LibGuides: PROLAW Program Research Guide: Web Resources

About

There are numerous free websites that can assist with research related to the "Rule of Law," as well as foreign and international law. Also note the entries under "Legal Blogs" and "Current Awareness" for electronic monitoring of legal developments around the world.

Legal Blogs ("Blawgs")

Country Blawgs (Justia.com)
Scroll down to "Countries" list.
International Law Blawgs (Justia.com)
Blogs focusing on international law topics.
International Law in Brief
The International Law in Brief (ILIB) blog follows current developments in international law. Entries are posted by editors of the American Society of International Law's International Legal Materials publication
Justia Blawg Search
A directory of popular law blogs, with links to blogs by category, a list of most popular blogs, and a legal blog search engine.
Law Professor Blogs
The Legal Scholarship Blog
The go-to site for listing conferences, calls for papers and workshops.

Current Awareness

The following are electronic publications that focus on legal developments around the globe.

ASIL Insights
Electronic publication posted two to three times per month on the American Society of International Law (ASIL) website and is also distributed via e-mail. The publication contains analyses and accounts of recent developments in international law.
Global Legal Monitor
Online publication of the Law Library of Congress. Frequently updated, it reports on legal developments around the world.
International Judicial Monitor
Online newsletter published by the International Judicial Academy with assistance from the American Society of International Law (ASIL). Specifically targets "judiciaries, justice sector professionals, and the rule of law community around the world."

Primary Law

Constitute
This is an online repository of constitutions. Developed by the Comparative Constitutions Project at the University of Texas at Austin, the site allows for comparison of passages from selected documents.
ECOLEX
The purpose of this website, jointly administered by several international organizations (FAO, IUCN, and UNEP) is to provide the "most comprehensive possible global source of information on environmental law." The site includes a database of national environmental legislation.
Guide to Law Online: Nations
This is a set of annotated web guides to locating and researching national law, organized alphabetically by country. The Law Library of Congress maintains the site.
NATLEX
The International Labor Organization (ILO) maintains NATLEX--a database of national labor, social security, and human rights legislation. The database currently contains over 65,000 records, covering more than 190 countries. Records are provided in only one of the ILO's official languages, which are English, Spanish, and French. NATLEX is browsable by country and subject, and there is also an "Advanced Search" function available.
UNESCO Database of National Cultural Heritage Laws
This is a database of national cultural heritage laws in the vernacular, as well as any available official or unofficial English translations. The database may be searched by country, heritage category, theme, type of instrument, and also by language.
WIPO Lex
Part of the World Intellectual Property Organization's website, this is an international database of IP laws and treaties. The database is searchable by country and subject. Some English translations are available.

WWW Resources

Lex Mundi: Guides to Doing Business
This is a large collection of English-language overviews of conducting business in various foreign jurisdictions. The authors are members of Lex Mundi, a global organization of attorneys representing over 100 countries. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Honduras are some of the Latin American countries featured in the collection.
Peace Palace Library
Located in The Hague, the Peace Palace Library serves the International Court of Justice and has been collecting international legal materials since 1913. The Library's website provides access to its online catalogue, as well as numerous international research guides.
Refworld: UNHCR
Refword is an international database, organized by country and maintained by the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights (UNHCR). The database contains a collection of reports and policy documents relating to refugee status and human rights issues.
University of Minnesota Human Rights Library
This is an extensive online collection of 60,000+ human rights treaties and other human rights documents. Numerous links are also provided to human rights websites. Additionally, there is a site-specific search engine available, and a section on "Resources for Researching Country Conditions."
World Bank: Doing Business
This page provides access to current "Doing Business" English-language guides for over 180 countries, based on annual World Bank surveys. Each guide provides detailed information on starting a business, dealing with permits, hiring workers, etc., in the specific locale.
World Legal Information Institute (WorldLII)
Several non-profit regional legal information initiatives created and now maintain World LII. The site offers legal subject-based links for individual countries. Click on "All Countries" for an alphabetical list.

Rule of Law Initiatives and Organizations

Empirical Legal Research

For an excellent guide to empirical legal research, see the LibGuide authored by Tim Gatton of the Chickasaw Nation Law Library at the Oklahoma City University School of Law. .

LibGuide on Empirical Legal Research