LibGuides: Foreign, Comparative, and International Law : Comparative Law

Comparative Law Research: Key Points

Comparative law is the study of the similarities and differences between the laws of two or more countries and/or the legal systems of two or more countries.

Comparative Law Research: Steps

Identify the laws and/or legal systems you want to compare.
Read articles, books, and guides about the laws and/or legal systems you want to compare. Follow the guidelines under the "foreign law" tab for help in researching foreign law.

Comparative Law Research Guides & Databases

All of the research guides and databases listed under the "foreign law" tab also apply to the study of comparative law - you must learn the laws and legal systems of two or more countries before you can compare them, right?! In addition to those research guides and databases, the ones listed below may also be very useful:

GlobaLex
The GlobaLex database provides articles on foreign, comparative, and international law written by experts. Links to the full-text of foreign laws are provided whenever possible. This is a free database available to all.
JuriGlobe - World Legal Systems
A multilingual information data bank containing general information relating to the different legal systems in the world. This is a free database available to all.
University of Chicago's Comparative Criminal Procedure Research Guide
This research guide lists selected English-language resources on comparative criminal procedure. Don't despair if you see a source that seems only available to the University of Chicago community - we may have the same source available here at UF Law. Just ask a librarian or search the library catalog!

Comparative Law Journals

The following journals provide informative law review articles on the subject of international (private) law. See also the journals listed under the "international (public) law" and "international (private) law" tabs of this research guide.

American Journal of Comparative Law
Available only to the UF Law community (via HeinOnline) (see home tab to sign into the VPN). You can search this publication title by keyword or you can browse through the volumes (by selecting the + icons). Questions? Ask a librarian!
Duke Journal of Comparative and International Law
Available only to the UF Law community (via HeinOnline) (see home tab to sign into the VPN). You can search this publication title by keyword or you can browse through the volumes (by selecting the + icons). Questions? Ask a librarian!
International & Comparative Law Quarterly
Available only to the UF Law community (via HeinOnline) (see home tab to sign into the VPN). You can search this publication title by keyword or you can browse through the volumes (by selecting the + icons). Questions? Ask a librarian!
Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review
Available only to the UF Law community (via HeinOnline) (see home tab to sign into the VPN). You can search this publication title by keyword or you can browse through the volumes (by selecting the + icons). Questions? Ask a librarian!

Books about Comparative Law

Charting the Divide Between Common and Civil Law by Thomas Lundmark
Call Number: K584 .L86 2012
ISBN: 0199738823
In Charting the Divide between Common and Civil Law, Thomas Lundmark provides a comprehensive introduction to the uses, purposes, and approaches to studying civil and common law in a comparative legal framework.
Administrative Law of the European Union, Its Member States and the United States by René Seerden (Editor)
Call Number: K3400 .A36 2012
ISBN: 1780681097
This volume offers a comparative introduction to the most important aspects of administrative law in various EU Member States (France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK), at the level of the European Union, and in the United States.
Comparative Company Law by David Cabrelli (Editor); Mathias Siems (Editor)
Call Number: K1315 .C663 2013
ISBN: 1841138916
Existing books on comparative company law focus on the institutional structure of the corporation, but this approach risks overlooking specific cases and how different jurisdictions might treat each of these cases. For example, directors' liability and shareholder duties can best be understood by analyzing how selected hypothetical cases would be solved in different countries.
The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Constitutional Law by Michel Rosenfeld (Editor); Andras Sajo (Editor)
Call Number: K3165 .O965 2012
ISBN: 0199578613
Once a minor and obscure adjunct to the field of domestic constitutional law, comparative constitutional law has now moved front and centre. Driven by the global spread of democratic government and the expansion of international human rights law, the prominence and visibility of the field, among judges, politicians, and scholars has grown exponentially. .
Competition Law and Policy in Japan and EU by Estuko Kameoka
ISBN: 1781000557
Publication Date: 2014
This exciting new book embarks on a comparative analysis of competition law and policy in Japan and the EU. It provides a clear and carefully researched exposition of the differences between the relevant rules, systems and underlying ideas of the two jurisdictions, together with the relevant historical backgrounds.
Contributory Negligence: a Historical and Comparative Study by E. G. D van Dongen
ISBN: 9004278710
Publication Date: 2014
In Contributory Negligence. A Historical and Comparative Study Van Dongen presents a detailed study of the main current developments concerning the concept of contributory negligence in France, Germany and the Netherlands.