LibGuides: Foreign, Comparative, and International Law : International (Public) Law

International (Public) Law Research: Key Points

International (public) law is the law governing relationships between countries, international organizations, individuals who invoke human rights or commit war crime violations, or any combination of those parties. Disputes in international (public) law are often solved via international diplomacy and/or litigation in an international tribunal.

International (Public) Law Research: Steps

If your topic is international (public) law, read articles, books, and guides to identify relevant treaties and international agreements, foreign laws, customary laws, and/or rules and regulations of international organizations.
Note relevant citations to the appropriate law(s).
Find the law(s) by interpreting citations.

International (Public) Law Research Guides & Databases

American Society of International Law's EISIL database
Available to UF Law community only (use "home" tab to sign into the VPN). EISIL has been designed as an open database of authenticated primary and other materials across the breadth of international law. It does not distinguish between international (public) law and international (private) law - that's up to you!
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.
HeinOnline Foreign & International Law Resources
Available to UF Law community only (see home tab to sign into the VPN). This database includes the publications of the American Society of International Law along with prominent Yearbooks from around the world, including the Hague Permanent Court of International Justice series.It also includes U.S. Law Digests, International Tribunals/Judicial Decisions and more.
HeinOnline Treaties & Agreements Library
Available to UF Law community only (see "home" tab to sign into the VPN). This library includes all U.S. treaties, whether currently in-force, expired, or not-yet officially published. This is the world's largest and most complete online collection of U.S. treaties and agreements and includes such prominent collections as the United States Treaties and Other International Agreements set (commonly referred to as the "Blue set"), as well as famous sets from Bevans, Miller, Malloy and others.
HeinOnline United Nations Law Collection
This collection contains exact reproductions of major United Nations legal publications, including the complete collection of the United Nations Treaty Series, the League of Nations Treaty Series, the Monthly Statement of Treaties & International Agreements, UNCITRAL Publications, UNIDIR Publications, the United Nations Legislative Series and much more. Finding Aids and additional features make it easy to pull up a UN Treaty by entering a UNTS Citation, search for a UN Treaty, and link to law review articles that cite a UN Treaty.
Lexis+
Available only to the UF Law community. Once signed into Lexis+, look for the red "research tab" in the upper-left of the home screen. Select the lexis.com link. The page that results may look messy, but look for the "area of law - by topic" section (across from the Cases - US section). Select the link for "international law" resources. The database does not distinguish between international (public) law and international (private) law - you just have to know about the distinction before you select the "international law" link.
U.S. Department of State - Treaties in Force
"Treaties in Force" is prepared by the Department of State for the purpose of providing information on treaties and other international agreements to which the United States has become a party and which are carried on the records of the Department of State as being in force as of its stated publication date
World Courts
Case law of international judicial and quasi-judicial courts.
University of Minnesota Human Rights Library
Database contains local, national, and international educational materials and assistance to professionals, students, and volunteers working to promote and protect human rights.

International Law Journals - both Public and Private

There are thousands of legal articles on the subjects of public and private international law and these articles are published in a variety of legal journals. For a few journals on international law, see below. For additional articles on public and/or private international law, search HeinOnline, WestlawNext, Lexis Advance and/or Kluwer Arbitration.

Harvard International Law Journal
Available only to the UF Law community (via HeinOnline) (see "home" tab to sign into the VPN). The Harvard International Law Journal is the oldest and most-cited student-edited journal of international and comparative law.
Cornell International Law Journal
Available only to the UF Law community (via HeinOnline) (see the "home" tab to sign into the VPN). Founded in 1967, the Cornell International Law Journal (ILJ) is one of the oldest and most prominent international law journals in the United States. Three times a year, the Journal publishes scholarship that reflects the sweeping changes that are taking place in public and private international law.
Virginia Journal of International Law
Available only to the UF Law community (via HeinOnline) (see the "home" tab to sign into the VPN). The Journal addresses issues such as international commercial transactions and trade law, international litigation and arbitration, international organizations, international humanitarian and human rights law, and comparative law.
American Journal of International Law
Available to UF Law community only (via HeinOnline) (see "home" tab to sign into the VPN). The distinguished American Journal of International Law (AJIL) has been published quarterly since 1907. It features articles, editorials, notes and comments by pre-eminent scholars on developments in international law and international relations.

Examples of International Courts & Tribunals

Check out the websites of international courts and tribunals for information about their jurisdiction and their case decisions. The following are a few examples, but Harvard provides much more.

Examples of International Organizations

There are generally two types of international organizations: (1) intergovernmental organizations (IGO) funded by national governments and (2) nongovernmental organizations (NGO) funded by private citizens. Go here for a list of IGOs and here for a list of NGOs. The following are some examples:

Books about International (Public) Law

The Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law by Rüdiger Wolfrum (Editor)
Call Number: KZ1160.M39 2012
ISBN: 0199291683
Written by over 800 of the worlds leading authorities and edited at the premier research institution for international law, this new edition of the definitive reference work on international law contains over 1,619 articles covering the full breadth of the subject.
Cassese's International Criminal Law by Antonio Cassese; Paola Gaeta
Call Number: K5000.C37 2013
ISBN: 0199694923
The third edition of Cassese's International Criminal Law provides a clear account of the main substantive and procedural aspects of international criminal law.
Legal Effect of EU Agreements by Mario Mendez
Call Number: KJE5602 .M47 2013
ISBN: 0199606617
Comprehensively examining the legal effects of EU concluded treaties, this book provides a thorough analysis of this increasingly important and rapidly growing area of EU law.
Privatizing War: private military and security companies under public international law by Vincent Chetail; Lindsey Cameron
Call Number: KZ6418.5 .C36 2013
ISBN: 1107032407
This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the law that applies to private military and security companies (PMSCs) active in situations of armed conflict, focusing on international humanitarian law.
The Crime of Aggression in International Criminal Law by Sergey Sayapin
ISBN: 9067049263
Publication Date: 2014
Since after the Second World War, the crime of aggression is - along with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes - a "core crime" under international law. However, despite a formal recognition of aggression as a matter of international criminal law and the reinforcement of the international legal regulation of the use of force by States, numerous international armed conflicts occurred but no one was ever prosecuted for aggression since 1949.
War and War Crimes by James Gow
Call Number: KZ7145.G69 2013
ISBN: 0231701357
James Gow clearly defines the mutual relationship between wars and their outcomes, pinpointing the moment when a war act becomes a war crime, especially within multidimensional combat. Taking an initial, bold step in reconciling a troubling and taboo issue, Gow provides strategists, policymakers, and others with a framework for mitigating negative outcomes.