International & Foreign Legal Research
Researching International Law Topics

Spring 2007

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Research Guides and Bibliographies
Secondary Sources
Journal Literature and Other Related Tools
Electronic Sources

INTRODUCTION

Research in international and foreign law may involve researching a particular topic or issue. As one can imagine, these topics are varied: human rights, taxation, environmental law, criminal law, litigation, trade, etc. While the materials and sources may vary, there are some common ways to approach researching an international law topic.

When researching an international law topic, the researcher is usually looking for several bodies of law and sources of information:

A savvy international legal researcher will consult materials in other related disciplines, such as political science, public policy, health, economics, etc. Since many international issues cross over into other fields, useful materials can be found in law-related resources.

General Approach

RESEARCH GUIDES AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES

To locate relevant research guides and bibliographies, search LawCat using keywords (for example, human rights and legal research) or use relevant subject headings: [topic]--legal research, [topic]--bibliographies, or [topic]--library resources. Often times, research guides and bibliographies will identify sources which contain both international law documents and national law. Many guides and bibliographies relating to specific topics can be located in periodical literature. Use legal periodical indexes to locate these articles since they may not be available full text on either Lexis or Westlaw.

Accidental Tourist on the New Frontier: an Introductory Guide to Global Legal Research (Littleton, CO: Rothman, 1998). 

C. Germain, Germain 's Transnational Law Research (Ardsely-on-Hudson, N.Y.: Transnational Juris Publications, 1991-). Includes topical and country research guides.

Guide to International Legal Research (Salem, NH: Butterworths, 2002-).  A good place to start research for both international legal topics and foreign legal jurisdictions. Annual editions.

The International Lawyer's Deskbook (2nd ed., L. Law et al. eds, Washington, DC: Section of International Law and Practice, ABA, 2002). Good information on selected topics.

Introduction to International Business Law: Legal Transactions in a Global Economy (G. Seer and M. Smolka-Day, eds., New York: Oceana Publications, 1996).

Introduction to Transnational Legal Transactions (M. Raisch and R. Shaffer, eds., New York: Oceana Publications, 1995).

T. Reynolds & A. Flores, Foreign Law: Current Sources of Codes and Basic Legislation in Jurisdictions of the World (Littleton, CO: Rothman, 1989-). See also the electronic version, Foreign Law Guide (UCB only). See the section "Materials Indexed" for a nice of collection of the many sets of materials available by topic.

Szladits' Bibliography on Foreign and Comparative Law: Books and Articles in English (Dobbs Ferry, NY: Oceana, 1995-). 

Law-related electronic research guides:

Interdisciplinary electronic guides:

  • Research Guides by Subject (Lauinger Library, Georgetown University). Covers a variety of subjects, such as business and economics, government and politics, international area studies, and more. Includes print and electronic sources.
  • Subject Based Guides (UC Berkeley Library). A wide variety of subject guides.
  • Research Guides by Subject (Yale University Library). Links to guides and other research tools for many different topics.

SECONDARY SOURCES

Information About the Topic Generally

A wide selection of sources should be consulted when looking for information about a specific international topic. Consult other guides from this class for researching treaties, foreign law, and international organizations related to specific international law topics. Also, use some of the sources mentioned in the Essential Reference Tools guide (yearbooks, encyclopedias, dictionaries).

Searching LawCat is very important for determining what books are available on a particular topic. You may want to start by doing some keyword searching in order to determine the correct subject heading. Some of the subject heading will look like this:

[topic]--law and legislation
[topic]--law and legislation--[country]
[topic]--treaties
[topic]--[geographic areas]
[topic]--international law

While the the Law Library does collect many books on law-related subjects, searching the catalogs of other UCB libraries is also very helpful.

Document Compilations

Many of the most important documents on a topic can be located in document compilations. These compilations come in a variety of formats: looseleafs, serials, and electronic form. Some compilations will cover the major international legal documents and some may cover the national law of various countries on a particular topic (full-text or abstract). A good way to locate relevant looseleafs is to use Legal Looseleafs in Print . Another good collection of relevant compilations is Sources of International and Foreign Law In English Many of the guides mentioned above highlight important compilations for particular topics. Here is a sampling of a few topical compilations:

Basic Documents on Human Rights (Brownlie and Goodwin-Gill eds., 4th ed., Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2002).

Basic Documents on International Trade Law (Cheng ed., The Hague; Boston: Kluwer Law International, 1999)..

Commercial Laws of the World (Ormond Beach, FL: Foreign Tax Law Association, 1976-).

Enforcement of Money Judgments (Newman ed., Yonkers, NY: Juris Pub., 1997-).

Epstein, International Litigation: A Guide to Jurisdiction, Practice and Strategy (3rd ed., Ardsley, NY: Transnational, 1998-).

International Encyclopaedia of Laws (Kluwer Law International, dates vary). Covers many topics: civil procedure, contracts, criminal law, insurance, intellectual property, family, medical, etc.

International Judicial Assistance: Civil and Commercial (Ristau ed., Washington: International Law Institute, 1990-).

Tax Laws of the World (Ormond Beach, Fla.: Foreign Tax Law Association, 1964-).

Forms and Practitioners' Guides

The researcher is often looking for sources which explain procedures, provide sample forms, or analyze areas of law. While these sources are abundant in American law, they are not always available when researching an international topic. Some areas, however, provide more sources than others. This is especially true in the areas of business transactions, taxation, arbitration, trade, agency, etc. A keyword search on LawCat using forms, contracts or practice should prove useful. Keep in mind that while many sources exist in the areas of commercial law, they may not cover every jurisdiction or every research problem. A good source to check, even though a bit dated is The International Lawyer's Deskbook. See also, Foreign and Transnational Legal Forms, by Mary Rumsey, it covers both print and electronic sources.

Some Examples

Eckstrom's Licensing in Foreign and Domestic Operations: the Forms and Substance of Licensing (4 vols., New York: C. Boardman Co., 1978-).

Guide to the International Sale of Goods Convention (2 vols., Chesterfield, Ohio: Business Laws, 1987-).

International Commercial Agreements: A Primer on Drafting, Negotiating, and Resolving Disputes (3rd. Ed., The Hague; Boston: Kluwer Law International, 1998).

International Commercial Transactions (Paris : ICC ; Cambridge, Mass. : Kluwer Law International ; Stockholm : Norstedts Juridik AB, 2000).

Joint Ventures in the International Arena (Chicago, Ill.: Section of International Law and Practice, American Bar Association, 2003).

Law of Transnational Business Transactions (Thomson/West 2003-).

Negotiating and Structuring International Commercial Transactions (2nd ed., Chicago, Ill.: Section of International Law and Practice, American Bar Association, 2003). Includes forms.

Many continuing legal education materials and Practising Law Institute materials (PLI) are now focusing on international topics. These sources contain practical information and advice. They may also contain forms or standard language for contracts and other business agreements. The researcher can locate these materials by searching an online catalog using keywords and including the phrase "legal education." PLI materials can be located by searching Westlaw (PLI or TP-ALL) or use the annual index to PLI materials Index to Course Handbooks.   PLI also has a website which contains information about its programs and publications.

Sample forms can be found in books or articles on the particular topic. Don't forget to check the relevant research guides and bibliographies.

JOURNAL LITERATURE AND OTHER RELATED TOOLS

Journal literature is a good way to information on a topic, find a treaty citation, locate the text of a foreign law, the meaning of a term, figure out what an abbreviation stands for, etc. Consult the Sources for Locating Journal Articles guide for this class. (UCB only).

    Law-related journal indexes

ABI/Inform Global (indexes over 1,000 business, management, finance and economics journals).

EconLit (journals on economics).

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts (indexes journals related to political science).

PAIS International (covers international relations, political science, and social sciences). Also available in print in main library.

PolicyFile (abstracts of policy related papers and documents).

All of these indexes can also be accessed from the Indexes and Abstracts page of the main library's web site (UCB only).

Full-text Sources

The library subscribes to many resources that provide the complete text of journals and other sources for a variety of research areas. All of these resources can also be accessed from the Electronic Resources page of the main library's website (UCB only).

Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO) (complete texts of working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, and proceedings from conferences. Also, journal issues and books).

Contemporary Women's Issues (provides information on women's issues around the world).

Ethnic News Watch (collection of the newspapers and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press).

GenderWatch (focuses on the impact of gender across a broad spectrum of subject areas).

Hein Online (a retrospective collection of legal journals, generally pre-1980).

JSTOR (backfiles of many primary scholarly journals from a variety of disciplines).

Project Muse (access to over 220 scholarly full-text journals in the humanities and social sciences).

ELECTRONIC SOURCES

Law Library's Databases

The Library subscribes to several databases that are quite helpful when doing research on an international topic. See the Online Research portion of the Law Library's website for more information about these databases and other useful web resources.

InterAm Database
Provides legal information pertaining to trade, investment, and related issues throughout the Americas. Includes primary sources (statutes, regulations, technical standards, official gazettes, constitutions, case law and treaties) and some secondary sources (commentaries, law review articles and analysis). English language translations are available for selected Mexican laws and regulations. Electronic version of the Inter-American Trade Report is also available.

International Environment Reporter (BNA)
Environment and safety news on laws, regulations, and policies in all major industrialized and developing nations, and in international governmental and nongovernmental organizations.

International Trade Reporter (BNA)
Latest news and trends in U.S. trade policy, including regulatory, legislative, and judicial developments. Covers major activities of the International Trade Commission, Departments of State, Treasury, and Commerce, World Trade Organization, and European Union. Significant court and administrative rulings involving U.S. trade law, including opinions of the U.S. Court of International Trade, International Trade Administration, and International Trade Commission. Tracks international treaty negotiations and agreements.

RIA Worldwide Tax Law (Tax and Commercial Laws of the World)
RIA Worldwide Tax Law provides English translations of tax and commercial laws from jurisdictions around the world. This collection is the electronic version of the sets called Tax Laws of the World and Commercial Laws of the World . The database covers the following topics: income and corporate tax law; VAT; corporation law; trust law; commercial codes; environmental law; money laundering and other regulations affecting financial transactions; labor law; and bankruptcy.

WTO Reporter (BNA)
Tracks the progress of multilateral trade negotiations, negotiating positions of parties, policy decisions, dispute settlement activities, accession of new members, and reactions of countries to major developments. Covers evolving rules for trade administered by the WTO. Monitors the progress of all major cases taken to the WTO.

World Intellectual Property Report (BNA)
Monthly news and analysis of developments in the regulation and enforcement of intellectual property rights worldwide.

World Trade Online
The online equivalent to the print newsletter called Inside U.S. Trade, a weekly report on governmental and industry trade issues. Access the current newsletter, plus an archive of past issues. There is also the latest news on a variety of international trade and related issues, special reports on various hot topics, and a large collection of documents (reports, letters, dispute settlement documents, and more).

Worldtradelaw.net Dispute Commentary Service
Dispute Settlement Commentaries (DSCs) provide detailed summaries of the legal findings and conclusions as well as commentaries on WTO Panel reports, WTO Appellate Body reports, WTO Arbitrations, and NAFTA Chapter 20 Panel reports. Each DSC contains information about the case, including a time line, references to other reports and materials, and expert analysis on many of the key issues in the report. Other useful tools include search mechanisms, a WTO Case Law Index, and statistical information.

Lexis and Westlaw

Both LexisNexis and Westlaw contain compilations of documents related to specific topics. Some of the topics that can be found in Lexis include international economic law, trade, taxation, and some environmental law. These materials can be found under "Area of Law by Topic" and then under "International Law" or "International Trade." Some of the topics that can be found in Westlaw include trade, international economic law, and environmental law. These materials are located from the Directory under "Topical Materials by Area of Practice" and then under "International Law."

Other Internet Sites for International Law Topics

The sites listed below are generally good places to start looking for information on an international law topic or the site may have a good collection of links to other relevant sites. See also the Introduction to the ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law.

Good Starting Points for Locating Web Site in other Disciplines

Web Resources - Current Awareness

In order to keep up on new international law topics, see International Law in Brief -- a collection of developments in international law. See also Using Electronic Sources guide for more useful sites.

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