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Mexican Legal Research

Introduction

This is a brief guide to researching Mexican Law. If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Wolff Library reference desk at 202-662-4195 or by email: intlref@law.georgetown.edu. You may also submit your question via this online form.

Background Materials and General Sources

If you would like to browse our Mexican law collection, it is located on the 4th floor of the Wolff Library under the call number KGF. You can also search the online catalog (or try our NEW catalog interface) using keywords to narrow your search results. For example <Mexico trade> or <tort Mexican>. You may find some books that focus specifically on Mexican law, while others may only include one or two relevant chapters.

  • Doing business in Mexico available in print and through
    Lexis (Georgetown Law Only) [Legal > Find Laws by Country or Region > Foreign Laws & Legal Sources > Mexico > Commentaries & Treatises > Lex Mundi's Guide to Doing Business in Mexico]
    Organized by subject, this is a basic overview of the laws (without the actual text of the law) e.g. employment law.
  • An Introduction to the History of Mexican Law INTL KGF292 .M37 1983
    Though a little dated, this is the resource for an complete historical overview of Mexican law.
  • "Mexico Law Digest" in Martindale-Hubbell International Law Digest
    Lexis (Georgetown Law Only) [Legal > Find Laws by Country or Region > Foreign Laws & Legal Sources > Mexico > Commentaries & Treatises> Martindale-Hubbell Law Digest - North American Law Digests (updated annually)
    A general overview for a practitioner, as it is organized topically with brief explanations of the law.
  • Mexican Law INTL KGF327 .Z36 2004
    The most current overview of Mexican law ranging in topics from historical background on the legal system to conflicts of law.
  • The Mexican Legal System (2nd edition) INTL KGF150 .A95 2000
     Slightly dated, this was written with the non-Spanish speaking researcher in mind, as an introduction to the Mexican legal system
  • "The Legal System of Mexico" Modern Legal Systems Cyclopedia (Georgetown Law Only) and in print
    Current as of 2000, this has background and historical information on the legal profession, constitution, legal education and the judicial process along with a bibliography of relevant resource in English, plus a glossary of Mexican legal terms.

Books by Legal Subject

Below are some good starting points, but to locate more resources, search the online catalog (or try our NEW catalog interface) using keywords to narrow your search results. For example <Mexico government > or <regulation Mexican>

Bankruptcy Law

Civil Procedure

Constitutional Law

Corporate, Commercial, Business

  • Commercial Code of Mexico: Selected Substantive Provisions KGF1054.31889 .A5213 2008
    These chosen provisions range from e-commerce to consignment within the commercial code. The section on bringing commercial lawsuits is omitted. English only text provide, this is an update to the 2003 version of this publication.
  • Commercial Laws of the World - Mexico (Georgetown Law Only) also in print (updated to 2006)
    Accessed through Checkpoint this resource can be difficult to navigate. The following instructions are one way to search for Mexican materials. To search for materials chose "International" in the drop-down box under "Practice Area" then click on"+" next to "RIA Worldwide Tax & Commercial Law" then click on "RIA Worldwide Tax & Commercial Law -- Mexico". This database provides English translation of the code with text in red indicating the most recent amendments.
  • Doing business in Mexico available in print and through
    Lexis (Georgetown Law Only) [Legal > Find Laws by Country or Region > Foreign Laws & Legal Sources > Mexico > Commentaries & Treatises > Lex Mundi's Guide to Doing Business in Mexico]
    This does not provided the text of the laws but rather a very broad introduction to such topics as mergers, employment and business entities.
  • Problemas Actuales del Derecho Empresarial Mexicano INTL KGF1295 .P76 2005
    An overview of legal and practical problems with economic ventures and development in Mexico. There are flow charts and bibliographies for further research at the end of the chapters.

Taxation

  • Taxation and Investment in Mexico INTL KGF4861 .T21 1994
    Organized by such tax topics as international, capital, income derived by non-residents, this gives a brief summary of the creation of the relevant law and gives detailed information and commentary about the laws. Note this not a word by word translation of the actual text of the law but rather information about how the laws are applied.
  • Tax Laws of the World - Mexico (Georgetown Law Only) also in print (updated to 2006)
    Accessed through Checkpoint this resource can be difficult to navigate. The following instructions are one way to search for Mexican materials. To search for materials chose "International" in the drop-down box under "Practice Area" then click on"+" next to "RIA Worldwide Tax & Commercial Law" then click on
    "RIA Worldwide Tax & Commercial Law -- Mexico". This database provides English translation of the code with text in red indicating the most recent amendments.

Constitution

Statutes & Codes

General Sources

When searching for codes keep in mind, like most of the world, the date format will be day, month (e.g. 5/6 is June 5th not May 6th).

  • World Legal Information Institute - Mexico (WorldLII)
    WorldLII also provides access legal materials, including selective legislation, from around the world
  • GLIN
    For best searching, use "More Search Options" and choose Mexico as the jurisdiction. Some full text available in Spanish, summaries in English.
  • state and federal legislation provided by the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico has (Spanish only).

Diario Oficial

The Diario Oficial de la Federación is similar to the U.S. Federal Register, but also contains all new federal legislation and legislation that applies to the Federal District and states. The Diario also contains important announcements, notices, decrees, resolutions, tenders, proposed rules and regulations, and draft and final standard issued by the Mexican government and its agencies.

The Wolff Library does not have the Diario in print, however it is available through several electronic sources. *Text in Spanish*

  • Dario Official provided by the Mexican Government
    There is also a brief history of the Dario. Click on the PDF symbol at the top of the page to automatically download the entire Dario for that day in PDF form. The materials coverage has indexed materials from 1917 to present and has PDFs of materials available for free for most current month.
  • Westlaw (Georgetown Law Only) MX-DIARIO
    This database contains the Diario from July 1995 through current.
  • Lexis (Georgetown Law Only) [Legal > Find Laws by Country or Region > Foreign Laws & Legal Sources > Mexico > Legislacion (Legislation) > MX - Diario Oficial de la Federacion
    Covers the Diario from June, 2003 through current.

Mexican Codes

As a civil law system, Mexican law is organized into codes. Spanish-language versions and English translations of several Mexican codes are available in print in the library. Below are a few of the most important codes. When searching for codes keep in mind, the date format will be day, month (e.g. 5/6 is June 5th not May 6th).

  • Federal Civil Code of Mexico INTL KGF404.32 .A52 2005
    Bilingual edition.
  • Federal Civil Code of Mexico: Translated into English with Introduction and Index INTL KGF404.32 .A52 2003
  • The Federal Civil Code of Mexico: Translated and updated by Jorge A. Vargas INTL KGF404.32 .A52 2005
  • Mexico Civil and Commercial Codes INTL KGF7611.A291928 .A52 1995.
     Includes Spanish text with English translation on opposing page.
  • Mexican civil code annotated INTL KGF404.32 .A52 2009
    This edition includes brief excerpts of relevant case law, in both English and Spanish, as well as the code in Spanish text with English translation on opposing page.
  • Mexican Civil Code INTL KGF7611.A291928 A531996
    Includes Spanish text with English translation on opposing page.
  • Mexican Commercial Code INTL KGF7611.A27 M49 1996.
    Includes Spanish text with English translation on opposing page.
  • Código Civil Federal INTL KGF6711.A291928 A624 2000 ( updated to 2009)
  • Código de Comercio, Comentado INTL KGF1054.31889 .C37 2003
  • Legislación Penal Mexicana INTL KGF5402.A27 A52 2000 (updated to 2009)
  • Lexis (Georgetown Law Only) has the civil, commercial and penal code. *Text in Spanish*
    • Legal > Find Laws by Country or Region > Foreign Laws & Legal Sources > Mexico > Legislacion (Legislation) > Codigo Civil de Mexico- Mexican Civil Code
      Coverage from 1990's to Fall 2009.
    • Legal > Find Laws by Country or Region > Foreign Laws & Legal Sources > Mexico > Legislacion (Legislation) > Codigo de Comercio de Mexico - Mexican Com mercial Code
      Coverage from 1990's to Fall 2009.
    • Legal > Find Laws by Country or Region > Foreign Laws & Legal Sources > Mexico > Legislacion (Legislation) > Codigo Penal de Mexico - Mexican Penal Code
      Coverage from Coverage from 1990's to Fall 2009.

Case Law

As Mexico is a civil law system, cases play a different role in jurisprudence; the code is where answers are sought, rarely cases. Case law also does have the same kind of binding precedent as in common law systems. Although key Mexican legislation is sometimes translated, case law is predominantly available in Spanish. When searching for cases keep in mind, the date format will be day, month (e.g. 5/6 is June 5th not May 6th ).

  • Anales de Jurisprudencia ( Updated to 2006) INTL KGF75.D5 A8 and available through
    Lexis (GULC only) [Legal > Find Laws by Country or Region > Foreign Laws & Legal Sources > Mexico > Jurisprudencia (Caselaw) > Jurisprudencia de la Corte Suprema de Mexico - Mexican Caselaw (Coverage from 1900's through September, 2009) *Text in Spanish*
    Biblioteca Juridica Vittual provided by the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico coverage from 1998-2004
    A bi-monthly publication of select civil, business, family, penal and juvenile justice cases from the Tribunal Superior de Justicia del Distrito Federal, as well as some articles, studies and historical documents.
  • Semanario Judicial de la Federación y su Gaceta (updated regularly) INTL KGF70.A2 S451
    The official resource for the Supreme Court (the highest court for constitutional and federal jurisdictions) as well as for the Federal Courts. It is divided by Pleno, Salas, Ejecutorias,Votos Particulares y Minoritarios
  • Suprema Corte de Justicia through their Buscador Jurídico has some limited case searching

Journal Articles

Periodical literature is a good way to obtain background information, locate the text of a foreign law, a citation, or locate information about a subject. Westlaw and Lexis provide excellent coverage of U.S. law reviews, but you should consider expanding your journal research to foreign journals and indexes for more comprehensive and global coverage. For information on other journal databases, see our Using Articles for Legal and Non-Legal Research for a complete list.

In addition, see our guide on Locating Journal Articles: Foreign & International, as there are foreign and international law journals databases linked to, as another way to research this topic in the foreign and international law context.

If you already have a citation and would like to read the article, simply type the journal name as a title search in the library catalog. The results will tell you if we have print, electronic, or both. Be sure to check coverage dates or volume numbers to determine if your particular volume or issue is available. If the library does not have the journal article, you may request the article through interlibrary loan and we will ask another library to make a photocopy.

Below are listed a few of the most commonly used resources for locating articles on Mexican law in the foreign and international law context.

  • Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals (IFLP) (Georgetown Law Only).
    A multilingual index to articles and book reviews appearing in approximately 490 legal journals published worldwide. Online access from 1985 to the present. Please note while this is not a full text database interlibrary loan can obtain many of the articles if a copy is not available at any of the Georgetown libraries. This is the best resource to search for foreign language legal journal articles.
  • Cambridge University Press Journals (Georgetown only)
    This full-text database offers both legal and non-legal journals published by Cambridge University. We suggest using advanced searching and you can limit by selecting "law" from the subject list. Titles include Cambridge Law Journal, Journal of African Law, World Trade Review, Legal Theory, and much more.
  • Oxford University Press (Georgetown only)
    Full-text database of both legal and non-legal journals published by Oxford University. You can limit to a particular journal or to the subject law. Online access to many of the frequently-cited Oxford journals.

Selected Spanish-Language Periodicals (Mexican Imprints)

Below is a sampling of some journals, which focus on Mexican law. For back issues search in the library catalog using the title of the journal. Current editions of these journals are located at the Wolff circulation desk. Older editions are on the upper floor of the Wolff Library.

English-Language Periodicals Focusing on Mexican Law

Legal Dictionaries

If you need to consult a general Spanish-English dictionary, two choices are Collins and Oxford. Below is a selection of Spanish dictionaries on law and related topics.

  • Contreras & Leutwyler Spanish-English Compendium of Law INTL REF K52.S6 C66 2005
  • Dahl's Law Dictionary: Spanish-English/English-Spanish: an annotated legal dictionary, including authoritative definitions from codes, case law, statutes, and legal writing and legal opinions of attorneys general available in print and through
    Lexis (Georgetown Law Only) [Legal > Find Laws by Country or Region > Foreign Laws & Legal Sources > Mexico > Doctrina y Referencia (Journals & Reference) > Dahl's Spanish-English Law Dictionary]
  • Dictionary of legal terms : Spanish-English, English-Spanish INTL REF K52.S6 R66 2006
  • McGraw-Hill's Spanish and English Legal Dictionary: Dahl's Abridged Law Dictionary INTL K52.S6 D33 2003

Citing to Mexican Law

Consult The Bluebook INTL REF KF245 .U5 2005, Rule 20 (R20) and Table 2 (T.2) - Mexico - for assistance with citing to Mexican law. Rule 20 provides the general guidelines for citing to foreign law and Table 2 provides details specific to Mexican legal materials. The Bluebook provides guidance for citing to Mexican cases and legislative and executive materials at the federal and state level.

Other Research Guides & Other Resources

Want more information about Mexican law research? These other research guides may help.

  • An Electronic Guide to Mexican Law (GlobaLex)
    This 2009 version of this guide, has annotated links organized by such topics as NAFTA, political parties, as well as an overview of where to locate legal materials primarily in Spanish online.
  • The Federal Civil Code of Mexico (LLRX)
    Though a little dated (2005) this provides a focused review of the history of the Federal Code, as well as some unique aspects of the code.
  • Electronic Guide to the Best Mexican Law Websites (LLRX)
    An extensive overview of the Mexican legal system, including a section on international treaties.
  • Mexico (Law Library of Congress)
    Nicely annotated links to legal materials, as well as to more general and interdisciplinary resources on Mexico.
  • Mexican Law Research Guide (Tarlton Law Library)
    Click on the primary and secondary tabs for further information and nicely annotated links.
  • International Judicial Assistance: Mexico (U.S. Dept. of State)
    A brief but useful overview of some basic judicial questions e.g. process of service, authentication of documents, list of consulates and embassies.
  • Mexican Law with Professor Jorge A. Vargas
    This site has some really useful sections

Revised 6/10 (ras)
Links 8/08 (ras)
Revised 4/07 (aeb)

Page last saved 23-Sep-2011