INTERNATIONAL LAW Research

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INTERNATIONAL LAW Research

• Prof. Robert W. Hudson
• Head of Information Services
• Nova Southeastern University
• Shepard Broad Law Center - Law Library
  Technology Center
• 3/14/2008

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Contents

• Prologue What is International Law?
• Foreign Law
• Comparative Law
• Public International Law
• Private International Law

• Research in International Law
• International Agreements
• Treaties
• Executive Agreements
• Judicial Decisions
• Secondary Sources

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International Law is not the same as Foreign Law

• Foreign Law is the law of other countries
• Examples
• Canadian Constitution
• French Defamation Laws

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International Law is not the same as Comparative
Law

• Comparative Law is the study of various National
  Legal Systems
• A method of study
• Example
• Examination of Russian and Chinese approaches to
  trade regulation

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International Law is not the same as
Transnational law

• Transnational law is about national treatment of
  international issues
• Example
• National courts litigating international issues
• Areas of law that cross national boundaries

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International Law is not the same as
Supranational law

• The law of Associations of States
• Example
• African Union
• European Union
• Mercosur
• Some over lap with Public International Law

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What is International Law?

• International law Involves
• the relationships between states
• The relationship between persons or entities in
  different states.

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What is International Law?

• International law Involves
• the relationships between states
• (Public International Law)
• The relationship between persons or entities in
  different states.
• (Private International Law)

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Public International Law

• The relationships between states
• International Agreements
• Examples
• Treaties
• Conventions
• Protocols
• Covenants
• Charters
• Executive Agreements

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Public International Law Examples

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• Versailles Treaty
• Geneva Conventions

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Public International Law

• Includes Activities of International
  Organizations created by International Agreement
• Examples
• World Health Organization
• World Trade Organization
• International Monetary Fund

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Private International Law

• Conflict of laws between competing international
  jurisdictions
• Examples
• International commercial arbitration

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Public International Law

• When we say International Law we mean Public
  International Law

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How to Research Public International Law
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Focus on

• Treaties
• United Nations Documents
• Case law

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Treaties

• Bilateral
• Multilateral

Must be approved by 2/3rds of Senate Signed by
President - If not it is an Executive Agreement
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Researching Treaties

• Locate in an Authoritative Source
• Determine if it in force
• Find Interpretations of Treaties

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Researching Treaties

• TREATIES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACTS Slip
  Format
• KZ236 1931 LAW LIBRARY Foreign/International
  1st Floor  
• UNITED STATES TREATIES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL
  AGREEMENTS (U.S.T.) Session Format
• KZ235.3 .U55 LAW LIBRARY Foreign/International
  1st Floor  
• These are the Official Sources
• Very slow however

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Researching Treaties
http//heinonline.org/HOL/Index?collectionustreat
ies
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Researching Treaties
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Researching Treaties
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Researching Treaties
International Legal Materials ILM Lexis INTLAW
lib ILM file Westlaw ILM
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Electronic Information System for International
Law
http//www.eisil.org/
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Researching Treaties

• Determine if it in force

http//www.state.gov/s/l/treaty/treaties/
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Find Interpretations of Treaties

• Wests digests, Topic Treaties
• U.S.C.S. U.S.C.A.
• Shepards Federal Statute Citations
• Arranged by U.S.T. cite prior to 1950 Stat.
• WESTLAW LEXIS
• Key Word search

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United Nations Documents
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U.N. Databases

• Access Based on Years of Coverage
• Official Document System ODS 1993 -
• AccessUN 1948 -
• UNBISnet 1979 -
• UN-I-QUE 1946 -

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Official Document System ODS
http//documents.un.org/
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International Courts
http//www.eisil.org/index.php?sid189680939tsub
_pagescat706
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Secondary Sources

• Digests
• Digest of International Law
• KZ237.7 .H33 1940 LAW LIBRARY
  Foreign/International 1st Floor
• Digest of United States Practice in International
  Law
• KZ21 .R68 LAW LIBRARY Foreign/International 1st
  Floor

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Secondary Sources

• Foreign Relations of the United States
• S 1.1/2945-54/Supp. LAW LIBRARY Government
  Documents 1st Floor K
• Restatement of Foreign Relations Law of the
  United States
• Reserve 2nd Floor
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vNs314ZNaJb4