Introduction
Legal education reforms are in a constant state of flux with the declining enrollment, competitive and creative marketing strategies between peer law schools, and the new challenges of practicing law in the twenty-first century.Footnote 1 With ever-expanding communication with foreign clients during international litigation and transactions, attorneysFootnote 2 and judgesFootnote 3 today must have a baseline set of skills for cultural competency and negotiating conversations with those in poverty plus considering the diversity of their global and domestic clients. According to a recent comprehensive choice of law survey, the extraterritorial application of American law intersects almost every legal doctrinal topic and the number of cases per year number 4,898 in federal courts alone.Footnote 4 To more competently represent today's clients, it will become even more critical for law schools and legal educators to consider principles of cultural competence and infusion of these skills for training purposes in doctrinal, clinical, separate professional responsibility programs, or distinct cultural competency lawyering skills training seminars to reach the broadest level of participation by attorneys currently entering legal practice.Footnote 5 Finally, there are several ethical duties for attorneys to be well-versed in the increasing landscape of cross-cultural lawyering and cultural competence with the expanded outsourcing of legal services and consultation with foreign lawyers to vet clientele.Footnote 6 There are also important corporate social responsibility norms to be aware of when providing advice to foreign businesses.Footnote 7 This article will examine the history and various definitions of cultural competency, analyze why cultural competency training is needed in legal education, and offer a more comprehensive approach for integration of cultural competency training within law schools in the future to prepare our students for diverse practice. Then, I will identify helpful resources for demystifying foreign legal systems and cultures prior to embarking on any international legal research. This article will include sources for international professional responsibility when dealing with foreign attorneys and relying on their advice or consultation, international human rights research and available sources for legal systems of the world, multinational business resources and practices for G-20 nations, and a summary of especially helpful sources for understanding of a foreign legal system with the background goal of cultural competency.
A Brief History of Cultural Competency and Infusion of Cultural Competency Training in a Clinical Setting
Hypothetical: Sarah, a young white law student begins her first interview with an Ethiopian client in her forties who is seeking asylum in the United States. There is a promising start to the interview with the client confiding in Sarah about her family (most of whom are left behind in her home country). Sarah, as a young lawyer, listens attentively and then begins questions, which she carefully drafted prior to the meeting. The client then suddenly collapses into silence, looks very sad, and breaks off all eye contact with Sarah. Sarah continues her line of questioning, but her heart is sinking inside. What went wrong? Why is this interview going so poorly? How can I get my client to communicate again? She doesn't seem able to sort out her confusion and quickly ends the meeting. After returning home, Sarah asks herself what she might be able to do next and examines red flags from the interviewing process.Footnote 8
Awareness of cultural competency in the health sciences, business, and education began in the United States in the mid-1960s in conjunction with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and has only grown as an educational movement today.Footnote 9 Cross-cultural training has been particularly emphasized and successful in the health and business fields with an emphasis on clinical settings.Footnote 10 The practice of law is inherently cross-cultural when dealing with interactions with clients and providing appropriate legal advice.Footnote 11 Both Harvard Law School and Stanford Law School have clinical training programs in cultural competency for their clinics.Footnote 12 More generally, cultural competency might be defined as a recognition and overall awareness of the implications of individualist, moderate, and collectivist cultures.Footnote 13 Some cultural competency curricula, such as the program at Fordham Law School's Feerick Center for Social Justice, also integrate “difference” training to develop a more client-centered approach and analyze the impact of poverty.Footnote 14 The more traditional Purnell Model for Cultural Competence, which is used in the health sciences, may also shed light on a useful definition and application in clinical settings through a detailed chart of concepts of cultural consciousness for variant cultural norms: “age, generation, nationality, race, color, gender, religion, educational status, socioeconomic status, occupation, military status, political beliefs, urban versus rural residence, enclave identity, marital status, parental status, physical characteristics, sexual orientation, gender issues, and reasons for migration (sojourner, immigrant, undocumented status).”Footnote 15 One of the most prominent studies in legal education and cultural competency, though, by Professors Susan Bryant and Jean Koh Peters identified “Five Habits” and two questions to ask when training culturally competent attorneys: “(1) what is effective cross-cultural lawyering and (2) how can we help ourselves and our students learn to be effective cross-cultural lawyers?”Footnote 16 With these background questions in mind, Professor Bryant sets out Five Habits to learn cultural competency in lawyering and recognition of the cross-cultural backgrounds of clients:
Habit One provides students with a framework to identify similarities and differences between themselves and their clients, forcing them to focus consciously on the possibility that cultural misunderstanding, bias, and stereotyping can occur.
Habit Two asks students to identify the similarities between the client and the legal system and the lawyer and the legal system in order to explore all the ways in which culture may influence a case.
Habit Three challenges students to explore alternative explanations for their clients' behavior.
Habit Four focuses on cross-cultural communication, identifying skills that students may leverage in cross-cultural encounters.
Habit Five asks the students to engage in self-analysis rather than self-judgment, resulting in more effective lawyering.Footnote 17
Later scholars adapted the Bryant and Koh “Habits” to an international law context and considered navigating culture in the context of clients around the world or in clinical settings via international human rights clinics within law schools today.Footnote 18 Overall, implementation of cultural competency skills training and discussions about what a culturally competent lawyer should be have traditionally been isolated to a clinical or seminar setting.Footnote 19 The time is ripe for inclusion of cultural competency training and discussion of the necessary skills in all doctrinal and experiential learning to enable law students to grapple with diverse clients in an increasingly global practice, assess cultural differences, and acknowledge the impact of povertyFootnote 20 on clients for more adequate representation.
A Survey of Current Globalization Offerings and Cultural Competency Training in U.S. Law Schools: More is Better
Globalization is an increasingly important part of law school curricula in the U.S. and must be responded to in the same proactive way as technological innovation and its effect on legal practice.Footnote 21 Traditionally, the pedagogical response to globalization and, in turn, curricular response has been to establish or increase the number of study-abroad programs or clinical experiences in legal education. This approach, however, does not always address the specific need of training lawyers in cultural competency or a more global range of clients. As such, law schools should examine the relatively vast number of study-abroad programs in relation to the relative dearth of offerings in cultural competency and come up with a cogent plan for the future training of attorneys in cultural competency skills.Footnote 22 International human rights clinics or seminars devoted toward cultural competency in a global setting might be an initial solution,Footnote 23 but legal educators or curriculum committees should work toward a more experiential approach of infusion of cultural competency skills throughout first-year and doctrinal courses, when it would be intuitive, as part of the class discussion or via assignments as a learning outcome.Footnote 24 A professional development series approach for cultural competency training might also be considered to provide further preparation and baseline skills for current students, alumni, or other members of the practicing bar.Footnote 25
Moving toward the Future: Comprehensively Training Law Students in Cultural Competency to More Adequately Represent International Clients, Clients in Poverty, and Providing Connections with Clients Across Cultures
Opportunities abound for integration of cultural competency skills and consciousness within law schools today. Legal education should be responsive to continued changes in diversity, poverty, and the scope of international legal practice. Curricular goals for cultural competency should acknowledge and analyze the differences between the attorney and clients within the patchwork of societyFootnote 26 and the evolving nature of legal practice in conjunction with globalization plus the intersection of international law with doctrinal subjects.Footnote 27 This article proposes that law schools carefully examine clinical, doctrinal, and seminar offerings to include cultural competency training as a necessary skill with the Bryant/Koh model of cultural competency and the “Five Habits” in mind. We have a duty to challenge students' preconceived notions of what it means to be an attorney within the framework of today's diverse clientele and an increasingly international practice (whether through traditional or pro bono work). At the very least, law schools may help students grapple with competency in foreign legal traditions and understanding the legal systems of the G-20 countries. In that vein, this article will outline some available resources for practice in basic public international law and private international law in the G-20 nations. Overall, this will equip new attorneys and law students who are studying abroad in legal clinics and other programs with available resources to support an understanding of the legal system in that country and resources for comparative legal research. The focus of this article will be on academic law library online databases and authoritative, free online legal information for international business research.
Argentinian Law and Research
The Argentinian legal system is derived from the French and German civil code traditions and the Brazilian civil code and is a jurisdiction with a Roman civil law tradition with a Federal model.Footnote 28 Argentina (like Mexico) is one of the few Latin American countries with a developed and fairly consistently applied judicial and legislative structure.Footnote 29 There is a federal and provincial system of legislatures and associated judicial branches.Footnote 30 There are numerous helpful online resources and databases for digitally learning about Argentina's legal system and critical international business resources. Researchers traditionally begin with an authoritative reference work like Reynolds and Flores's, Foreign Law Guide, which most academic law libraries subscribe to online or in print.Footnote 31 Additionally, foreign law research often begins with basic country information and economic data, such as the country overviews provided in the CIA World Factbook.Footnote 32 One challenge for the typical attorney in the United States when researching Argentinian law is finding English-language materials because most legal information is provided in the vernacular.Footnote 33
Legal Profession and Human Rights > Argentina
There are myriad helpful websites for beginning to understand the Argentinian legal profession, but the Reynolds and Flores's Foreign Law GuideFootnote 34 and the GlobaLex article with an overview of the legal resources in Argentina by Gloria Orrego HoyosFootnote 35 are very authoritative places to begin research. The Law Library of Congress also publishes the Guide to Law Online: Nations of the World that includes Argentina as a jurisdiction for foreign law research.Footnote 36 Although a bit outdated, there is also an LLRX article that provides a guide to the Argentinian Executive, Legislative, and Judicial System authored by several members of the judiciary in Argentina.Footnote 37 The BBC also offers a great country overview for Argentina and its political structure through a recent country profile.Footnote 38 For human rights issues, attorneys are well served to look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for Argentina by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to glean recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 39 Human Rights WatchFootnote 40 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 41 also have annual country reports, including those specific to Argentina, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses while monitoring human rights violations on an international scale as NGOs. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Conventions and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes Argentina.Footnote 42 These online, free databases can assist researchers with specific Argentinian research and finding Argentinian legislation or reports on international human rights issues. Finally, Argentina is a member of the Organization of American States,Footnote 43 including the Inter-American Court of Human RightsFootnote 44 for human rights disputes between Member States and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights,Footnote 45 so it is important to research those vital portals of information for country-specific human rights information for Argentina.
International Business Resources > Argentina
Increasingly, international business requires business negotiations and understanding of the framework of private international law and foreign laws of individual nations (typically, commercial law and codes) for those transactions that cross national borders into the international realm. The U.S. Department of State maintains a wonderful fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with Argentina for beginning international business research.Footnote 46 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including Argentina, and country-specific information and facts.Footnote 47 The American Society of International Law has a very comprehensively written electronic resource guide by Jean Wenger on International Economic Law that will be invaluable to every researcher when beginning international business research for identifying major international and regional organizations and associated sources for international economic law.Footnote 48 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in Argentina in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 49 The OECD also has comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in Argentina.Footnote 50 Finally, the World BankFootnote 51 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 52 comprehensive Doing Business in Argentina reports are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. When researching Argentinian trade laws and agreements, it is also important to consult the SICE foreign trade information database through the Organization of the American States because it includes a comprehensive list of agreements for Argentina.Footnote 53
Australian Law and Research
Australia has a rich common law historical tradition and numerous helpful websites, such as AUSTLII,Footnote 54 as a free online repository of legal information. The Australian legal system is modeled on British common law and has both a Parliamentary system and sophisticated judiciary.Footnote 55 The CIA Factbook has a great overview of the Australian demographics, political system, and transnational issues.Footnote 56 GlobaLex (NYU) also has a wonderful guide for beginning research of Australian Federal and State laws.Footnote 57 Finally, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia compiles a terrific overview of Australia and its history for beginning research.Footnote 58
Legal Profession and Human Rights > Australia
Australia has adopted numerous domestic human rights legislation, including Human Rights Acts, and is a party to international human rights conventions.Footnote 59 The BBC country profile for Australia is also informative for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 60 Attorneys are also advised to look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for Australia by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to ascertain recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 61 Human Rights WatchFootnote 62 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 63 also have annual country reports, including those specific to Australia, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Conventions and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes Australia.Footnote 64 These online, free databases can assist researchers with specific Australian research and finding Australian legislation or reports on international human rights issues. Finally, Australia provides a detailed information sheet via their governmental portalFootnote 65 and a Law Society publication for new corporate lawyers, which are both very informative sources for beginning legal research.Footnote 66 The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also provides a comprehensive chart for the treaty-making process for researching Australian law.Footnote 67 Furthermore, Australian legislation is available through the governmental websiteFootnote 68 and cases may be searched through AustLII.Footnote 69 The most recent Corporations Act is available in consolidated form via the Australian government's website.Footnote 70 Overall, Australia has a strong human rights tradition and active presence within the United Nations.Footnote 71
International Business Resources > Australia
The Australian Government's Trade website provides a comprehensive portal for Australian business, investment, tax, and trade laws.Footnote 72 The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with Australia for beginning international business research.Footnote 73 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including Australia, and country-specific information and facts.Footnote 74 The American Society of International Law has a very comprehensively written electronic resource guide by Jean Wenger on International Economic Law that will be invaluable to every researcher when beginning international business research for identifying major international and regional organizations and associated sources for international economic law.Footnote 75 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in Australia in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 76 The OECD also has comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in Australia.Footnote 77 Finally, the World BankFootnote 78 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 79 publish comprehensive Doing Business in Australia regular reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. When researching Australian trade laws and agreements, it is also important to consult the free trade agreements summary provided by the Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade department to note recently concluded agreements with China, Japan, Korea, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Countries.Footnote 80
Brazilian Law and Research
Brazil is the second largest nation in the Western hemisphere and has roots in the Spanish/Portuguese legal traditions and the Napoleon civil code traditions.Footnote 81 The Organization of American States also includes Brazil as a Member StateFootnote 82 and the World Legal Information Institute also includes information for Brazil in its classification of foreign legal resources.Footnote 83 It is challenging to find Brazilian legal information in English when researching from a U.S.-perspective, so researchers may wish to use basic web translation tools such as Google translate and Google Chrome's webpage translator or consider hiring a legal translator for comprehensive legal translation.Footnote 84 The Law Library of Congress's Guide to Law Online: Nations of the World provides a thorough list of links for governmental and legal information in Brazil for beginning foreign legal research.Footnote 85 The CIA FactbookFootnote 86 and BBC Country Profile Footnote 87 for Brazil provide comprehensive background information for the country's economic, political, and social facts. Overall, GlobaLex (NYU) also has a wonderful research guide for beginning legal research in Brazil and discovering authoritative websites or databases for research.Footnote 88
Legal Profession and Human Rights > Brazil
For human rights issues, lawyers should consult the recent Universal Periodic Review for Brazil by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and its Special Rapporteur to learn and gather information about recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 89 Human Rights WatchFootnote 90 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 91 also have annual country reports, including those specific to Brazil, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses while monitoring human rights violations on an international scale. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Convention and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes Brazil.Footnote 92 These online, free databases can assist researchers with specific Brazilian legal research and finding Brazilian legislation or reports on international human rights issues. Finally, Brazil is a member of the Organization of American States,Footnote 93 including the Inter-American Court of Human RightsFootnote 94 for human rights disputes between Member States and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights,Footnote 95 so it is important to research those vital portals of information for country-specific human rights information for Brazil.
International Business Resources > Brazil
The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with Brazil for beginning international business research.Footnote 96 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including Brazil, and thorough country information and facts.Footnote 97 The American Society of International Law has an electronic resource guide by Jean Wenger on International Economic Law that will be invaluable to every researcher when beginning international business research for identifying major international and regional organizations and associated sources for international economic law.Footnote 98 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in Brazil in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 99 The OECD also has comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in Brazil.Footnote 100 Lastly, the World BankFootnote 101 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 102 publish comprehensive Doing Business in Brazil regular reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. When researching Brazilian trade laws and agreements, it is also important to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the World Trade Organization.Footnote 103
Canadian Law and Research
Canada has a common law historical tradition derived from the English tradition and numerous helpful websites, such as CANLII,Footnote 104 as a free online repository of legal information. The Canadian legal system is modeled on British common law and has both a sophisticated Federal system and Provincial system for its judiciary.Footnote 105 The CIA Factbook has a great overview of the Canadian demographics, political system and transnational issues.Footnote 106 GlobaLex (NYU) also has a comprehensive guide for beginning research of Canadian Federal and Provincial laws.Footnote 107 Finally, the Department of Trade in Canada compiles a great overview of Canadian policy and its history for beginning research.Footnote 108 The Economic Intelligence Unit of the Economist also compiles an excellent overview of policies for beginning Canadian legal research.Footnote 109
Legal Profession and Human Rights > Canada
Like other countries, Canada has a strong foundation for recognition of human rights and also international human rights as a Member of the United Nations although its record has been recently challenged under various UN committee work that highlights compliance with human rights treaties.Footnote 110 The BBC offers a great country overview for Canada and its political structure through a recent country profile.Footnote 111 For human rights issues, attorneys are well served to look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for Canada by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to observe recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 112 Human Rights WatchFootnote 113 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 114 also have annual country reports, including those specific to Canada, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses while monitoring human rights violations on an international scale as NGOs. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Convention and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes Canada.Footnote 115 These online, free databases can assist researchers with Canadian research and finding Canadian legislation or reports on international human rights issues. Finally, Canada is a member of NAFTAFootnote 116 and the WTO,Footnote 117 so it is important to research those critical portals of information for country-specific trade data for Canada. Overall, the Justice Law portion through the Canadian Government provides comprehensive access to the consolidated version of Canadian laws.Footnote 118 The Supreme Court of CanadaFootnote 119 and CanLIIFootnote 120 also provide extensive access to full-text judicial decisions in the public domain.
International Business Resources > Canada
The World BankFootnote 121 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 122 publish comprehensive Doing Business in Canada periodic reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with Canada for beginning international business research.Footnote 123 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including Canada, and thorough country information and facts.Footnote 124 The American Society of International Law has an electronic resource guide by Jean Wenger on International Economic Law that will be invaluable to every researcher when beginning international business research for identifying major international and regional organizations and associated sources for international economic law.Footnote 125 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in Canada in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 126 The OECD maintains comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in Canada.Footnote 127 When researching Canadian trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is critical to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the World Trade Organization.Footnote 128 Finally, LexisNexis publishes a treatise series called Doing Business in Canada, which is indispensable for international business research, and it is available through a standard law firm subscription or in print.Footnote 129 The International Labour Organization also digitizes law by country or by topic through its NatLex database of digitized legislation.Footnote 130
Chinese Law and Research
China has a rich history of dynasties in its legal traditions and is derived from Confucian principles and numerous helpful websites, such as AsianLII,Footnote 131 provide a free online repository of legal information. The Chinese legal system is unique because there had been great resistance in the twentieth century to a formalized legal system, but there are now general legal codes that govern Chinese law in the Republic.Footnote 132 The CIA Factbook has a good general overview of the Chinese demographics, political system, and transnational issues.Footnote 133 GlobaLex further has a terrific research guide for beginning exploration of the Chinese laws and the Hong Kong legal system.Footnote 134 Finally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in China provides a good overview of China and its trade history for beginning research.Footnote 135
Legal Profession and Human Rights > China
China has adopted selected domestic human rights legislation and makes digitized legislation available online at LawInfoChina or through Westlaw China (formerly IsinoLaw by subscription).Footnote 136 The BBC country profile for China is also informative for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 137 International lawyers should also peruse the recent Universal Periodic Review for Australia by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to ascertain recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 138 Human Rights WatchFootnote 139 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 140 have annual country reports, including those covering China, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Convention and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes Australia.Footnote 141 These online, free databases can assist researchers with specific Chinese human rights legislation and finding reports on international human rights issues. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also provides a comprehensive website for researching Chinese trade policy.Footnote 142 Overall, China has a strong and active presence within the international community and the United Nations.Footnote 143
International Business Resources > China
The World BankFootnote 144 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 145 also publish comprehensive Doing Business in China periodic reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with China for beginning international business research.Footnote 146 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including China, and distinctive country-specific information and facts.Footnote 147 The U.S. Companies Export has a complete guide to Doing Business in China in the context of international export law.Footnote 148 The OECD has complete international business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in China.Footnote 149 When researching Chinese trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is critical to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the World Trade Organization.Footnote 150 Finally, the International Labour Organization also digitizes law by country or by topic through its NatLex database of digitized legislation.Footnote 151
French Law and Research
France has a rich civil law historical tradition and numerous helpful websites, such as LegiFrance,Footnote 152 which is a free online repository of legal information. The French legal system is modeled on ancient Roman law and also the Napoleonic Civil Code historic tradition.Footnote 153 The CIA Factbook has a good overview of the French demographics, political system, and transnational issues for starting French legal research.Footnote 154 The GlobaLex research guide for France also has wonderful sources for beginning research of French law.Footnote 155 Finally, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in France compiles a terrific overview of France and its history for beginning commercial and foreign trade research.Footnote 156
Legal Profession and Human Rights > France
France has adopted numerous domestic human rights legislation, including human rights laws, and is a party to international human rights conventions.Footnote 157 The BBC country profile for France is also good for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 158 Lawyers should further review the recent Universal Periodic Review for France by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to ascertain recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 159 Human Rights WatchFootnote 160 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 161 also have annual country reports, including those specifically tailored to France, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any international abuses of human rights and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes France.Footnote 162 These online, free databases can assist researchers with specific French legal research and finding legislation or reports on international human rights issues. Overall, France has a strong human rights tradition and active presence within the United Nations.Footnote 163
International Business Resources > France
LexisNexis publishes a comprehensive treatise, Doing Business in France, which is wonderful for introductory French business and company law terminology, and this treatise is available online as part of an attorney subscription or in print.Footnote 164 The World BankFootnote 165 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 166 publish comprehensive Doing Business in France regular reports that are essential to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. The U.S. Department of State further maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with France for beginning international business research.Footnote 167 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including France, and thorough country information and facts.Footnote 168 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in France in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 169 Finally, the OECD maintains comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in France.Footnote 170 When researching French trade laws and agreements, it is critical to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the European Union.Footnote 171 The International Labour Organization also digitizes French laws through its NATLEX database of digitized legislation.Footnote 172
German Law and Research
Germany has a historical tradition of civil codes and numerous helpful websites, such as The Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law and WorldLII,Footnote 173 as a free online repository of legal information. The German legal system has some Roman law, feudal law, and natural law influences to develop toward a civil law tradition, but there have now been attempts to “decodify” in the context of the European Union.Footnote 174 The CIA Factbook has a great overview of the German demographics, political system and transnational issues.Footnote 175 GlobaLex also has a good research guide for beginning research of German law.Footnote 176 Finally, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Germany has a very basic portal for beginning research.Footnote 177
Legal Profession and Human Rights > Germany
Germany has adopted some domestic legislation, including human rights and commercial law.Footnote 178 The BBC country profile for Germany is also useful for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 179 Lawyers in an international practice are also advised to look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for Germany by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to ascertain recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 180 Further, Human Rights WatchFootnote 181 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 182 also have annual country reports, including those specific to Germany, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Convention and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes Germany.Footnote 183 These websites of NGOs can assist researchers with specific German research and finding German reports on international human rights issues. Finally, Germany has a fairly strong recent human rights tradition and active presence within the European Union and the UN.Footnote 184
International Business Resources > Germany
The World BankFootnote 185 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 186 publish authoritative Doing Business in Germany reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with Germany for beginning international business research.Footnote 187 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including Germany, and thorough country information and facts.Footnote 188 The U.S. Companies Export further has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in Germany in the context of international exports.Footnote 189 On an international scale, the OECD maintains comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in Germany.Footnote 190 When researching German trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is critical to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the European Union.Footnote 191 Finally, the International Labour Organization also digitizes law by country or by topic through its NatLex database of digitized legislation and is especially helpful for locating English-translated documents.Footnote 192
Indian Law and Research
India has a rich common law historical tradition and numerous helpful websites, such as CommonLII,Footnote 193 as a free online repository of legal information. The Indian legal system is modeled on British common law with Hindu influences and has both a Parliamentary system and legislation that is released in an Official Gazette.Footnote 194 The CIA Factbook has a great overview of the Indian demographics, political system, and transnational issues.Footnote 195 GlobaLex (NYU) also has a wonderful guide for beginning research of the laws of India.Footnote 196 Finally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in India compiles a terrific overview of India and its history for beginning research.Footnote 197
Legal Profession and Human Rights > India
India has adopted selected domestic human rights legislation, including Human Rights Acts, and is a party to international human rights conventions.Footnote 198 The BBC country profile for India is also quite useful for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 199 Attorneys should consult the recent Universal Periodic Review for India by the UN Office of the High Commissioner to ascertain recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 200 Human Rights WatchFootnote 201 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 202 also have annual country reports, including those specific to India, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Convention and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes India.Footnote 203 These online, free databases can assist researchers with specific Indian research and finding Indian legislation or reports on international human rights issues. Overall, India has some human rights traditions and an active presence within the United Nations.Footnote 204
International Business Resources > India
Both the World BankFootnote 205 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 206 publish comprehensive Doing Business in India periodic reports that are invaluable to every researcher for international business law research. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with India for beginning international business research.Footnote 207 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including India.Footnote 208 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in India in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 209 The OECD also maintains comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in India.Footnote 210 When researching Indian trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is critical to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the World Trade Organization.Footnote 211
Indonesian Law and Research
Indonesia has a deep historical tradition and numerous helpful websites, such as WorldLII,Footnote 212 as a free online repository of legal information. The Indonesian legal system is modeled on the Dutch civil law system through colonial European influences on the nation.Footnote 213 The CIA Factbook again has a great overview of the Indonesian demographics, political system, and transnational issues.Footnote 214 GlobaLex (NYU) also has a wonderful guide for beginning research of the Indonesian legal system.Footnote 215 Finally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia compiles a terrific overview of Indonesian policy and its history for beginning research.Footnote 216
Legal Profession and Human Rights > Indonesia
Indonesia has adopted numerous domestic human rights legislation, including various human rights acts, and is a party to international human rights conventions.Footnote 217 The BBC country profile for Indonesia is initially informative for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 218 Attorneys are also advised to look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for Indonesia by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to ascertain recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 219 Human Rights WatchFootnote 220 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 221 also have annual country reports, including those for Indonesia, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Convention and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes Indonesia.Footnote 222 Overall, Indonesia has a minor human rights tradition and a somewhat active presence within the United Nations.Footnote 223
International Business Resources > Indonesia
The World BankFootnote 224 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 225 publish comprehensive Doing Business in Indonesia periodic reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with Indonesia for beginning international business research.Footnote 226 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for Indonesia with thorough country information and facts.Footnote 227 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in Indonesia in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 228 The OECD maintains comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in Indonesia.Footnote 229 When researching Indonesian trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is imperative to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the World Trade Organization.Footnote 230 The International Labour Organization also digitizes Indonesian laws through its NatLex database of digitized legislation.Footnote 231
Italian Law and Research
Italy has a strong civil law historical tradition and numerous helpful websites, such as WorldLII,Footnote 232 as a free online repository of legal information. The Italian legal system is derived from the classical Roman law tradition with civil codes and more modern Justinian and Napoleonic influences.Footnote 233 The CIA Factbook has a great overview of the general Italian demographics, political system, and transnational issues.Footnote 234 GlobaLex (NYU) also has a wonderful guide for beginning Italian legal research.Footnote 235 Finally, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Italy compiles a terrific overview of Italy and its history for beginning research.Footnote 236
Legal Profession and Human Rights > Italy
Italy has adopted some domestic human rights legislation and is a party to international human rights conventions.Footnote 237 The BBC country profile for Italy is also informative for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 238 Attorneys are also advised to look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for Italy on the UN OHCHR website to ascertain recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 239 Human Rights WatchFootnote 240 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 241 also have annual country reports, including those specific to Italy for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights in Italy.Footnote 242 Overall, Italy tends to have a fairly strong human rights tradition and active presence within the United Nations and the European Union.Footnote 243
International Business Resources > Italy
The World BankFootnote 244 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 245 publish comprehensive Doing Business in Italy periodic reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with Italy for starting international business research.Footnote 246 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including Italy, and thorough country information and facts.Footnote 247 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in Italy in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 248 The OECD maintains comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in Italy.Footnote 249 When researching Italian trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is critical to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the European Union.Footnote 250 Finally, the International Labour Organization also digitizes Italian laws by topic through its NatLex database of digitized legislation.Footnote 251
Japanese Law and Research
Japan has a unique tradition of a constitution, acts of the Diet, treaties, judicial precedent, and scholarly opinion, and there are several helpful free websites, such as AsianLII,Footnote 252 that provide a free online repository of legal information. The Japanese legal system is also modeled on a parliamentary system and several historic Asian legal traditions, such as Chinese law, and has both a parliamentary structure for promulgating acts and a sophisticated judiciary.Footnote 253 The CIA Factbook has a great overview of the Japanese demographics, political system, and transnational issues.Footnote 254 GlobaLex (NYU) also has a wonderful guide for beginning Japanese legal research.Footnote 255 Finally, the Ministry of Justice in Japan compiles a good overview of Japan and its history for beginning research.Footnote 256
Legal Profession and Human Rights > Japan
Japan has adopted some domestic human rights legislation and is also a party to international human rights conventions.Footnote 257 The BBC country profile for Japan is also informative for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 258 International lawyers are also advised to look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for Japan by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to ascertain recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 259 Human Rights WatchFootnote 260 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 261 also have annual country reports, including those for Japan, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights within the framework of the Geneva Convention for Japan.Footnote 262 Overall, Japan has a history of recently supporting good human rights practices and an active presence within the United Nations.Footnote 263
International Business Resources > Japan
The World BankFootnote 264 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 265 publish comprehensive Doing Business in Japan periodic reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with Japan for beginning international business research.Footnote 266 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including Japan, and thorough country information and facts.Footnote 267 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in Japan in the context of international export law.Footnote 268 The OECD has comprehensive business information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in Japan.Footnote 269 When researching Japanese trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is critical to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the World Trade Organization.Footnote 270 Finally, LexisNexis publishes a treatise series called Doing Business in Japan, which is indispensable for international business research, and it is available through a standard law firm subscription or in print.Footnote 271 The International Labour Organization also digitizes laws of Japan through its NatLex database of digitized legislation.Footnote 272
Korean Law and Research (South Korea/Republic of South Korea)
South Korea has a rich civil law historical tradition and numerous helpful websites, such as AsianLII,Footnote 273 as a free online repository of legal information. The South Korean legal system is modeled on historical European and German civil law influences and also has Confucian influences in its laws.Footnote 274 The CIA Factbook has a great overview of the South Korean demographics, political system, and transnational issues.Footnote 275 GlobaLex (NYU) also has a wonderful guide for starting South Korean legal research.Footnote 276 Finally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in South Korea compiles a terrific overview of its trade policy and its history for beginning commercial law research.Footnote 277
Legal Profession and Human Rights > South Korea
South Korea has adopted selected domestic human rights legislation, including human rights acts, and is a party to international human rights conventions.Footnote 278 The BBC country profile for South Korea is also informative for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 279 Attorneys are also advised to look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for South Korea by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to ascertain recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 280 Human Rights WatchFootnote 281 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 282 also have annual country reports, including those specific to South Korea, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Convention and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes South Korea.Footnote 283 Finally, South Korea has a fairly strong human rights tradition and active presence within the United Nations.Footnote 284
International Business Resources > South Korea
The World BankFootnote 285 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 286 publish comprehensive Doing Business in South Korea periodic reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations for South Korea and beginning international business research.Footnote 287 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including South Korea.Footnote 288 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in South Korea in the context of international export law.Footnote 289 The OECD maintains comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in South Korea.Footnote 290 When researching South Korean trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is critical to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the World Trade Organization.Footnote 291 The International Labour Organization also has selected South Korean laws through its NatLex database.Footnote 292
Mexican Law and Research
Mexico has a rich civil law historical tradition with some jurisprudential influences and numerous helpful websites, such as WorldLII,Footnote 293 as a free online repository of legal information. The Mexican legal system is modeled on colonial Spanish influences and some derivation of the laws of the United States through a Federal system and lower courts/States and a sophisticated judiciary.Footnote 294 The CIA Factbook has a great overview of the Mexican demographics, political system, and transnational issues.Footnote 295 GlobaLex (NYU) also has a great guide for beginning research of Mexican Federal and State laws.Footnote 296 Finally, the Law Library of Congress (Guide to Law Online: Mexico) provides a comprehensive list of online resources for beginning Mexican legal research.Footnote 297
Legal Profession and Human Rights > Mexico
Mexico has adopted selected domestic human rights legislation and is a party to international human rights conventions.Footnote 298 The BBC country profile for Mexico is also informative for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 299 Lawyers should look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for Mexico by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to observe recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 300 Human Rights WatchFootnote 301 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 302 also have annual country reports, including those specific to Mexico, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Convention and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes Mexico.Footnote 303 Overall, Mexico has a modest human rights tradition and a presence within the United Nations.Footnote 304
International Business Resources > Mexico
The World BankFootnote 305 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 306 publish comprehensive Doing Business in Mexico periodic reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with Mexico for beginning international business research.Footnote 307 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including Mexico, and thorough country information and facts.Footnote 308 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in Mexico in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 309 The OECD maintains comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in Mexico.Footnote 310 When researching Mexican trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is critical to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as NAFTA or the WTO.Footnote 311 The International Labour Organization also digitizes law by country, including Mexico, or by topic through its NatLex database of digitized legislation.Footnote 312
Russian Law and Research
Russia has a rich historical tradition of czars and prior Soviet norms and numerous helpful websites, such as WorldLII,Footnote 313 as a free online repository of legal information. The Russian legal system is modeled on the legal system of czars and the Soviet tradition and now is a more democratic Republic with codes and a judiciary.Footnote 314 The CIA Factbook has a great overview of the Russian demographics, political system, and transnational issues.Footnote 315 GlobaLex (NYU) also has a wonderful guide for beginning research of Russian law.Footnote 316 Finally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Russia compiles a terrific overview of the Russian Executive Branch and its history for beginning research.Footnote 317
Legal Profession and Human Rights > Russia
Russia has adopted some domestic human rights legislation and is a party to selected international human rights conventions.Footnote 318 The BBC country profile for Russia is also informative for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 319 Attorneys are also advised to look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for Russia by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to ascertain recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 320 Human Rights WatchFootnote 321 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 322 also have annual country reports, including those specific to Russia, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights for Russia. These online, free databases can assist researchers with specific Russian research and finding Russian legislation or reports on international human rights issues. Overall, Russia has a minor human rights tradition and an active presence within the United Nations.Footnote 323
International Business Resources > Russia
The World BankFootnote 324 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 325 publish comprehensive Doing Business in Russia periodic reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with Russia for beginning international business research.Footnote 326 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including Russia, and thorough country information and facts. The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in Russia in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 327 The OECD further maintains comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in Russia.Footnote 328 When researching Russian trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is critical to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the World Trade Organization.Footnote 329 The International Labour Organization also digitizes selected Russian laws by topic through its NatLex database of digitized legislation.Footnote 330
Saudi Arabian Law and Research
Saudi Arabia has a rich civil and religious legal history as a mixed system of Islamic origin and numerous helpful websites, such as WorldLII,Footnote 331 as a free online repository of legal information. The Saudi Arabian legal system is modeled on Ottoman and Turkish law and has detailed civil and religious codes and systematic acts promulgated in an Official Gazette.Footnote 332 The CIA Factbook has a great overview of the Saudi Arabian demographics, political system and transnational issues.Footnote 333 GlobaLex (NYU) also has a wonderful guide for beginning research of Saudi Arabian legal research.Footnote 334 Finally, the Law Library of Congress (Guide to Law Online) provides a great portal for beginning research with authoritative governmental websites.Footnote 335
Legal Profession and Human Rights > Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has adopted numerous domestic human rights legislation, including Human Rights Acts, and is a party to international human rights conventions.Footnote 336 The BBC country profile for Saudi Arabia is also informative for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 337 Attorneys are also advised to look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for Saudi Arabia by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to ascertain recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 338 Human Rights WatchFootnote 339 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 340 also have annual country reports, including those specific to Australia, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Conventions and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes Saudi Arabia.Footnote 341 Overall, Saudi Arabia has a decent human rights tradition and a presence within the United Nations.Footnote 342
International Business Resources > Saudi Arabia
The World BankFootnote 343 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 344 publish comprehensive Doing Business in Saudi Arabia periodic reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia for beginning international business research.Footnote 345 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including Saudi Arabia, and thorough country information and facts.Footnote 346 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in Saudi Arabia in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 347 The OECD maintains comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in Saudi Arabia.Footnote 348 When researching Saudi Arabian trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is critical to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the World Trade Organization.Footnote 349 The International Labour Organization also digitizes selected laws for Saudi Arabia through its NatLex database of digitized legislation.Footnote 350
South African Law and Research
South Africa has a rich common law historical tradition and numerous helpful websites, such as SAFLII,Footnote 351 as a free online repository of legal information. The South African legal system is modeled on British common law and has both a Parliamentary system and sophisticated judiciary.Footnote 352 The CIA Factbook has a great overview of the South African demographics, political system, and transnational issues.Footnote 353 GlobaLex (NYU) also has a wonderful guide for beginning research of South African legal research.Footnote 354 Finally, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in South Africa compiles a terrific overview of South Africa and its history for beginning research.Footnote 355
Legal Profession and Human Rights > South Africa
South Africa has adopted numerous domestic human rights legislation, including Human Rights Acts, and is a party to international human rights conventions.Footnote 356 The BBC country profile for South Africa is also informative for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 357 Attorneys are also advised to look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for South Africa by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to ascertain recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 358 Human Rights WatchFootnote 359 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 360 also have annual country reports, including those specific to South Africa, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Conventions and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes South Africa.Footnote 361 Overall, South Africa has a strong recent human rights tradition and active presence within the United Nations.Footnote 362
International Business Resources > South Africa
The World BankFootnote 363 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 364 publish comprehensive Doing Business in South Africa periodic reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with South Africa for beginning international business research.Footnote 365 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including South Africa, and thorough country information and facts.Footnote 366 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in South Africa in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 367 The OECD maintains comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in South Africa.Footnote 368 When researching South African trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is critical to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the World Trade Organization or the African Union.Footnote 369 Finally, the International Labour Organization also digitizes selected laws of South Africa or by topic through its NatLex database.Footnote 370
Turkish Law and Research
Turkey has a rich civil and mixed law historical tradition and numerous helpful websites, such as WORLDLII,Footnote 371 as a free online repository of legal information. The Turkish legal system is modeled on the Ottoman empire and nearby civil law traditions and has many topical codes for legal research.Footnote 372 The CIA Factbook has a great overview of the Turkey's demographics, political system, and transnational issues.Footnote 373 GlobaLex also has a wonderful guide for beginning Turkish legal research.Footnote 374 Finally, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Turkey compiles a terrific overview of Turkey and its history for beginning any legal research.Footnote 375
Legal Profession and Human Rights > Turkey
Turkey has adopted numerous domestic human rights legislation, including Human Rights Acts, and is a party to international human rights conventions.Footnote 376 The BBC country profile for Turkey is also informative for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 377 Lawyers are also advised to look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for Turkey by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to glean recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 378 Human Rights WatchFootnote 379 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 380 also have annual country reports, including those specific to Turkey, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Conventions and provides a detailed national implementation database for international humanitarian law that includes Turkey.Footnote 381 Overall, Turkey has a decent human rights tradition and moderate presence within the United Nations.Footnote 382
International Business Resources > Turkey
The World BankFootnote 383 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 384 publish comprehensive Doing Business in Turkey periodic reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with Turkey for beginning international business research.Footnote 385 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including Turkey, and thorough country information.Footnote 386 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in Turkey in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 387 The OECD maintains comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in Turkey.Footnote 388 When researching Turkish trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is critical to consult any free trade agreements summaries such as those reports provided through the World Trade Organization.Footnote 389
United Kingdom Law and Research
The United Kingdom has a rich common law historical tradition and numerous helpful websites, such as BAILII,Footnote 390 as a free online repository of legal information. The United Kingdom legal system is the premier and most historic example of a common law system with Parliament within a monarchy and a sophisticated judiciary.Footnote 391 The CIA Factbook has a great overview of the UK demographics, political system and transnational issues.Footnote 392 GlobaLex (NYU) also has a wonderful guide for beginning research of United Kingdom laws.Footnote 393 Finally, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the United Kingdom compiles a terrific overview of the UK and its history for beginning research.Footnote 394
Legal Profession and Human Rights
The United Kingdom has adopted numerous domestic human rights legislation, including Human Rights Acts, and is a party to international human rights conventions.Footnote 395 The BBC country profile for the United Kingdom is also informative for a general overview of country conditions and economic data.Footnote 396 Attorneys are also advised to look at the recent Universal Periodic Review for the UK by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to ascertain recent human rights monitoring and trends.Footnote 397 Human Rights WatchFootnote 398 and Amnesty InternationalFootnote 399 also have annual country reports, including those specific to the United Kingdom, for national monitoring of human rights conditions and abuses. The International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) also monitors any country-specific abuses of human rights in conjunction with the Geneva Convention.Footnote 400 Overall, the United Kingdom has a very strong human rights tradition and regular presence within the United Nations.Footnote 401
International Business Resources > United Kingdom
The World BankFootnote 402 and Price Waterhouse CoopersFootnote 403 publish comprehensive Doing Business in the United Kingdom periodic reports that are invaluable to every researcher in international business law and foreign business conditions. The U.S. Department of State maintains a fact sheet and list of bilateral relations with the United Kingdom for beginning international business research.Footnote 404 The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also maintains trade agreements for every nation, including the UK, and thorough country information and facts.Footnote 405 The U.S. Companies Export has a comprehensive guide to Doing Business in the United Kingdom in the context of international exports and country-specific commercial law guides.Footnote 406 The OECD maintains comprehensive business and commercial information for setting up business, trade policies, and competition policies in United Kingdom.Footnote 407 When researching UK trade laws and agreements, as mentioned before, it is critical to consult any free trade agreement summaries such as those reports provided through the World Trade Organization.Footnote 408 Finally, LexisNexis publishes a treatise series called Doing Business in the United Kingdom, which is indispensable for international business research, and it is available through a standard law firm subscription or in print.Footnote 409 The International Labour Organization also digitizes laws of the United Kingdom or laws by topic through its NatLex database.Footnote 410
Selected Resources for United States Law and European Union Research
This article does not attempt to comprehensively summarize the international business laws of the United States or the European Union. However, the following legal research resources and guides may assist international business researchers in those jurisdictions:
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a. UPDATE: A Guide to the U. S. Federal Legal System Web-based Public Accessible Sources, Gretchen Feltes. http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/United_States1.html.
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b. UPDATE: A Guide to Fee-Based U. S. Legal Research Databases, Mary Rumsey, Update by Jootaek (Juice) Lee and Neel Kant Agrawal. http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/US_Fee-Based_Legal_Databases1.html.
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c. http://www.doingbusiness.org/reports/global-reports/~/media/giawb/doing%20business/documents/profiles/country/USA.pdf (World Bank Report)
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d. http://www.pwc.com/us/en/tax-services/publications/assets/doing-business-in-the-us-2014.pdf (PWC Repot 2014)
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f. UPDATE: International Human Rights Research Guide, Grace M. Mills. http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Human_Rights1.html#europeanuniondocu
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g. Guide to European Union Law. 9.ed. P.S.R.F. Mathijsen, London, Sweet and Maxwell, 2007.
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h. The General Principles of EC Law. 2.ed. T. Tridimas, Oxford, University Press, 2006.
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i. Competition Law of the European Union, LexisNexis - http://store.lexisnexis.ca/store/ca/catalog/booktemplate/productdetail.jsp?pageName=relatedProducts&catId=cacat_37_fr&prodId=prd-cad-00296
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j. EUR-Lex database: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html
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k. Europa - http://europa.eu/index_en.htm
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l. Competition Law (European Commission - http://ec.europa.eu/competition/index_en.html
Conclusion
Although it might be difficult to fully prepare for practice in another jurisdiction or be thoroughly culturally competent when meeting all of international or foreign clients' needs, there are ways to prepare for interactions with other cultures and practice law in different countries. Such multicultural practice and multi-jurisdictional practice experiences will be very rewarding when attorneys or law students are equipped with prior knowledge of cultural norms, legal history, and customs, and understanding of the available legal research for foreign law. It is imperative for anyone anticipating practice in a foreign country to recognize different legal approaches and legal systems, varying sources and publication processes for primary and secondary legal sources, and also language barriers within certain jurisdictions. After adequately researching these traditions, the attorneys will better be able to problem-solve during international business transactions or other transactional work and will most effectively apply the law to particular legal analyses for their clients and, even further, should have more successful multi-jurisdictional practices.