Georgetown Law
Georgetown Law Library

Foreign and Comparative Law Research Guide

Foreign law is the national (also referred to as domestic or internal) law of any country other than the United States and research methods will vary depending on the country you are researching. This guide provides starting points.

Citing to Foreign Law

For guidance in citing to laws from a jurisdiction outside the U.S., consult Rule 20 and Table 2 of The Bluebook, Call No. KF245 .U5 2015.  Note that Table 2 of The Bluebook (covering foreign jurisdictions) no longer appears in the print edition, but is free to access online; a subscription is required to access other Bluebook content online.

Rule 20 provides general guidelines for citing to foreign law.  Table 2 lists sources of law, along with sample citations, for 43 jurisdictions. If you are citing to a law from a jurisdiction that is not represented in Table 2, follow the general guidelines set forth in Rule 20.

If you encounter an unfamiliar legal abbreviation, consult one of the following resources: