LEGAL RESEARCH BASICS - EXERCISES



INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL LEGAL RESEARCH – EXERCISES

1. Use an Internet Search Engine to locate at least two research guides regarding each of the following two topics. Write the name of the author or source of each research guide. Circle the research guide that you prefer among the two you listed for each category.

(a) International Trade Law

Georgetown Law Library, “International Trade Law Research Guide” on Georgetown U. Law Center website (not preferred - revised January 2007).

Columbia Law Library, “International Trade Law Guide” on Columbia U. Law School website (PREFERRED – revised May 2008 and has more useful annotations than the Georgetown guide, in my opinion).

Search used: with the Google search engine.

(b) Treaty Law Research

Watson, “ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law – Treaties” on American Society for International Law website (revised March 2010) (not preferred – seems less descriptive to me than the Columbia guide, but that is just my subjective opinion; this one is also very useful).

Canick & Williams (Columbia University Law Library), “Guide to Treaty Research” (revised March 2010) (PREFERRED – seems more detailed to me).

Search used: with the Google search engine.

2. Use the Hein Online database to find a law journal article regarding the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. Download the full article (for practice). Write the name of the article:

Quinn, “The New Age of Space Law: The Outer Space Treaty and the Weaponization of Space” 17 Minn. J. Intl. L. 475 (2008).

Search used: Outer (title) and Space (title) and Treaty (title) in “Field Search”.

3. Using WorldCat, find a book that discusses human rights law as customary international law. Give the author and the title of the book you found. Name three libraries that have this book. Does SMU have this book?

Meron, “Human Rights and Humanitarian Norms as Customary Law” (1989). Yes, SMU has this book. Texas Tech and Texas A&M also have this book.

Search used: Customary (title) and Law (title) and “Human Rights” (title) in “Advanced Search”.

4. Think about a possible topic for your Research Guide project for this class (you can change your mind later, if you want). Use one or more of the websites, databases, catalogs, etc. mentioned in class to begin some preliminary research on this. Describe below what sources you used and whether or not you found anything that might be helpful:

[No model answer]

IF YOU ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH ANY OF THE QUESTIONS IN THE FIRST OR SECOND SET OF EXERCISES, PLEASE MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE ME SO THAT I CAN ASSIST YOU.

THESE ARE BASICS THAT YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO IN ORDER TO HANDLE SOME OF THE MORE ADVANCED EXERCISES LATER.

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