ownership of every assessed submission.
Identify what makes a rule legally persuasive
Start with the authority behind each proposition. Article 38 of the International Court of Justice Statute identifies treaties, custom and general principles, with judicial decisions and scholarly teachings as subsidiary means of determining rules. For custom, distinguish evidence of general practice from acceptance of that practice as law. Repeated action alone is insufficient. [1]
Create an authority card with the proposition, source type, supporting passage and a limitation. Article 59 limits an ICJ decision's binding force to the parties and particular case; that does not mean judgments are useless in later legal reasoning. Explain their role without importing domestic precedent rules. [1]
- Label evidence of practice separately from evidence of legal acceptance.
- Explain what an authority establishes, not merely its name.
Connect treaties, responsibility and dispute settlement
Use your syllabus to choose coverage: sources, statehood, jurisdiction and immunities, treaties, responsibility, dispute settlement or use of force. Degree modules vary. International obligations and their treatment in domestic courts are different questions; identify the relevant domestic jurisdiction rather than treating England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as interchangeable.
For treaties, Article 31 combines ordinary meaning, context, object and purpose, alongside its further interpretive considerations. Article 32 gives supplementary means a defined role. For responsibility, identify the underlying obligation separately from attribution and breach under Article 2 of the ILC articles. The articles are not themselves a treaty: check the legal status of the particular rule you use. [2] [3]
- For use of force, compare Charter Articles 2(4) and 51 before making a conclusion. [4]
- Keep the obligation, responsible actor and available forum in separate notes.
Sources[2] United Nations[3] International Law Commission, United Nations[4] United Nations
Build a revision cycle that tests application
Begin with your topic list and assessment instructions. Rate each topic by whether you can explain the rule, locate its authority and apply it without notes. Choose one weak skill for the next session: distinguishing custom from treaty obligations is a more useful target than simply 'revise sources'.
For each revision block, retrieve a rule from memory, check the primary text, then write a short application to a new fictional fact pattern. Record the missing fact that would change your conclusion. Return to that difficulty later without looking at your correction first. Keep a small error log: unsupported proposition, missed condition, misplaced jurisdiction argument or unexplained conclusion. Use this to set your tuition agenda.
- Reduce a long case note to one proposition and one qualification.
- Finish each block with a timed paragraph, not more highlighting.
Structure problems, essays and practical tasks differently
In a problem answer, identify the actors, applicable obligation, disputed conduct and requested outcome. Where ICJ proceedings are relevant, investigate the jurisdictional basis rather than assuming every interstate dispute can be heard. Article 36 includes referrals, treaty provisions and optional-clause declarations; examine the relevant terms and limits. Then develop the merits and consequences in distinct stages. [1]
For an essay, answer the evaluative wording with a defensible thesis, not a catalogue of cases. Build each paragraph around a claim, authority, counterargument and reasoned assessment. For a moot or advisory exercise, practise a concise position and answer objections. Follow its actual instructions on time, materials and citations; there is no single assessment format assumed here.
- Budget writing time against the task's stated weighting.
- State conditional conclusions when jurisdiction or key facts remain uncertain.
Use a tutor to diagnose one recurring weakness
Bring your module outline, permitted assessment guidance and an unassessed practice paragraph that you wrote yourself. A useful first target might be applying a treaty provision without jumping straight to its policy objective. Ask the tutor to identify where your reasoning loses contact with the text and what evidence would strengthen the alternative interpretation. [2]
A focused session can move from your explanation of the rule to a short original exercise, feedback and an independent retry. For online tuition, confirm document-sharing and feedback arrangements; do not assume recordings or particular software. Progress is something you can test: can you now justify the source, apply the conditions and explain uncertainty without prompts?
- Agree a specific learning objective before the session.
- Request a next-step practice task rather than a polished submission.
Sources[2] United Nations
Confirm the rate, specialist fit and ethical scope
The published tuition range is £99–£229 per hour. It is not a fixed quote for this subject. Before booking, confirm the proposed tutor's rate, relevant topic experience, session length and arrangements. Describe your level, deadline and priority issue to assess fit; availability and results are not guaranteed.
Undergraduate foundations and postgraduate specialist work may need different expertise. Check syllabus fit rather than assuming every subfield is covered. Tuition should build your understanding, research method and practice technique. Do not request drafting, rewriting or completion of live assessed answers. Keep practice material free of private information; support here is educational, not legal advice on an actual dispute.
- Send a short topic brief and ask for confirmation of fit and price.
- Check your institution's assistance rules before sharing assessed material.
A method you can reuse
From international obligation to reasoned conclusion
Follow the numbered sequence to organise your revision and check each link in your reasoning.
Identify the actors, disputed conduct and requested outcome
Establish the obligation and supporting source
Interpret the text and apply relevant conditions
Separate attribution, breach and possible consequences
Check the forum's jurisdiction where relevant
Weigh counterarguments and state remaining uncertainty
Private practice · hypothetical question
Interpret a fictional river-monitoring treaty
Original private-revision hypothetical. States Arven and Belora are parties to a fictional treaty requiring each to give 'reasonable advance notice' of planned river works. Its preamble emphasises preventing cross-border harm. Arven gives two days' notice of dredging; Belora argues that meaningful consultation needs several weeks. Assume the treaty is in force and the Vienna Convention's interpretation rules apply. The facts supply no definition, agreed subsequent interpretation or preparatory material. Write an unassessed 150-word argument for each state, then a conditional conclusion. Identify which extra facts would help evaluate whether the notice was reasonable. Do not invent a fixed notice period or assume a court has jurisdiction. [2]
Work through your own response first, then reveal a hint or compare your reasoning with the self-review. Each panel opens independently.
Hint 1
Consider ordinary meaning, context and object and purpose together.
Hint 2
Ask how the work's scale, risk and available response time affect each argument.
Hint 3
Explain the permitted role of supplementary material if it becomes available.
Reveal the self-review answer
A strong review applies Article 31 rather than treating the preamble as decisive. Arven can argue that reasonableness depends on the circumstances; Belora can argue that notice must allow an effective response given the treaty's purpose. Neither two days nor several weeks is automatically correct on these facts. Seek the full text and evidence relevant to interpretation, then distinguish interpretation from factual application. Explain Article 32's supplementary role and leave jurisdiction unresolved. [2]
Read alongside the page references: [2].
For private practice and educational self-review only, not a live or assessed submission. This is not legal advice or a prediction of a legal outcome. Check current authorities, your syllabus and your institution’s assessment rules. No response is collected or sent by this practice tool.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does public international law tuition cost?
The published range is £99–£229 per hour. Your proposed tutor's individual rate must be confirmed before booking, together with the session length and arrangements. Do not treat the range as a subject-specific fixed fee or assume that a particular tutor is available.
Can I request online public international law tutoring?
Yes, you can request online tuition. Explain whether you want to work through primary texts, practise oral argument or review an unassessed paragraph. Confirm the tutor match, document-sharing method and feedback arrangements before booking. Do not assume that sessions will be recorded.
How can I revise state responsibility more effectively?
Start by naming the primary obligation, then analyse attribution and breach separately using Article 2 and the relevant commentary. Do not use the responsibility articles as a substitute for establishing the obligation. Practise on fictional facts and record what further evidence each stage requires. [3]
Is this suitable for my degree level or specialist module?
Share your level, syllabus and assessment format first. Foundational tuition and specialist postgraduate work need different matching decisions. Ask whether the proposed tutor covers your exact topics, especially immunities, humanitarian law or environmental disputes. Suitability must be confirmed rather than inferred from a broad subject label.
Will a tutor write my assessed essay or advise on a real dispute?
No. The purpose is independent learning through explanation, original practice and feedback within your assessment rules. A tutor should not draft or rewrite a live assessed answer for submission. This educational service is not legal advice to individuals, organisations or states involved in actual disputes.
One-to-one support
Plan focused Public International Law tuition
Tell us your module, jurisdiction, assessment format and the point you want to improve. Confirm the tutor match, session objective and £99–£229 hourly rate before booking. Your learning and assessed work remain your own.