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Introduction to International Law Research

Introduction

This research guide focuses on key resources for public international law. Public international law governs the relationships between nations, and among nations, international organizations and non-governmental organizations. Private international law (or "choice of law"), foreign law and comparative law are separate areas of research. This guide is limited to public international law research.

Related Research Guides - Georgetown Law Library

Research in international law often involves several related areas of legal research. The Library has created extensive research guides on the following additional topics that relate to international law. They can be used in conjunction with this general guide. For a complete list of the many more research guides the Library has created, see Our Online Collection.

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.

Top Resources for International Law Research

  • EISIL
    Created by ASIL (American Society of International Law), EISIL is free web portal that researchers can use to easily locate the highest quality primary materials, authoritative web sites and helpful research guides to international law on the Internet. Cite-checkers will appreciate the "legal citation" information found in the "more information" link for each document.
  • United Nations Document System
    This database is the official repository for documents published by the United Nations. The full text of documents dating back to 1992 is accessible in PDF format in all official languages of the United Nations - Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Documents are stored in two databases, UN Documentation, which includes documents back to 1992 and UN Resolutions, which includes resolutions of the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council and Trusteeship Council since 1946.
  • International Legal Materials (ILM)
    Constantly cited in law review articles and other sources, ILM has been published since 1962. It provides the basic, primary documents of research and analysis for international law. It is available in print, on HeinOnline, and on Lexis and Westlaw.
  • Foreign Law Guide
    Technically a foreign law research database, Foreign Law Guide is too important to not mention in this list. It is the primary source for information on the sources of law for many foreign jurisdictions. It provides the researcher with relevant information on sources of foreign law, including complete bibliographic citations to legislation, the existence of English translations whenever possible, and selected references to secondary sources in English.
  • Parry and Grant Encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law INTL REF KZ1161 .P37 2004
    This is the source to turn to if you need a quick definition of an international law term or clarification of a concept. This dictionary is only available in print.
  • The American Journal of International Law
    Published quarterly since 1907, this journal is considered the premier English-language scholarly journal in its field. It features scholarly articles and editorials, notes and comment by preeminent scholars on developments in international law and international relations, and reviews of contemporary developments. The journal contains summaries of decisions by national and international courts and arbitral and other tribunals, and of contemporary U.S. practice in international law. Each issue lists recent publications in English and other languages, many of which are reviewed in depth. It is available in print INTL K1 .M44, on HeinOnline, JSTOR, and on Lexis and Westlaw.

Treatises on International Law

These are some scholarly treatises that will give you an introduction to international law. Use keyword searching in the library catalog to locate additional materials on the specific topic you are researching.

Customary International Law

What is customary international law? It consists of two elements: "a concordant practice of a number of states acquiesced in by others; and a conception that the practice is required by or consistent with the prevailing law (opinio juris)." (Parry and Grant Encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law, 2nd ed., p. 109) The first element of the definition is commonly referred to as "state practice" and the second as "opinio juris". Customary international law is included in Art. 38(1) of the ICJ Statute, which defines what law the ICJ can apply.

Customary international law is an important and sometimes confusing part of international law. State practice in customary international law can be evidenced by many different types of documents, including domestic legislation, regulations, treaties, judicial decisions, diplomatic communications, and the practice of NGOs and IGOs. Opinio juris can be shown through judicial decisions, executive communications and other documents.

Digests of practice and yearbooks are some of the sources frequently consulted in researching customary international law. Below are selected key resources.

Periodical Literature

Want to find out if you can get electronic access to a journal article through the library? Check the E-Journal Finder! From the library homepage, it's the first link under Quick Links. The E-Journal Finder even tells you if a journal is available on Lexis and Westlaw. To use the E-Journal Finder, type in the name of the journal, and see what sources will give you full-text electronic access. If we don't have the journal electronically, check the library catalog for a print version or request the article through interlibrary loan.

Indexes

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. To obtain the best results, use periodical indexes to locate relevant citations.

Below are listed a few of the most commonly used journal indexes. See our journal indexes page for a complete list. If you are new to using indexes to find articles, have a look at these two guides: Locating Journal Articles: Foreign & International and Using Articles for Legal and Non-Legal Research.

Selected Specialized Journals

  • The American Journal of International Law INTL K1.M44 Available electronically on HeinOnline (1907-2004), JSTOR (1907-2005), Lexis (1980 - current) and Westlaw (1982 - current).
  • Columbia Journal of Transnational Law INTL K3 .O415 Available electronically on HeinOnline (1961-2005), Lexis (1995 - current) and Westlaw (selected coverage from 1983; full coverage 1993 - current).
  • Harvard International Law Journal INTL K8 .A825 Available electronically on HeinOnline (1959-2005), Lexis (1993 - current) and Westlaw (selected coverage from 1984; full coverage 1994 - current).
  • Michigan Journal of International Law INTL K13 .I19 Available electronically on HeinOnline (1979 - 2005), Lexis (1993 - current) and Westlaw (selected coverage from 1989; full coverage 1993 - current).

Current Awareness

Keeping up-to-date with current news and events can be crucial to conducting research in the area of international law. Periodicals and newspapers, news feeds, newsletters, press releases and blogs are major sources for keeping abreast of new developments in international law. Here are some reliable sources that can make this aspect of research easier.

  • ASIL (American Society of International Law) provides several excellent tools for current awareness: ASIL Insights (RSS feed available), International Law in Brief, and IL.post (available only to ASIL members).
  • Bulletin of Legal Developments INTL REF K521.B84
  • Exploring International Law is a blog by a Georgetown professor focusing on commentary and analysis at the intersection of international law and politics. RSS feed available.
  • International Law News - Headlines and Sources (Harvard) gathers the top daily headlines in international law.
  • International Law Update INTL K521.I5
  • Jurist, the legal news and research portal maintained by the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, offers current awareness pages for a variety of international law-related topics [complete list], including the ICJ, UN, WTO, genocide, and the Kyoto Protocol. RSS feeds are available for each topic page.
  • Opinio Juris is a blog dedicated to reports, commentary, and debate on current developments and scholarship in the fields of international law and politics. RSS feed available.

Citing to International Law

Consult The Bluebook KF245 .U5 2005, Rule 21 and Tables 3 and 4, for assistance with citing to international materials. Rule 21 explains the basic citation forms and indicates how to cite to treaties, international judicial decisions, arbitral awards, United Nations documents and documents from various intergovernmental organizations. Tables 3 and 4 list correct abbreviations for materials from intergovernmental organizations and treaty sources.

In addition to using The Bluebook, here are some additional strategies that may help with citation:

  • Look for the document in EISIL, the international law portal from ASIL. Click on the "More Information" link under the main link. This link includes a "Legal Citation" section. See, for example, the detailed legal citation information for the Statute of the International Court of Justice.
  • Frequently-Cited Treaties and Other International Instruments (U of Minn.) This site was created to help law review citation-checking. It lists treaties frequently cited in law review articles, along with available sources of hard copy.
  • Look for a citation in the footnotes of law review articles in Lexis and Westlaw. It is often a good idea to check how others are citing a document.

Dictionaries, Abbreviations and Acronyms

While researching international law, you will frequently encounter confusing terminology--especially Latin or French terms--and an array of abbreviations and acronyms. The sources listed below will help you decipher this aspect of international law research.

Dictionaries

Below is a list of books that contain English-language definitions and descriptions of international and foreign legal terms and concepts. There are many dictionaries and encyclopedias devoted to specific international topics as well (for example, Dictionary of International Trade INTL REF HF1373 .H55 2000 or Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements INTL REF KZ4968 .O8213 2003).

Abbreviations and Acronyms

A general approach to finding the meaning of an abbreviation is to look in the source you found the abbreviation in first (a full title or name might have been indicated in an earlier footnote or there might be a table of abbreviations at the beginning of the book or periodical). Then try the Cardiff site and Bieber's (both listed below). Other sources to try are periodicals indexes, an index of acronyms for organizations, a legal research guide, or an abbreviations list or dictionary for legal terms from a particular country. Searching full text law reviews (or case law) on Lexis or Westlaw is another good way to determine the meaning of an abbreviation.

  • Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
    This is the quickest and easiest source to check for abbreviations. If this fails, try Bieber's or another source.
  • Bieber's Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations (5th edition) INTL REF KF246 .B46 2001
    This is the standard print source for legal abbreviations. It is also available on Lexis.
  • World Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations (updated regularly) INTL REF K89 .K38 1991
    Covers various languages and subjects.
  • Index to Legal Citations and Abbreviations INTL REF K85.R3 1993
  • Noble's Revised International Guide to the Law Reports INTL REF K38 .N63 1998
    Especially good for case reporters.
  • Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary (updated regularly) INTL REF P365 .A28

Other Research Guides

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

Print Guides

  • Accidental Tourist on the New Frontier : An Introductory Guide to Global Legal Research
    INTL REF K85.A27 1998
  • Germain's Transnational Law Research (updated regularly) INTL REF K85.G47 1991
    Covers procedural and practical issues, subject areas (arbitration, computers, human rights, etc.) and some country guides (France, Germany, U.K., etc.).
  • Guide to International Legal Research (updated regularly) INTL REF KZ1234.G85
  • How to Find the Law (9th edition) Later editions do not cover international and foreign law. Williams KF240.C5383 1989

Online Guides

Revised March 2007 (aeb)

Page last saved 26-Aug-2008