The column on the right includes a sampling of introductory resources on comparative law theory and practice. The resources described below will help you to begin comparing the laws governing a particular subject in two or more jurisdictions.
Multinational Sources Compared is a HeinOnline database you can use to identify secondary sources that compare the laws governing a particular subject in multiple jurisdictions. Browse alphabetically by subject or by jurisdiction. Or search by keyword. For each secondary source, a description of the content is provided, along with a list of jurisdictions covered.
To determine if the Georgetown Law Library provides access to a particular secondary source in print or electronic format, search for it by title (not by keyword) in the library's online catalog. If the library doesn't provide access, you may request a print copy via inter-library loan.
Getting the Deal Through provides detailed, practitioner-written summaries of national laws that govern dozens of work areas using a question and answer format. Work areas focus primarily on commercial law and regulatory compliance. Jurisdictional coverage varies by work area.
To generate a report comparing the laws governing a particular work area in two or more jurisdictions, begin by selecting the work area from the menu. After the page refreshes, select the desired jurisdictions to generate the report.
IEL Online covers more than two dozen practice areas. For each practice area, you will find multiple jurisdiction-specific treatises (national monographs), which provide detailed summaries of the laws governing that practice area within the designated jurisdiction, along with citations to primary sources. Each treatise follows a standard outline, making it easy to compare laws across multiple jurisdictions.
To begin, select the practice area by scrolling through the alphabetical list. Then, after the page refreshes, scroll down to select the country report for the desired jurisdiction. Each chapter may be downloaded as a PDF document. Note that jurisdictional coverage is selective, not comprehensive, and varies by subject, with most practice areas covering between 25 and 75 jurisdictions.
Comparative Legal Traditions in a Nutshell, 4th ed.
This entry in the popular nutshell series provides a brief introduction to comparative law methods, as well as overviews of the world’s two most influential legal traditions: civil law (also known as Romano-Germanic law) and common law. It also assesses the impact of supranational EU law and institutions on the civil law and common law traditions in Europe.
Comparative Private Law
Part I of this book describes the origins, purposes, and methods of comparative law, and discusses the process of transplanting legal concepts from one legal system to another, along with the potential pitfalls. Part II analyzes the key attributes of selected legal systems, beginning with the two most influential legal traditions: civil law and common law. It then examines non-Western legal systems in East Asia (China, Japan, and South Korea) and in countries where religious law plays an important role.
Constitutions Compared: an Introduction to Comparative Constitutional Law, 4th ed.
The fourth edition of this handbook provides a user-friendly introduction to comparative constitutional law. For each aspect of constitutional law, a general overview is provided, followed by more detailed analysis with specific examples from national constitutions. The author places particular emphasis on the impact of the European Union on the domestic constitutional law of its member states.
Courts and Comparative Law
This collection of essays examines the extent to which national courts are willing to consult and/or apply foreign sources of law in specific contexts, including cases involving constitutional law, administrative law, and private international law. Contributing authors include judges, practitioners, and academics from jurisdictions around the world.
Elgar Encyclopedia of Comparative Law Online, 3rd ed.
The third edition of this encyclopedia includes entries on broad subjects, such as property and family law; narrower topics, ranging from consideration to unjust enrichment; and country-specific articles for more than 50 jurisdictions. It also covers the theory and methodology of comparative law.
International Encyclopedia of Comparative Law
This 17-volume print encyclopedia features contributions from the world’s leading experts in comparative law. The first volume covers almost every country in the world and provides a brief overview of the law governing key subjects within each jurisdiction. The remaining volumes focus on a particular branch of private or commercial law from a comparative law perspective. Subjects covered include family law, succession, property and trusts, contracts, business organizations, torts, labor law, and copyright.
An Introduction to Comparative Law Theory and Method
This short introduction to comparative law theory and methodology is designed to familiarize students and newer faculty members with current research methods. The content is based on the author’s extensive experience in teaching comparative law at universities in Belgium, France, and England.
The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Law
This authoritative resource provides a critical assessment of both theoretical and substantive topics in comparative law at the beginning of the 21st century. Each of the 48 topical chapters is written by a leading expert in the field and includes a short bibliography of definitive works on the same subject matter.
Western Legal Traditions: A Comparison of Civil Law and Common Law
This book explores how civil law systems and common law systems resolve selected problems in order to better understand the historical, economic, political, and societal contexts in which the two legal traditions developed. Major 'threads' that run throughout the text are the relationship between law and morality, the role of the state in regulating human interaction, as well as the relationship between the state and the individual.
To locate additional resources on comparative law, search the Law Library's online catalog, by keyword or by title. Or search by subject using one of the following subject headings:
For greater precision, use the Advanced Search template to search for a subject heading in combination with one or more keywords.
