Foreign & Intern’l Legal Research Seminar (Law 623A) Roy L. Sturgeon, J.D., M.L.S., LL.M. (Chinese Law) Foreign & International Law Librarian, Library Liaison to the Public Advocacy Center, & Library Faculty February 26, 2009, 3:30-5:15pm, Rm. L308

Remember the basics 5 simple--but important--research rules: 1. Plan 2. Think time, money, & resources 3. When in doubt, get context 4. Find someone who has already done the work for you 5. Know when to stop

Intern’l law Intern’l law is usually divided into two parts: public & private Public intern’l law governs relationships between nat’l governments, relationships between intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), & relationships between nat’l governments & IGOs Important: it regulates/binds nat’l governments and IGOs across nat’l boundaries

Intern’l law (cont.) Private intern’l law governs the choice of law to apply when there are conflicts in the municipal (i.e., nat’l) law of different nations related to private transactions between those nations Also known as “conflict of laws” Deals with contracts, marriage & divorce, jurisdiction, recognition of judgments, child adoption & abduction

Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs) Q: What is an IGO? A: A public or governmental organization created by treaty or agreement between States Examples include the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), World Trade Organization (WTO), Council of Europe (COE), & the Organization of American States (OAS) Some IGOs are worldwide (e.g., UN), while others are regional (e.g., EU)

IGOs (cont.) IGOs are important because they: 1. establish norms 2. promote multilateral conventions 3. provides ways to peacefully resolve conflicts Some IGOs have set up adjudicatory bodies by whose decisions nations agree to be bound (e.g., WTO) Many IGOs compile & publish important research sources in intern’l law

IGOs (cont.) Many--if not most--IGOs have official websites that provide news, descriptive overviews of their activities, & access to numerous legal documents: UN – EU – WTO – COE – OAS – Beware of fakes! →

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Q: What is an NGO? A: An organization set up by a person or group of persons concerned about a single issue (e.g., human rights, world peace) for the purpose of educating the public, solving problems, &/or lobbying governments Examples include Amnesty International, Carnegie Endowment for Intern’l Peace, & Human Rights Watch NGOs lack governmental power & legal status of IGOs

NGOs (cont.) NGOs vary in size, structure, prestige, & influence. Some of the larger ones, like Amnesty International (Nobel Peace laureate 1977), exert considerable pressure in nat’l & intern’l policy debates Many NGOs have consultative status with IGOs. This means NGOs can participate in or contribute to the work of IGOs The UN allows NGOs to serve as technical experts, advisors, & consultants to member States & the UN Secretariat

NGOs (cont.) Many NGOs have official websites that provide news, descriptive overviews of their activities, & access to numerous documents: AI – CEIP – HRW – As always, beware of fakes!!!

Intern’l Courts & Tribunals Largely a post-WWII phenomenon. Many now have official websites that provide news, descriptive overviews of their activities, & access to numerous legal documents: ICJ (aka “World Court”) – cij.org/ cij.org/ ECHR – ITLS – ICC –

In conclusion... Effective attorneys are effective legal researchers Think of legal research as a way of empowering yourself. The better you are at researching, the more empowered you become Don’t ever be afraid of asking a librarian--at Touro or elsewhere--for help. Most will be glad to help you because they view it as central to what librarians do