The Goodson Blogson

Earlier this week, the White House announced a new 10% tariff on most imports into the United States to begin on Saturday, as well as country-specific additional duties. ( CNN breaks down the countries impacted by specific tariffs.) President Trump cited the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the National Emergencies Act (NEA) in declaring a "lack of reciprocity in our bilateral trade relationships" a national emergency warranting the unprecedented move. The Congressional Research Service provides historical background on the closest analogue, Richard Nixon’s 1971 emergency tariff, in its recent report . CRS notes that Congress has the power to terminate the national emergency through a joint resolution of disapproval, or to amend the law cited by President Trump to limit its role in imposing tariffs. The tariff announcement provoked the largest one-day decline in the stock market since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Markets have co...

Most legal researchers are familiar with the federal government's treaty powers (for an overview, check out the Constitution Annotated discussion of Article II, section 2, clause 2 or the three-part 2023 Congressional Research Service report series on International Agreements ). Likely less familiar to many are state -level commitments with foreign governments. After all, the Constitution expressly prohibits states from entering into their own treaties, and requires congressional consent for states to enter into agreements or compacts with foreign governments. However, individual U.S. states can and do enter into memoranda of understanding and other commitments with foreign entities. Due to their more ad hoc nature as compared to the highly formal federal process, locating the text or information about these state-level commitments can be difficult.  A new library within the HeinOnline research database called U.S. State Commitments with Foreign Governments , now available to t...

The Goodson Law Library has recently subscribed to Jus Mundi , a research platform containing the full text of treaties, case law, rules, and publications related to international law and arbitration. This database is available to current Duke University students, faculty and staff with NetID and password, and links are available through the Duke Libraries Catalog and Legal Databases & Links page. Jus Mundi includes thousands of documents on the topics of investment arbitration, commercial arbitration, public international law, law of the sea, and international trade. Decisions from more than 100 commissions and organizations are included. Duke's subscription also includes access to the ICC Dispute Resolution Library and Juris Arbitration Library. Additional international arbitration databases include Kluwer Arbitration and the Oxford Legal Research Library 's International Commercial Arbitration module. For more information about researching international arbitrat...

Current members of the Duke University community now have access to the database World Trade Online , a news and current awareness service for international trade topics. This database is accessible from the Legal Databases & Links page, the campus library Research Database Finder , and the Duke Libraries Catalog . Off-campus access requires a current Duke University NetID and password. World Trade Online includes access to the weekly newsletter Inside U.S. Trade , as well as breaking and archived news stories. Users can browse or search the site, as well as sign up for alerts in several categories (breaking news, weekly headlines, etc.) under About Us > E-mail Alerts and Mobile Devices. The new campus-wide database joins WorldTradeLaw.net (available to members of the Law School community on networked computers) as a resource for international trade law news and analysis. For additional resources in the library collection related to international trade, be sure to Ask a Lib...

The Goodson Law Library has subscribed to the Oxford Legal Research Library , a collection of Oxford University Press titles in four collection areas: International Commercial Arbitration, International Commercial Law, Financial and Banking Law, and Private International Law. Each collection can be browsed and searched separately, or across the broader ORLR interface. Titles in these collections include treatises, practice guides, and commentaries, such as Schlechtriem & Schwenzer's Commentary on the UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods (4th ed. 2016), Commentary on the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts (PICC) 2nd ed., Brexit and Financial Regulation (2020), and Sovereign Defaults Before Domestic Courts (2018). See the full title list . For help with accessing the Oxford Legal Research Library or other research resources, be sure to Ask a Librarian .

The Goodson Law Library's subscription to HeinOnline now includes the module History of International Law . This library currently contains more than 2,000 titles and one million pages on international law topics, including the development of the Hague Conventions, international arbitration, the Nuremberg trials, law of the sea, and much more. While the earliest titles in this collection date back to the 17th century, more modern texts and treatises are also available, including a number published by Duke University Press (such as 2016's Man or Monster? The Trial of a Khmer Rouge Torturer ). The full list of titles can be accessed in the Hein library , and the Duke Libraries Catalog will point to individual works in the collection as well. For additional help with researching the history of international law, check out the library's research guide to International Law or Ask a Librarian .

The Goodson Law Library has added the International module to its Tax Analysts subscription ( featured in the Goodson Blogson last December ). This new module includes full-text access to the Tax Notes International magazine (browseable to 2001, and searchable back to 1989) and the daily news publication, Tax Notes Today International (browseable to 1999). Use of the Tax Analysts platform requires a username and password. Current members of the Duke University community may register with their duke.edu email address for access. To access the international materials, log in to Tax Analysts . The red "International" link in the top right corner will show the Tax Notes Today International home page; a link to the Tax Notes International magazine can be found by scrolling down to the "Magazines" section of the Tax Analysts home page. The orange "Subscriptions" drop-down menu in the top right corner will link to both international publications as well. Fo...

The Goodson Law Library has recently subscribed to SCC Online , a database containing legal materials from India as well as dozens of other foreign and international jurisdictions. Access SCC Online via the Duke Libraries Catalog or Legal Databases & Links . First-time users will need to register with a username in order to access materials; this username will allow future access while connected to Duke's IP range. No password is required for IP login. SCC Online 's collection is strongest for Indian law, including current and historical case law, statutes and regulations, constitutional documents, and parliamentary bills. The "Browse Judgments by Courts" tab includes case law from dozens of additional jurisdictions for varying time periods, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and numerous African nations (including Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe). International court materials are also included, such as the Internatio...

The Goodson Law Library has recently added Immigration Law & Policy in the U.S. to its collection of libraries in HeinOnline . This library includes more than 2,600 primary and secondary sources related to immigration law in America, including historical editions of the U.S. Code and Code of Federal Regulations , legislative history materials, administrative law decisions, U.S. Supreme Court briefs, scholarly articles, and books. Topics covered include the history of immigration law and international extradition policy. A particularly useful feature of this library is the index to BIA Precedent Decisions , which provides quick subject access to Board of Immigration Appeals decisions. The decisions themselves are available here as full-text PDF scans from 1940-present. This Hein library joins other Duke Law Library resources pertaining to immigration, such as the AILALink database and the seminal treatise by Gordon & Mailman, Immigration Law and Procedure (KF4815 .G663 ...

The Goodson Law Library has subscribed to e-book versions of the Elgar Advanced Introductions to Law . This series balances accessible introductions to a particular topic with expert commentary. Currently, the Elgar Advanced Introductions online library includes 15 e-book titles, with dozens of additional titles to be added over the next two years. Subjects skew heavily toward comparative and international law topics, and recent publications in the online library include: Mark Tushnet, Advanced Introduction to Comparative Constitutional Law ( also available in print ) Reuven S. Avi-Yonah, Advanced Introduction to International Tax Law ( also available in print ) Jaakko Husa, Advanced Introduction to Law and Globalisation The Duke University Libraries have additional Elgar Advanced Introduction titles in print, both at the Law Library and across campus. You can locate the e-book series link as well as available print titles in the Duke Libraries Catalog with a search for ...

The Oxford Historical Treaties database is now available to the Duke University community. This database contains the full text of treaties from 1648-1919, derived from Clive Parry's Consolidated Treaty Series . Additional editorial commentaries on treaty-related topics will be regularly added by General Editor Randall Lesaffer (Tilburg Law School) and guest editors. Just in time for Friday's centennial anniversary of the Treaty of Versailles, the database has contributed several texts to a free Oxford Public International Law online collection of scholarly articles, book chapters, definitions, and expert commentary on the Treaty of Versailles and the history of international law. This collection is free to all readers until August 31; however, most of the content will remain available to Duke readers after that date, as the Goodson Law Library subscribes to most of the databases from Oxford Public International Law (including the online Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public I...

Today is Data Privacy Day , an international event to raise awareness about online privacy and security. As noted on the event's website, "Data Privacy Day began in the United States and Canada in January 2008 as an extension of the Data Protection Day celebration in Europe. Data Protection Day commemorates the Jan. 28, 1981, signing of Convention 108, the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection." The Data Privacy Day website includes practical tips to Stay Safe Online . Three easy steps that everyone can take today to increase their online privacy and security include: Strengthen your passwords. Did you know that current members of the Duke community can download the password management service LastPass Premium for free? LastPass and other services like it will help you create long, extra-strength passwords, which are then stored securely in a "vault" – leaving you with only one master password to remember going ...

The Goodson Law Library recently received the centenary 7th edition of Satow's Diplomatic Practice , a classic text on diplomacy first published in 1917. (The original edition, then called Guide to Diplomatic Practice by Ernest Satow, can be accessed online through the Making of Modern Law database .) Over the years, Satow's Diplomatic Practice has expanded by hundreds of pages, as the fields of international law and foreign relations have similarly grown and evolved. The current edition begins with "a short introduction" to the history of diplomacy, as well as a separate chapter on the development of international law. Subsequent sections detail the functions of diplomats and consulates, unpack such concepts as diplomatic immunity, and describe the roles of international organizations and agreements in facilitating diplomatic relations. The final chapter, "Advice to Diplomats," provides practical guidance to diplomatic staff about negotiation strategies a...

The Duke University community now has access to Oxford Bibliographies in International Law , a peer-reviewed, encyclopedic collection of annotated bibliographies on international law topics. The database (which can be found on our Legal Databases & Links page) contains more than 150 entries by respected international law scholars, each with references to texts, commentaries, encyclopedias, databases, journals, case law, treaties, and other research resources. These bibliographies are excellent starting places to learn basic concepts and to find additional resources on a particular international law topic. Individual bibliographies can be searched, browsed alphabetically by title, or sorted by Date Added to view the most recent additions. The database is updated on an ongoing basis. One of the most recent additions, Fair and Equitable Treatment in International Investment Agreements (updated August 23), illustrates the typical bibliography style: an introduction and overview of ...

From continuing discussions of Brexit, to the Paris Agreement withdrawal announcement, to concerns over the legality of U.S. airstrikes in Syria, international law is a frequent topic in the news lately. If you'd like to learn more about international law, the Goodson Law Library's recently-updated International Law research guide recommends some good starting places. Just need to brush up on the basics? Try the Study Aids section for some titles like Understanding International Law and International Law: A Very Short Introduction . Want an explanation of core concepts? Check out the Treatises section for some seminal works from notable scholars. Need guidance in researching a specific international law topic? Try the Research Guides section, or explore the print and online series of Research Handbooks in International Law . The Goodson Law Library collection contains thousands of titles on international law topics; additional titles are available across campus, or e...

The 2013 and 2017 chemical weapon attacks on civilians in Syria have generated ongoing conversations about the role of international criminal courts in humanitarian crises. A new book in the Goodson Law Library, Christopher Rudolph's Power and Principle: The Politics of International Criminal Courts (KZ7230 .R83 2017), explores the history and politics behind international criminal courts, and their role in humanitarian law. To learn more about international criminal tribunals, check out the Goodson Law Library's recently-updated research guide to International Criminal Law . This brief guide links to print and electronic resources for researching the International Criminal Court and other specialized international criminal tribunals, as well as guidance for locating books and other materials in the Law Library's collection. A more extensive overview of online research resources for international criminal law can be found on the American Society for International Law...

Although arbitration is generally intended to be a less complex option for parties than litigation, researching arbitration decisions and practice can present unique challenges. Because arbitration decisions are often private, an estimated 90% of them are unavailable – and while the practice of citing to past arbitration decisions is cause for controversy, researchers sometimes need to track down past decisions, arbitrator profiles, or more information about arbitration practice. Reference Librarian Jane Bahnson has created a new research guide to Arbitration on the Goodson Law Library website. This guide compiles print and electronic sources for both domestic and international arbitration law and practice. Beginning with an overview of secondary sources, such as Elkouri & Elkouri's widely-cited How Arbitration Works , 7th ed. (KF3424 .E44 & online in Bloomberg Law ), the guide also describes nine major domestic and international arbitration organizations, such as the...

Need a quick overview of a country's law and practice on a particular topic? We've previously written about the helpfulness of Foreign Law Guide and GlobaLex as starting places to locate legal information from non-U.S. countries. A secondary source set which is frequently cited in those resources is the International Encyclopaedia of Laws (IEL) . IEL volumes are published for 25 topics, including Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Intellectual Property, Commercial and Economic Law, Sports Law, Competition (antitrust), and Environmental Law. Formerly available at Duke as looseleaf print publications (which are no longer updated at the Goodson Law Library), the series is maintained electronically for the Duke community and on-site visitors via the International Encyclopaedia of Laws database. (Individual IEL titles will also be directly linked in the Duke Libraries Catalog with a keyword search for the appropriate topic. For example, a catalog search for internat...

Yesterday, voters in the United Kingdom narrowly opted to leave the European Union , an unprecedented political move which set world markets on edge and prompted the immediate resignation announcement of Prime Minister David Cameron , who will step down in the fall. The contentious "Brexit" referendum's vote was split 51.9% to 48.1% across the UK, with a record-high 71.8% turnout. The BBC's information page contains interactive maps and breakdowns by geography and age groups. What happens now? At the moment, the referendum results are not legally binding until the UK invokes Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon . As Time notes , the UK Parliament could nullify the referendum if asked, although Cameron has stated that the choice of the voters will be honored. Because citizens of Scotland voted largely in favor of remaining, there is also a possibility that the Scottish independence movement will be revived in an effort to keep Scotland in the EU. It's estima...

Part II of “Remembering the Nuremberg Trials” by Reference Librarian Marguerite Most (see part I) introduces several documents which predated World War II and were cited by the victor allies to support the legitimacy of the trials, and continues with an introduction to the significance of the trials for international criminal law today.  Following the unconditional surrender of Germany in 1945 and the signing of the London Charter, the Nuremberg trials (formally known as the International Military Tribunal (IMT)) opened. The trials established a framework for what is now commonly understood to be " international criminal law ." But for nearly the entire seventy years since the Nuremberg trials ended in October 1946, lawyers and historians have discussed the repercussions of the trials as legal and historical precedent. Here is how Amnesty International explains the legacy. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum explains the significance of the trials here . Some le...