Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

International Law Resource Guide

Introduction
Treaties
Cases from International Courts & Tribunals
Books
Journal Articles
Dictionaries, Abbreviations & Acronyms
Citing to International Law
Study Aids
Other Research Guides

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

 

Introduction

International law is "[t]he legal system governing the relationships between nations; more modernly, the law of international relations, embracing not only nations but also such participants as international organizations and individuals." (Black's Law Dictionary 18th edition) Some topics in international law include human rights, international trade, criminal and environmental law, the use of force and international dispute resolution.

If you are looking for foreign law (the law of another country, as opposed to international law), the best place to start is the Foreign Law Guide.

If you're a student who's trying to pick a topic in international law for a seminar or note, considering reviewing the discussions on some of the most popular international law blogs and current awareness sites like Opinio Juris, ASIL Insights, 1948, IntLawGrrls, or International Econ Law Blog.

Please contact the Law Library's Research Services librarians during their Research Services hours, or via email for help with locating or using any of the resources discussed in this guide.

 

 

Treaties

Treaties are one of the primary sources of international law. They can be called by many different names, including conventions, statutes, memoranda of understanding, pacts, charters, protocols, final acts, and accords.

Treaties can be either bilateral (two parties) or multilateral (several parties). They are only binding on the parties to the treaties.

Below you can find several print and online sources for treaty research. If you need more in-depth information on treaty research, consult one of these resources: The Law of Treaties KZ1301 .L38 2004, §2.04 Treaties in Guide to International Legal Research KZ1234 .G85, or this online tutorial, Researching Treaties (Georgetown).

General Sources

Treaties by Organization

Treaties by Selected Subject Areas

Older Treaties

  • Treaties and Other International Acts of the United States of America KZ236 1931a Covers treaties from 1776 - 1863; commonly referred to as Miller. Online through HeinOnline.
  • Treaties, Conventions, International Acts, Protocols, and Agreements between the United States of America and Other Powers KZ236 1910b Covers treaties from 1776 - 1973; commonly referred to as Malloy. Online through HeinOnline.
  • Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States, 1776 - 1949 KZ236 1968 Commonly referred to as Bevans. Supersedes Miller and Malloy. Online through HeinOnline.
  • Avalon Project
    Historical treaties and other documents from pre-18th century through present.

 

 


Cases from International Courts and Tribunals

Online caselaw for some of the most important international courts and tribunals is listed below. For a more complete listing of courts and tribunals worldwide, see PICT (Project on International Courts and Tribunals). Some courts, such as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights are still in organizational stages and do not have completed caselaw.

Potential print sources for caselaw from international courts and tribunals include International Legal Materials (ILM) K9 .N849 (republishes selective documents of importance); Annotated Leading Cases KZ6310 .A55 (covering ICTR & ICTY); Digest of Jurisprudence of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, 2003 - 2005 KZ1208 .S53 L38 2007 ; and Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal D804 .G42 I55 (covers the Nuremberg Tribunal).

 

Books

These are some of the key books and authors on international law. You can search for additional treatises by doing a keyword search in the library catalog.

For a more comprehensive list of important books and authors in international law, see Prof. Patrick S. O'Donnell's International Law: A Basic Bibliography, originally posted to Prawfsblawg.

 

Journal Articles

Using journal articles can help you obtain background information on a topic, locate the text of a document, find a citation, and lead you to additional sources. One of the best ways to find journal articles on point is to use an index.

Two important indexes for international law research are:

There are many journals that specialize in international law topics, which you can locate by searching the library catalog. Some examples include:

  • The American Journal of International Law K1 .M473  Available electronically on HeinOnline (1907 - 2006), JSTOR (1907 - 2007), Lexis (1980 - current), and Westlaw (1982 - current).
  • Berkeley Journal of International Law K9 .N885 Available electronically on HeinOnline (1983 - 2007), Lexis (1996 - current), Westlaw (selected coverage from 1983, full coverage from 1993 - current).
  • Cornell International Law Journal K3 .O74 Available electronically on HeinOnline (1968 - 2006), Lexis (1993 - current), Westlaw (selected coverage from 1983, full coverage from 1993 - current).
  • Harvard International Law Journal K8 .A685 Available electronically on HeinOnline (1959 - 2006), Lexis (1993 - current), Westlaw (selected coverage from 1984, full coverage from 1994 - current).
 

Dictionaries, Abbreviations & Acronyms

Dictionaries

As you research international law, you are bound to come across new and confusing terminology -- especially in Latin and French -- and any number of abbreviations and acronyms. There are many dictionaries, encyclopedias and other resources you can turn to for help.

You might also turn to one of the international law encyclopedias or more extensive dictionaries if you need a concise, but thorough explanation of a legal concept such as "civil law" or "customary international law."

Abbreviations and Acronyms

You're researching a topic, reading through footnotes, and come across an abbreviation or acronym that stops you in your tracks. Is it an English case? From South Africa? Maybe Australia? These sources will help you.

 

Citing to International Law

The Bluebook's Rule 21 explains how to cite to international materials. This section provides citation details on treaties, international caselaw, arbitrations, U.N. sources, materials from inter-governmental organizations, yearbooks, digests, and more. Another useful Bluebook section is Table 2 on foreign jurisdictions.

For citation help on the web, check out the University of Minnesota's Frequently-Cited Treaties and Other International Instruments, which was written with citation checkers in mind.

Finally, EISIL (Electronic Information System for International Law) can also be helpful. Under any source document in EISIL there is "More Information" which includes a field for legal citation. The legal citation in EISIL for the Vienna Convention of the Law of Treaties is a good example of several possible citation sources for this document.

 

Study Aids

In addition to the many outlines and other study aids commercially available, these books and CALI lessons can be helpful when preparing for exams.

  • Bederman, International Law Frameworks KZ3410 .B43 2001
  • Buergenthal & Murphy, Public International Law in a Nutshell KZ3092 .B84 2007
  • Murphy, Principles of International Law KZ1322 .M87 2006
  • CALI Lessons - International Law
    CALI lessons are online tutorials written by experts in the field that are geared toward law students. The international CALI lessons include such topics as Customary International Law, Finding ICJ Opinions, International Environmental Law & CITES, United Nations Research and more. CALI lessons require registration.
 

Other Research Guides

Didn't find what you're looking for in this guide? Try some of these other guides - they may cover topics or resources not discussed here.

 

March. 2008 (aeb)


Cleveland-Marshall College of Law 2121 Euclid Avenue, LB 138, Cleveland, Ohio 44115