Basic & Background Sources for International & Foreign Legal Research: Background / Context

Nutshells, Outlines, and Explanations:  a good place to get a basic explanatory overview of a field of international law.  

Search LawCat for international law study guide 

• Principles of International Law
• Examples & Explanations Series:  International 

A search for international law nutshell should retrieve the Nutshell series collection on international law

• Public International Law in a Nutshell
• International Environmental Law in a Nutshell
• International Criminal Law in a Nutshell

Or search electronic collections of study aids from the Law Library Home page, "For Students" resources.  

 

General

• Fox, Dictionary of International and Comparative Law (3d ed. 2003).
• Historical Dictionary of the United Nations (2007).
• International Law: A Dictionary (2005). 
• New Oxford Companion to Law (2008). Also available online.
  Covers many areas of law and legal systems, particularly UK and common law legal topics.
• Parry & Grant Encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law (3rd ed., 2009).  Also available online.
  Detailed dictionary on international law topics. 

Dictionaries by Subject

• Australian Law Dictionary (3d ed. 2018).
• Avalos Legal Glossary/Dictionary Translator and Other Related Fields of Study: English/Spanish Spanish/English (2018).
• Dictionary of Environmental Law and Climate Change (2013).
• Dictionary of International Human Rights Law (2013).
• Dictionary of International Trade Law (2012).
• Dictionary of Public International Law (2018).
• Intellectual Property, Dictionary on Legal Term: English-Chinese/Chinese-English (2016).

Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks can be useful at the start of a research project since they provide definitions and outlines of an area of law as well as citations to other sources.

Search LawCat using {encyclopedia or handbook or dictionary) and terms such as comparative law, international law, human rights law.

Elgar Encyclopedia of Comparative Law (UCB only)

Elgar Encyclopedia of Environmental Law (2016-). (UCB only).
9 of 12 volumes are now available. Provides comprehensive coverage of environmental law, including national, regional, and international law.

Elgar Encyclopedia of Human Rights (2021-)
More than 340 entries on human rights, arranged alphabetically. 

Elgar Encyclopedia of International Economic Law (2017-). (UCB only).
This 4-part encyclopedia is a comprehensive resource on international economic law. It covers public international law, private international law, national and regional law. 

Encyclopedia of Human Rights (UCB only).
Part of the Oxford Reference online reference collection. 

Encyclopedia of Private International Law (2017-). (UCB only).
The entries cover a wide range of topics within private international law from a comparative perspective. The set also includes national reports that describe the private international law regime of selected countries. 

Encyclopedia of Public International Law in Asia (2022). (UCB only). 
Provides a detailed description of the practice and implementation of international law in various Asian states.

The Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements (3rd ed., 2003). Also available electronically (UCB only).
A bit dated now, but solid definitions in the area of public international law.

Encyclopedia on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (2011).

Encyclopedia of Transitional Justice (2013).

International Encyclopedia of Comparative Law (UCB only). 
Content is dated but may be useful for basic treatment of subjects and historical information.

International Encyclopaedia of Laws (UCB only). 
Covers a variety of topics: constitutional law, civil procedure, criminal, intellectual property, migration, and more.  Country coverage varies from topic to topic.  Each chapter provides a good overview of the law for the countries covered.

Max Planck Encyclopedia of European Private Law (2012).

Max Planck Encyclopedias of International Law (UCB only).  
Includes two encyclopedias: the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law and the Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law. 

Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law (2017-). (UCB only).
Commentary on constitutional law topics in a comparative context.

Modern Legal Systems Cyclopedia (1984-). Also available on HeinOnline, World Constitutions Illustrated (UCB only).
Somewhat dated, but provides basic information on a variety of legal systems.

Oxford Encyclopedia of EU Law (UCB only).
Provides original analysis of European Union (EU) law. 

Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History (UCB only). 
Part of the Oxford Reference online reference collection. 

Oxford International Organizations (OXIO) (UCB only).
A collection of annotated documents pertaining to the law of international organizations.

Handbooks generally also cover specific subjects within international, comparative, or foreign law.

Subjects vary: competition law, global administrative law, human rights, international organizations, and more. Look up titles on LawCat. Note: not all titles are available online.

Oxford Handbook of ... (Oxford Handbooks Online: Law) (UCB only).

Subjects vary: comparative law, international environmental law, international trade law, and more.  Look up titles on LawCat.  Note: not all titles are available online.