Introduction

This research guide provides a selective listing of key resources in international business law research.

Sources of International Law Article 38 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice states that the following are the primary sources of international law:

international conventions, treaties
international custom, evolving from the practice of states
general principles of law recognized by civilized nations
judicial decisions & scholarly 'teachings'

While these are key sources for public international law, your research will point to certain differences with respect to the legal rules and principles for commerce when researching topics such as the WTO, GATT or NAFTA. As a general rule, start your research with a legal encyclopedia or a textbook on the topic that you are researching. Both sources will provide you with an overview of the topic, help you define and clarify the legal issues, refer you to potentially useful case law, legislation & treaty citations, and identify legal concepts that you may not have considered.

(Reminder: take notes about the sources you consult and relevant bibliographic information).