Private International Legal Research: An Introduction'

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Private International Legal Research An
Introduction.

• ALR International Law
• February 18, 2004

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What is private international law?

• The body of international law that governs
  mainly commercial and business disputes among
  countries or private parties.
• International jurisdiction through treaty
  application or national courts apply concepts of
  international law, depending on the type of
  dispute (could be several claims in one suit).
• Three levels of international trade agreements
  bilateral relationships, multilateral
  relationships, supranational relationships, and
  regional agreements.

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Starting Research in this area

• Consult a research guide, bibliography, or
  website with a collection of links for the
  subject matter.
• Locate the applicable International
  Agreements/Treaties.
• Look for laws, regulations, restrictions, and
  special arrangements in the country that has
  jurisdiction over the claim.

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UNCITRAL UN Commission for International Trade
Law.

• Website http//www.uncitral.org.
• Significant work toward the harmonization of
  private international law.
• UNCITRAL site has primary documents and status
  information about established intl instruments
  (e.g.CISG).
• Numerous translations of documents (French,
  Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian).

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UNIDROIT Intl Institute for the Unification of
Private Law.

• Traces its origins to the League of Nations.
• Official Site http//www.unidroit.org.
• Best-known accomplishment UNIDROIT Principles
  of International Commercial Contracts.
• Status Information / Current Projects.

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Hague Conference on Private International Law and
Conventions

• Active in development of conventions in various
  areas of private law (e.g. conflict of laws to
  intercountry adoption).
• Website http//www.hcch.net/e/index.html.
• Full-text conventions, status and bibliographic
  information, and explanatory reports, when
  available.
• Translations of conventions http//www.hcch.net/
  e/conventions/translat.html.

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Private Intl Law in the U.S.

• UN Convention on Contracts for the International
  Sale of Goods (CISG).
• CISG and UNIDROIT principles Pace University
  School of law website.
• http//cisgw3.law.pace.edu - CISG database
  (contains annotated text of the CISG).
• Intl Sales Law UNILEX (http//www.unilex.info)
  .

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Other places to start research after establishing
topic . . .

• Research Guides.
• Bibliographies.
• Web Collections.

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Web Collections

• Hieros Gamos, Guide to Global Trade Law -
  http//www.hg.org/trade.html.
• Georgetown University, Researching Intl
  Economic Law on the Internet -
  http//www.ll.georgetown.edu/intl/iiel/home.htm.
• WorldTradeLaw.net The Online Source for World
  Trade Law - http//www.worldtradelaw.net.

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International Agreement Collections

• Lex Mercatoria - http//www.lexmercatoria.org/.
• Fletchers Multilaterals Project, Trade and
  Commercial Relations - http//fletcher.tufts.edu/
  multi/trade.html.
• Foreign Trade Information Center, OAS -
  http//www.sice.oas.org/default.asp.
• Private Intl Law Database (U.S. Dept. of State)
  - http//www.state.gov/s/l/c3452.htm.
• Juris International - http//www.jurisint.org/pub
  /.

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Major Multilateral and Regional Agreements

• Andean Community - http//www.comunidadandina.org
  /endex.htm.
• CARICOM - http//www.caricom.org/.
• European Free Trade Association (EFTA) -
  http//secretariat.efta.int/.
• Free Trade of the Americas (FTAA) -
  http//www.ftaa-alca.org/.
• MERCOSUR (IDRC site of Canada) -
  http//www.idrc.ca/lacro/investigacion/mercosur.ht
  ml.

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Other Considerations . . .

• Major international organizations involved in
  trade and related issues.
• U.S. Government Resources.
• Country Guides (e.g. Doing Business in).
• Statistics EUROSTAT http//europa.eu.int/comm/
  eurostat/.
• ARBITRATION / DISPUTE SETTLEMENT

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Intl Commercial Arbitration -

• An important component of private international
  law.
• TYPES ad hoc vs. institutional
  international arbitration.
• Background information on Intl Dispute
  Settlement (Harvard) - http//www.cid.harvard.edu/
  cidtrade/issues/dispute.html.

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Reasons for Choosing Arbitration

• Distrust of a foreign legal system by one or more
  parties.
• Avoid long delays in court systems.
• Resolution of dispute by someone w/expertise in
  a particular business.
• Exercise more control by specifying governing
  rules.
• Avoid problem of lack of intl standard on the
  enforceability of foreign judgments.

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Types of Arbitration -

• Institutional vs. Ad Hoc (mentioned above).
• State vs. Private Parties.
• Specialized vs. General Purpose Institutions.

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Treaties -

• Aim to facilitate international commercial
  arbitration across national borders.
• United Nations Convention on the Recognition and
  Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards of 1958
  (New York Convention), 330 U.N.T.S. 3, 21 U.S.T.
  2517 (June 10, 1958).
• Convention on the Settlement of Investment
  Disputes Between States and Nationals of Other
  States (Washington Convention), 575 U.N.T.S. 159,
  17 U.S.T. 1270 (March 18, 1965).

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Major Arbitral Institutions -

• Permanent Court of Arbitration
  http//www.pca-cpa.org.
• Intl Center for the Settlement of Investment
  Disputes http//www.worldbank.org/icsid/.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) -
  http//www.iccwbo.org/index_court.asp.
• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
  http//www.lcia-arbitration.com/lcia/lcia/index.
  htm.
• American Arbitration Association (AAA)
  http//www.adr.org/index2.1.jsp.
• WWW Virtual Library Arbitration -
  http//www.interarb.com/vl/pages/.

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Arbitration Rules -

• Mayer, Brown, Rowe Maws Intl Arbitration site
  - http//www.interarbitration.net.
• ICSID Rules of Arbitration/Conciliation -
  http//www.worldbank.org/icsid/basicdoc/basicdoc.h
  tm.
• LCIA Rules http//www.lcia-arbitration.com/lcia
  /arb/index.htm.
• ICC Rules http//www.iccwbo.org/court/english/r
  ules/rules.asp.
• UNCITRAL Rules http//www.uncitral.org/english/
  texts/arbitration/adrindex.htm.

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Decisions/Awards -

• Often difficult to locate, even in print, in
  libraries.
• ICSID provides the full-text of selected cases
  and awards - http//www.worldbank.org/icsid/cases/
  cases.htm.
• Abstracts/Decisions for UNCITRAL texts are
  available through the CLOUT database -
  http//www.uncitral.org/english/clout/index.htm.

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Internet Resources Online Databases

• American Arbitration Association -
  http//www.adr.org/index2.1.jsp.
• International Chamber of Commerce -
  http//www.iccwbo.org/home/menu_international_arbi
  tration.asp.
• London Court of International Arbitration
  (LCIA) - http//www.lcia-arbitration.com/lcia/arb/
  index.htm.
• LEXIS / Westlaw (Releases in July 2003).

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BNA Intl Trade Reporter

• Available at http//www.bna.com/ (on-campus) or
  through the Law Librarys Electronic Resources
  page/Databases and Subscriptions.
• General Search Engine (plus advanced) Search by
  Topic Search by Case Citation.
• Also, separate databases searchable within
  Lexis/Westlaw (must have a subscription).
• In print (Law Lib. HF3000.I57).

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Westlaw Databases

• http//lawschool.westlaw.com.
• All Databases gt International/Worldwide Materials
  gt Multi-National Materials gt Rules and
  Regulations (includes arbitral rules).
• All Databases gt International/Worldwide Materials
  gt Multi-National Materials gt Cases (includes
  commercial arbitral cases ICA-CASES).
• Treatise International Commercial Arbitration
  - Commentary Also, International Commercial
  Arbitration Treaties ICA-TREATIES.

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Lexis Databases

• http//lexis.com.
• ADR Tab gt Legal News gt International
  Arbitration Mealeys Litigation Report
  (1993-present).
• ADR Tab gt Model ADR Practices and Procedures gt
  CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution gt Intl
  ADR.
• ADR Tab gt Law Reviews Journals includes
  some intl coverage (e.g. Central and Eastern
  Europe).
• Under Legal/Excluding U.S., you can find Intl
  Arbitration Mealeys Litigation Report under
  specific countrys materials (e.g. UK).

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ASIL Publications/Membership

• http//www.asil.org/bulletin.htm. A Guide to
  Intl Electronic Resources.
• http//www.asil.org/member.htm. Student
  Membership 30.
• http//www.asil.org/. 98th Annual Meeting
  March 31st-April 3rd.