Marci HoffmanBerkeley Journal of International Law

August 2010mhoffman@law.berkeley.edu

International & Foreign Law Source Collecting

Overview

Getting StartedSome General SourcesStep 1: Review SourcesStep 2: AbbreviationsStep 3: International Legal SourcesStep 4: Foreign Legal SourcesStep 5: Books and Journal ArticlesStep 6: Electronic SourcesStep 7: Newspaper ArticlesStep 8: Copying

Getting Started

What you need: The text of the article Source collection list A bit of time and patience Keep track of what you have done

Why do I need the article Decipher the jurisdiction of a source being cited Put the source in context

Take a few moments to review materials from this training!

Reading Citations

Basics of citation: [volume number] abbreviation of source [page number]

Journal article:Philippe Sands, Searching for Balance: Concluding Remarks, 11 N.Y.U. ENVTL. L.J. 198, 202 (2002)author’s name, title of article, [volume number] abbreviation of journal [page on which article begins] [page that contains cited information] (year of publication)

Treaty:Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Mar. 20, 1952, 213 U.N.T.S. 262name of treaty, date of signing, [volume number] abbreviation of source [first page of the treaty]

General Sources

Library’s website, see Student Resources International & Foreign Law Source Collecting

LawCat Melvyl (UC system-wide, no law records since July 2007) OskiCat (UCB only, no law) WorldCat

Research GuidesDatabasesAccess to subscription databases

off-campus

LawCatSome records in LawCat say “Request to Retrieve.” These items are still available, but you must fill out a Paging Request Card at the Patron Services desk. Here’s more information.

Step 1: Review Sources

Primary Sources Treaties and international agreements Foreign law International case law Documents from IGOs

Secondary Sources Books Articles Reports Newspaper articles Other sources

Step 2: Abbreviations

Cardiff Index to Legal AbbreviationsBieber’s DictionaryThe Bluebook (19th ed. 2010)Guide to Foreign and International Legal Citations (2nd

ed.)Noble’s International Guide to Law ReportsWorld Dictionary of Legal AbbreviationsInternational Citation Manual

Step 3: International Sources

Treaties & International Agreements EISIL Frequently-Cited Treaties and Other International Instruments UN Treaties on HeinOnline

Note: treaty, agreement, protocol, MOU, convention, accord, covenant treaties

See Table 4 of The Bluebook.

Example

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, done at Vienna on 23 May 1969 (entered into force 27 Jan. 1980) Arts. 31(3)(c), 115 U.N.T.S. 331 HeinOnline

115 is the volume 331 is the page

Frequently-Cited Treaties and Other International Instruments

Step 3: International Sources

United Nations Documents (U.N. Doc.) UN Documentation Centre Official Document Service (ODS) UNBISnet

See rule 21.7 and Table 3 of The Bluebook for help deciphering UN abbreviations.

Example

UNSC Resolution 808 (1993), S/RES/808(808), 22 Feb. 1993. UN Documentation Centre UNBISnet ODS International Law page on UN website

Step 3: International Law

European Union Materials Eur-Lex

European Court of Justice LexisNexis Westlaw

See rule 21.8.2 and Table 3 of The Bluebook for help deciphering EU material.

Example

European Commission, Green Paper – Promoting a European Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility, COM (2001) 366 FINAL (July 18, 2001). Eur-Lex

COM documents are preparatory acts

LexisNexisWestlaw

Step 3: International Law

International Case Law Sources vary, but start w/ court or tribunal’s website

PCIJ, ICJ, ECHR, ICSID, ILO… International Law Reports Oxford Reports on International Law International Courts & Tribunals Library Many reporters available in print

Example

Middle East Cement Shipping and Handling Co. S.A. v. Arab Republic of Egypt, ICSID Case No. ARB/99/6, Award (12 Apr. 2002) ¶107. ICSID website Investment Claims ICSID Review (search LawCat)

Step 4: Foreign Law Sources

Foreign Law GuideA Selective List of Guides to Foreign Legal ResearchOther databasesWebsites

WorldLII CANLII AUSTLII

Example

The Netherlands became the first country to grant full marriage rights to same-sex couples in 2001 under the Act Opening the Institute of Marriage, Burgerlijk Wetboek [BW] [Civil Code] art. 30:1 (Neth.).

Foreign Law Guide Information on sources for laws by topic

Sources may be print or electronic (free & fee-based)

See Table 2 of The Bluebook for help with citations from foreign jurisdictions.

Example

George Uy v. Sandiganbayan, et al., G.R. Nos. 105965-70, March 20, 2001 (en banc). Often need the article to determine the jurisdiction The Bluebook The Court’s website

Step 5 : Books & Articles

Books LawCat Melvyl OskiCat

Book Chapter Signal that it’s a chapter – “in” Saland, International Criminal Law Principles, in The International

Criminal Court: The Making of the Rome Statute 189, 198 (Roy Lee ed., 1999).

Search LawCat for the title: The International Criminal Court: The Making of the Rome Statute.

Example

Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience, (K.A. Appiah and H.L. Gates eds., 1999). LawCat OskiCat Melvyl

Step 5: Articles

Law Journal Databases LegalTrac Index to Legal Periodicals HeinOnline

LexisNexisWestlawE-Journal Titles A-Z

Example

Andrew Newcombe, The Boundaries of Regulatory Expropriation in International Law, 20 ICSID REV., FILJ 1 (2005). LawCat -- title search: ICSID Review

Mankiw and Swagel, Antidumping: The Third Rail of Trade Policy 84 Foreign Affairs at 107. E-Journal Titles A-Z

Other steps

Step 6: Electronic sources Consider the source -- use best electronic source available

Step 7: Newspaper articles LexisNexis Westlaw Other databases Web

Step 6: Copying Title pages Page numbers

Other Tips

Many sources are not: available in English available electronically

Use The Bluebook as a guide follow the examples

Google is just one tool – not the only toolAsk the librarians for help!