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Abram Chayes | |
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Abram Chayes | |
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| 8th Legal Adviser of the Department of State | |
| In office February 6, 1961 – June 27, 1964 | |
| Preceded by | Eric H. Hager |
| Succeeded by | Leonard C. Meeker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Abram Joseph Chayes July 18, 1922 Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | April 16, 2000 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Spouse | Toni (nee Handler) |
| Children | 5, including Sarah |
| Parent(s) | Edward Chayes Kitty Chayes |
| Education | Harvard College |
Abram Chayes (July 18, 1922 – April 16, 2000) was an American scholar of international law closely associated with the administration of John F. Kennedy. He is best known for his "legal process" approach to international law, which attempted to provide a new, less formalistic way of understanding international law and how it might further develop. By focusing on how international legal rules are actually used by foreign policy decision-makers, Chayes sought to study international law, not within a vacuum of legal rules and procedures, but in a dynamic political environment.