LibGuides: Comparative Constitutional Law Research: Databases

About

The Loyola Law Library and the Loyola Libraries system subscribe to a number of commercial databases that offer coverage related to foreign constitutions. These databases are listed below, and at right. Loyola users will need to submit their user IDs and passwords to gain access to these resources from off campus.

Newspapers

General and financial newspapers may be extremely helpful when researching local constitutional developments. Westlaw and LexisNexis both have good coverage of U.S., international, and foreign newspapers. See also the subscription Access World News and Factiva databases for full-text access to newspapers and trade publications. English-language newspapers published abroad can also be helpful; see e.g., Latin American Herald Tribune.

Dissertations & Theses

Dissertations & Theses (Proquest)

Often overlooked by academic legal researchers, dissertations and theses contain exhaustive research and extensive bibliographies. The Proquest Dissertations & Theses database currently includes citations to over two million dissertations and theses from 1861 forward, and full-text access to over one million of these citations. The database's coverage is global, with numerous law-related papers available to download in PDF format. Searches may be conducted in various fields, such as title, author, citation and abstract, and degree awarded.

For open-access dissertations and theses, see:

DART-Europe E-theses Portal

Open Access Theses and Dissertations

Theses Canada

Subscription Databases (Law)

Most of the law-related databases listed below are available through the Law Library's website via the "Databases A-Z List."

CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online)
CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online) is a scholarly source for theoretical and practical research into issues involved in international affairs. Materials in the database date from 1991 onward and include working papers, NGO paper series, conference proceedings, research projects, case studies, books, journals and policy briefs. CIAO, which is updated on a monthly basis, also contains links to related information sources, such as maps and nation-specific information and a schedule of scholarly events.
Foreign and International Law Resources Database - HeinOnline
HeinOnline's Foreign and International Law Resources Database (FILRD) contains approximately 675 volumes of the best international law publications. Contents include International Yearbooks, Periodicals, U.S. Law Digests (pertaining to international law), International Tribunal reports and decisions, and other works related to foreign and international law. Some materials date back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Documents can be viewed as high quality scanned images of the original print pages, and can be printed or downloaded and saved as PDF files.

Foreign Law Guide: Current Sources of Codes and Basic Legislation in Jurisdictions of the World
This title has been a staple in the area of foreign legal research for more than a decade. Included are brief overviews of the legal systems of over 170 jurisdictions, as well as lists of each jurisdiction's codes, court reports, and other significant legal literature. For information on constitutional law, check under "Constitution & Politics" for each country listing.

Global-Regulation.com
Global-Regulation.com is an index that allows you to search (in English) the full text of over 1.8 million statutes and regulations, including over one million translated laws. The site provides links to official, full-text sources, translated into English, from over 90 jurisdictions (including the United States). The internal search engine offers advanced search and analytics capabilities.
HeinOnline
HeinOnline is a searchable full-text, image-based collection of retrospective legal materials divided into distinct "libraries," which include the Law Journal Library, the Federal Register Library, the Legal Classics Library, and more. Documents can be viewed as high quality scanned images of the original print pages, and can be printed or downloaded and saved as PDF files.

Index to Legal Periodicals Retrospective: 1908-1981
Index to Legal Periodicals Retrospective provides citations to articles from over 750 law journals, legal newspapers, and bar association journals, covering the years 1908 through 1981. Full text is not included, but once you have ascertained the citations for articles relevant to your research, you can search for the full text in another database, such as HeinOnline's Law Journal Library, or in print.
LexisNexis
In Lexis Advance, go to the "Constitutional Law" section for info on US constitutional law materials. For info on foreign law, choose the "International" tab.

LLMC-Digital
LLMC-Digital is an electronic product of the Law Library Microform Consortium (LLMC). The LLMC backfile contains the world's largest collection of government documents and legal literature in microform; LLMC-Digital is an ongoing attempt to convert those documents to an electronic form. Specialty sources within the collection include old federal administrative decisions, federal case law, some presidential papers, state publications, and foreign and international materials. LLMC-Digital is searchable by title, author, keyword, or citation.
Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law
The Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law provides a high level of analytic coverage of constitutional law topics in a comparative context. The encyclopedia articles, modeled on those in the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, address a range of topics, defining and covering the basis and foundations of state formation and constitutional law, as well as analyzing and explaining underlying legal concepts.
Max Planck Encyclopedias of Public International Law
The Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law and The Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law are comprehensive analytical resources that feature peer-reviewed articles on every aspect of international law. Contributors to the Encyclopedias include scholars and practitioners from around the world, and articles are edited by a team from the prestigious Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law. Updated quarterly.

A video tutorial on using the Max Planck Encyclopedias of Public International Law is available at https://youtu.be/3JvVyxk32MQ.

Westlaw
For law school subscribers, from the Westlaw Directory screen, go to "International Materials" for access to information on foreign constitutional law.

World Constitutions Illustrated - HeinOnline
HeinOnline's World Constitutions Illustrated includes the current constitution in its original language format for every country, along with at least one English translation, as well as links to relevant scholarly articles, commentaries, histories, and books about constitutional law. Documents can be viewed as high quality scanned images of the original print pages and can be printed or downloaded and saved as PDF files.

Subject Guide

Julienne Grant

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Contact:

Loyola University School of Law Library
Philip H. Corboy Law Center
25 E. Pearson St.
Chicago, IL 60611

312.915.8520

Subscription Databases (Non-Law)

Non-law databases are available through the Loyola University Libraries' website. See the LUC Libraries page for a full list of non-law databases, organized by topic. The guide for Political Science may be particularly useful for legal-related topics.

Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals

The Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals (IFLP) indexes foreign (including some non-English language) law reviews and journals. The Index is available in print in the 3rd Floor Reference Section at K33 .I5, as well as online through HeinOnline.