Research Guides : International and Foreign Law Research: Introduction

International & Foreign Law Databases

Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO) This link opens in a new window Provides access to theory and research in international affairs. Scholarship coverage from 1991 to present includes working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, proceedings from conferences, books, journals, and policy briefs.
Elgar Ebooks This link opens in a new window Elgar Online Ebooks is a collection of intellectual property and pharmaceutical law resources.
Foreign Law Guide This link opens in a new window Provides access to primary and secondary sources of foreign law from 200 jurisdictions. (Available via wireless and wired connections located within the College of Law building complex)
Global Law Regulation - Search This link opens in a new window
Halsbury's Laws of England This link opens in a new window Halbury's Laws of England provides the only comprehensive narrative statement of the law of England and Wales, containing law derived from every source. Written by or in conjunction with leading lawyers, both practitioners and academics, it ensures that users benefit from a wealth of knowledge and experience. Please see a librarian for assistance.
HeinOnline This link opens in a new window Provides retrospective access to full text law review articles, Federal Register volumes, treaties and other international agreements, opinions of the U.S. Attorney General, and cases from the United States Supreme Court. Earliest issues accessible date back to the mid-1800s.

IFAR Art Law & Cultural Property Database This link opens in a new window
Incorporated Council of Law Reporting (ICLR) This link opens in a new window
Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals This link opens in a new window
Index to Human Rights Documents This link opens in a new window
Index to Legal Periodicals and Retrospective This link opens in a new window
International Historical Statistics This link opens in a new window
International Law Reports (Justis) This link opens in a new window
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Justis This link opens in a new window Justis is a full text online legal library of UK, Irish and EU case law dating back to 1163 and legislation from 1235.
Kluwer Arbitration This link opens in a new window
WK Study Aids provides access to ebooks including: Examples & Explanations series, Glannon Guides, Casenotes, and Emanuels.
Kluwer Law Online Looseleafs This link opens in a new window
Law360 This link opens in a new window
PKULaw (formerly LawInfo China) This link opens in a new window
LegalTrac This link opens in a new window

Lexis Foreign Materials
- This link opens in a new window
Lexis International Materials
- This link opens in a new window

Limits in the Seas and International Boundary Studies This link opens in a new window
LLMC Digital This link opens in a new window Includes full text access to United States federal material, Canadian materials, and some military materials.

Making of Modern Law: Foreign Comparative & International Law, 1600-1926 This link opens in a new window The Making of Modern Law: Foreign, Comparative and International Law, 1600-1926 includes pre-1926 treatises and similar monographs, sourced from the collections of the Yale, George Washington University, and Columbia law libraries, in the following areas: International Law; Comparative Law; Foreign Law; Roman Law; Islamic Law; Jewish Law; and Ancient Law.
Making of Modern Law: Foreign Primary Sources Part 1 & Part 2 1600-1970 This link opens in a new window Part 1 consists of historical legal codes, statutes, regulations, and commentaries on codes from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and other countries in northern Europe. Included are historical statutes and regulations for the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Part 2 includes PDFs of primary sources such as regulations, session laws, journals, codes and commentaries covering southern Europe, Latin America, and jurisdictions outside Europe.
Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law This link opens in a new window
National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade (formerly InterAm) This link opens in a new window
Oxford Bibliographies This link opens in a new window Developed cooperatively with scholars and librarians worldwide, Oxford Bibliographies offers exclusive, authoritative research guides.
Oxford Constitutions of the World This link opens in a new window Oxford Constitutions of the World contains regularly updated, fully-translated English-language versions of all of the world's constitutions. The constitutions are accompanied by individual commentaries and supplementary materials, including foundation documents, historical constitutions, and amendment Acts/laws, and a collection of scholarly monographs.
Oxford Historical Treaties This link opens in a new window
Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History This link opens in a new window The Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History is a comprehensive, international, interdisciplinary reference work that includes approximately 1,000 articles on all aspects of legal history throughout the world from ancient to modern times. Articles deal with private law, public law, and constitutional/higher law throughout the world and are written and signed by one of the many noteworthy contributors, which include major scholars and experts.
Oxford International Encyclopedia of Peace This link opens in a new window Includes a comprehensive survey of the full range of historical, political, theoretical and philosophical issues relating to peace and conflict. All major figures are covered, as well as major events, organizations and theories. Also includes a peace chronology, key documents and appendices.
Oxford Legal Research Library This link opens in a new window
Oxford Reports in International Law This link opens in a new window This database from Oxford University Press integrates important decisions on public international law from international courts and tribunals, domestic courts and ad hoc tribunals. Comprised of five modules (International Courts of General Jurisdiction, International Human Rights, International Criminal Law, International Investment Claims, and International Law in Domestic Courts), this online service is a single point of reference for all international law jurisprudence, providing access to a wide range of international law jurisprudence.
Oxford Scholarly Authorities on International Law This link opens in a new window Oxford Scholarly Authorities on International Law contains full-text online editions of market-leading reference works and treatises published by Oxford University Press. Books such as Oppenheim, our Oxford Handbooks in international law, and the Oxford Commentaries on International Law are made available online for the first time, fully searchable and linked by the Oxford Law Citator.

PAIS Index This link opens in a new window Provides access to public affairs materials (1972-current). This is not a full-text database.
Parry & Grant Encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law This link opens in a new window Over 2,500 entries provides the reader with copious references for further research including cases, treaties, journal articles, and websites.
PKULaw (formerly LawInfo China) This link opens in a new window

United Nations Treaty Collection This link opens in a new window

vLexJustis

West Indian Reports (LexisUK) This link opens in a new window

Westlaw International/Foreign Materials
- This link opens in a new window

WorldTradeLaw.net This link opens in a new window
World Trade Online This link opens in a new window

What is Public International Law?

Public international law governs the relations between nations, between intergovernmental organizations, and between nations and intergovernmental organizations. According to Article 38 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, the sources of pubic international law are:

International treaties and conventions
Customary international law
General principles of law
Judicial decisions and teachings of the most highly qualified publicists

What is Foreign Law?

Foreign law is the domestic or national law of a country other than the U.S. Foreign law deals with the constitutions, statutes, regulations and court decisions of a given country.

Writing an International, Foreign, or Comparative Law Paper?

Find topics by reading blogs. Check out in particular:

Find topics by checking out current news sources. In particular:

Need Help with Abbreviations?

Both sources below help to decipher abbreviations of publications publishing primary foreign and international law. Start with the Cardiff Index below.