Getting Started
These research guides provide an excellent overview of international legal research, with background information about international organizations and citations or links to key resources:
International Legal Research by Call Number: XXKZ1234.H644 2008, D'Angelo Law Reserve RoomPublication Date: 2008-04-30This Nutshell provides a basic introduction to international legal research for the non-specialist. It offers guidance through the unfamiliar pathways of research using international legal materials and demystifies the world of treaties. Since it's aimed at the non-specialist, it provides straight-forward background information on the United Nations and the European Union and includes guidance using the documents and legal materials of these institutions. There are extensive links to the rich world of Web resources, but it also describes paper research tools that remain important in this field. Finally, it sets out a road map for approaching an international legal research problem.
- ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law (ERG)Research guide from the American Society of International Law. Organizes and provides links to web resources covering international law topics, such as the Public International Law, International Human Rights, and International Organizations.
- University of Chicago Research Guides by SubjectResearch guides from the University of Chicago Library on a variety of topics. Some may be helpful for your international legal research.
Additional Resources
These resources are helpful for locating international legal materials, like treaties and publications from international tribunals, and secondary sources, like scholarly articles:
Treaties:
- United Nations Treaty Collection (UNTS)Collection of treaties and international agreements registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat since 1946. Select "LNTS Database" to search the League of Nations Treaty Series.
- Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-GeneralUse this database to determine the status of treaties deposited with the Secretary-General of the UN.
- HeinOnline: Treaties and Agreements Library This link opens in a new window
Other International Legal Materials:
- HeinOnline: Foreign and International Law Resources DatabasesProvides online access to important international legal materials, including publications of international tribunals and judicial decisions.
- Electronic Information System for International Law (EISIL)Run and maintained by ASIL. Has excellent, clear layout, with helpful mix of primary and secondary resources.
- WorldLII: International Courts and Tribunals LibrarySearch for judicial decisions and publications from international tribunals, European courts, African courts, and more.
Scholarly Articles & Policy Briefs:
- CIAO: Columbia International Affairs Online This link opens in a new window
- Westlaw Edge This link opens in a new windowWestlaw access is restricted to current students, faculty, and staff of the Law School.
- Lexis+ This link opens in a new windowLexisNexis for Law Schools access is restricted to current students, faculty, and staff of the Law School.
Understanding Legal Abbreviations:
- Cardiff Index to Legal AbbreviationsFind a citation or legal abbreviation that you don't understand? Use this database to search for the meaning of abbreviations for foreign and international legal publications.
Subject Specialist
Lyonette Louis-Jacques
Contact:
Foreign and International Law
Librarian and Lecturer in Law
D'Angelo Law Library
University of Chicago Law School
Librarian and Lecturer in Law
D'Angelo Law Library
University of Chicago Law School
773-702-9612