"I believe it is against the law for private citizens to negotiate with other countries"
Wasn't that part of the original 13th Amendment? That included it being illegal to accept titles and citizenship from other countries? It reules that attornies, as Officers of the Court (a UK title) where ineligeble to also be members of the Legislative (senators & reps etc) or executive branches of govt.
The last school book I have been able to find with reference to the Original 13th amendment was dated around 1950.
"If any citizen of the United States shall accept, claim, receive, or retain any title of nobility or honour, or shall without the consent of Congress, accept and retain any present, pension, office, or emolument of any kind whatever, from any emperor, king, prince, or foreign power, such person shall cease to be a citizen of the United States, and shall be incapable of holding any office of trust or profit under them, or either of them."
http://www.gohotsprings.com/focus/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=685It reules that attornies, as Officers of the Court (a UK title) where ineligeble to also be members of the Legislative (senators & reps etc) or executive branches of govt Attorneys are members of US courts, so it's not a foreign title. You might as well argue that beauty Queens and high school prom Kings be forever ineligible to serve in governmental positions.
Even if this so called "original 13th amendment was real, this would be a unwarranted interpretation of it. Sort of like something the Supreme Court might do.