Research Tips for Jessup Moot Students at La Trobe University

1. latrobe.edu.au CRICOS Provider 00115M
Jessup Moot 2017 research skills
Clare O’Hanlon
Law Senior Learning Advisor (Library)

2. 2La Trobe University
The Jessup Moot
 Documents on:
• Working with the Compromis (2018- CASE CONCERNING THE EGART AND THE
IBRA )
• Researching International Law and more.
 First Batch of Basic Materials provided by ILSA
̶ UN Charter
̶ ICJ Statute
̶ Various recommended UN documents, cases and journal articles

3. 3La Trobe University
Image area
Mooting tips from new law graduate
• Read it on your own
• Read it together
• RESEARCH
• Rehearse
More tips:
http://aftersalazar.com/search?q=
mooting

4. 4La Trobe University
Start with primary sources
 Introduction to International Law pdf by Robert Beckman and Dagmar Butte
 2015 CIICJ Guide to the Philip C. Jessup Moot Court Competition
 United Nations Documents
 Treaties
 International Court of Justice decisions
̶ Permanent Court of International Justice
 The Jessup Mooting Subject Guide has all these links and more!
̶ http://latrobe.libguides.com/jessup

5. UN documents

6. 6La Trobe University
UN Documents: How to Read the abbreviations
Report of the UN Special Rapporteur of the Commission on
Human Rights 16.1.92 (E/CN.4/1992/26).

7. 7La Trobe University
UN Documents: How to Read the abbreviations
Report of the UN Special Rapporteur of the Commission on
Human Rights 16.1.92 (E/CN.4/1992/26).

8. 8La Trobe University
E/CN.4/Sub.2/2003/38/Rev.2
Economic and Social Council
Commission on Human Rights
Subcommission on the Promotion
and Protection of Human Rights
Year
Document no. 38, revision no. 2

9. 9La Trobe University
UN Documents: How to Find Them
Databases Tab: UN Documentation Centre
If you have a United Nations Document Symbol,
 Search by the symbol
 Add the symbol after the following url: http://undocs.org/.
̶ http://undocs.org/A/RES/67/1 = pdf of the Resolution adopted by the General
Assembly on 24 September 2012

10. 10La Trobe University
Image area
UN Documents: How to Find Them
If you don’t have a UN Number.
 Search via the UN ODS (Official
Document System) Search
̶ The keyword search can also be
used to input a symbol
number, with the slashes (/).
̶ Use the advanced search to
search by key words or phrases.
 Example:
̶ A/71/342
̶ Report of the International
Criminal Court : Note/By the
Secretary-General

11. 11La Trobe University
UN Research Guides
 Guides to Resources available via the UN Library.
 Contains useful overviews- but we may not have everything!!
̶ Legal Research Resources: http://research.un.org/en/legal
̶ UN Documentation: International Law:
http://research.un.org/en/docs/law?hs=a
̶ UN Documentation: International Court of Justice:
http://research.un.org/c.php?g=98280

12. 12La Trobe University
UN Treaty Collection
Databases Tab: UN Treaty Collection.
 Go to Depositary
 Search by:
̶ Title
̶ Full Text
̶ Participants

13. 13La Trobe University
Other Places for Treaty Information
 Hein Online United Nations Law Collection
̶ This collection contains exact reproductions of major United Nations legal
publications, including the complete collection of the United Nations Treaty Series,
the League of Nations Treaty Series, the Monthly Statement of Treaties &
International Agreements, UNCITRAL Publications, UNIDIR Publications, the United
Nations Legislative Series and much more. Finding Aids and additional features
make it easy to pull up a UN Treaty by entering a UNTS Citation, search for a UN
Treaty, and link to law review articles that cite a UN Treaty
 Hein Online World Treaty Library
̶ This collection brings together Rohn, Dumont, Bevans, Martens, League of Nations,
United States, and United Nations treaties into one easy-to-use and fully searchable
database. Search a comprehensive treaty index by keywords, title, parties, sign date
or citation. Also included are hundreds of related treaty publications, scholarly
articles chosen by our editors, and a bibliography of related publications.
 Worldlii: International Treaties Collection: http://www.worldlii.org/int/special/treaties/

14. International court decisions and cases

15. 15La Trobe University
International Court of Justice Decisions
 ICJ Homepage: http://www.icj-cij.org
 Publications of the Permanent Court of International Justice (1922-1946)
 Latest Judgments, Advisory opinions and Orders by chronological order and by State
 Decisions
̶ via Lexis Nexis.com: Via Database
̶ Via Worldlii : http://www.worldlii.org/int/cases/ICJ/
Other International Court Decisions (see Oxford Reports)
 Wordlii International Courts and Tribunals Collection
http://www.worldlii.org/int/cases/

16. 16La Trobe University
Oxford Public International Law Database
 Max Planck Encyclopaedia on International Law
 Oxford Reports on International Law (browse or search)
̶ Oxford Reports on International Law in Domestic Courts (ILDC)
̶ Oxford Reports on International Criminal Law (ICL)
̶ Oxford Reports on International Human Rights Law (IHRL)
̶ Oxford Reports on International Investment Claims (IIC)
̶ Oxford Reports on International Courts of General Jurisdiction (ICGJ)
• Oxford Law Citator (related items and relationships)

17. Secondary sources

18. 18La Trobe University
Finding books and ebooks
 Library Search
• CCH Ebooks- Texts from Kluwer Law International and Lexis Nexis Australia
• Collected Courses of the Hague Academy of International Law (Brill)
• Brill International Law E-Books
 Oxford Public International Law:
̶ Oxford Scholarly Authorities on International Law (Online Books)
(Browse by book title or subject)
o Brierly's Law of Nations: An Introduction to the Role of International Law in
International Relations, Andrew Clapham (ed)
o Diplomatic Law: Commentary on the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic
Relations, Professor Eileen Denza
o The International Law of Occupation, Eyal Benvenisti

19. 19La Trobe University
Secondary Sources: Journal Articles and Databases Coverage
AGIS
APAIS
Lexis.com: US & Canada
Lexis.com: UK
Index to Legal Periodicals

20. 20La Trobe University
Secondary Sources- Journal Articles via Databases
Index to Legal Periodicals (Ebsco)
Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals (Hein online)
 Use general search principles:
̶ Quotation marks: “united nations” for phrase searching
̶ Asterisk: state* for truncation- finds state, states, statehood etc..
̶ The Near operator (N#): finds words near each other regardless of word order.
o E.g.. legal N5 principles will find legal principles as well as principles of
legal reform.
̶ The Within Operator: (W#) - finds words in the order in which you entered
them.
o In the above example using W4 would find legal principles but not
principles of legal reform.
̶ Subject headings of articles help you gather related articles on a particular
topic or concept

21. 21La Trobe University
Additional Secondary Sources
Databases
 Westlaw
 Lexis.com
 Proquest Central
Newspapers
 Factiva
NOTE: We may not hold all the articles in these indexes in Full Text.
Clicking on the Find Full Text at Latrobe link next to the article may bring it up or
check if we hold the article by looking for the Journal in the Library Search Journals
Tab.

22. 22La Trobe University
Search Strategy: Extra Hints
Build on your search strategy based on previous search results
• Identify key words, organisations, rules, principles and references
• Keep a record of previous searches to help you manage your search strategy and
results
Use Subject headings to:
• Gather together related items
• Find alternative keywords and concepts you may not have thought to use
Start with a reference that is highly relevant to your research
Gather, search, scan and aggregate related references by chaining:
• backward chaining: reach into the past to find citations before a particular relevant
reference (i.e. in its bibliography/reference list) and add new links to your chain of
information
• forward chaining: look up the reference in Web of Science and/or Google Scholar to
find articles that have cited it and bring your research from the past to the present

23. Thank you
latrobe.edu.au CRICOS Provider 00115M
Further help and clareification
In person: Library Help Desk at your campus library
Phone Ask La Trobe: 1300 La Trobe (1300 52 87623)
• Achieve @ Uni:
www.latrobe.edu.au/students/support/achieve
 Law Expert help guide
 Jessup Moot Expert help guide and Mooting
Resources
Your online library:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/library
Your senior learning advisors
Clare O’Hanlon:
C.OHanlon@latrobe.edu.au
Melissa Spain
M.Spain@latrobe.edu.au