You arm yourself so you're hard to kill. Know the law so you're hard to convict. Let's face it, the world isn't always nice. That's why you take steps to protect yourself and your family. Whether it be that shotgun in the corner, the sidearm on your hip, or the pepper spray you gave your daughter, you meet that fundamental responsibility. But if you're like most people, your preparations still lack a critical element. You still need to know how to survive the critical fight that looms after any defensive encounter: the legal battle. The Law of Self Defense provides precisely that critical, missing knowledge. This book includes not just the laws of all fifty states, but how the courts apply those laws. It's a plain-talk analysis that makes the law easy to understand for anyone, not just lawyers. Bestselling author, Andrew F. Branca, is not only a lawyer and internationally recognized legal consultant, but also a life-long member of the gun community--more than 20 years as an NRA Life Member and Instructor, an IDPA Master-class competitor, and a 2nd Amendment absolutist. Learn how to make fast, effective decisions and confidently handle life-and-death situations both tactically and legally. Read This Book And Learn the Powerful Legal Truth That Can Safe Your Life, Wealth And Personal Freedom

The law - A brief survey of history & procedures -- Federal constitutional standards -- The use of deadly force -- Wound ballistics -- Training vs qualification -- Physiological imperatives -- Tactical factors & misconceptions -- Suicide by cop & the mentally ill subject-- Risk & responsibility -- Aftermath & impact -- Deadly force policy- -- Case histories.

Knowing where states draw the line between your rights and the rights of those who seek to harm you, your family or your property could be the most important knowledge of your lifetime. This concise book provides easy access to the statues, cases, and jury instructions that define the law of self-defense in each of the fifty states and Washington D.C.

Legal expert George Fletcher uses the celebrated trial of New York's "Subway Vigilante", Bernhard Goetz, as a springboard to probe the profound relationship between this defensive action, the public's understanding of it, and the court's interpretation of it according to the law.

This book explores the whole of the large and controversial subject of the use of force in international law; it examines not only the use of force by states but also the role of the UN in peacekeeping and enforcement action, and the growing importance of regional organizations in the maintenance of international peace and security. Since the publication of the second edition of International Law and the Use of Force the law in this area has continued to undergo a fundamental reappraisal. Operation Enduring Freedom carries on against Al Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan six years after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. Can this still be justified as self-defence in the 'war on terror'? Is there now a wide right of pre-emptive self-defence against armed attacks by non-state actors? The 2006 Israel/Lebanon conflict and the recent intervention of Ethiopia in Somalia raise questions about whether the 'war on terror' has brought major changes in the law on self-defence and on regime change. The 2003 invasion of Iraq gave rise to serious divisions between states as to the legality of this use of force and to talk of a crisis of collective security for the UN. In response the UN initiated major reports on the future of the Charter system; these rejected amendment of the Charter provisions on the use of force. They also rejected any right of pre-emptive self-defence. They advocated a 'responsibility to protect' in cases of genocide or massive violations of human rights; the events in Darfur show the practical difficulties with the implementation of such a duty.