Professor Butler, a reference librarian on the law school library staff, will offer a new one credit course in international law research in the spring term. This course is specifically designed for students taking courses in international and foreign and comparative law at the school, participating in the Jessup International Moot Court and International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court Competitions, as well students writing articles on international law topics for the law school’s law journals. The course would also be of interest to any students interested in international law practice.
The class will introduce students to concepts and skills used in international and foreign legal research. Students will learn basic concepts of legal research, research strategies, evaluation of materials in various formats, and search techniques for effective use of electronic sources. Both primary and secondary materials will be considered in various formats. Topics include public international law, foreign and comparative law, private international law, the European Union, the United Nations, and other international organizations. In addition, the course will explore resources and research strategies for international human rights, international environmental law, international trade and arbitration, and family law as an international topic.
Techniques for locating bilateral and multilateral treaties and customary international law will be explored in detail. The documentation of international organizations, chiefly the United Nations and European Union, and research strategies for locating such documents, will be considered.
Each class will include exercises that will allow the students to use and evaluate the various sources being considered in the class. Grading will be bases on a final research guide on an international law topic or an international organization.
Written by A. Hays Butler.