Getting Started
International Arbitration Research
This is a guide to international commercial and investment arbitration research at the Harvard Law School Library.
The content of this guide is on a single page. To search for a term in the guide, use CTRL+F. To navigate through the guide, use the links on the left.
If you have questions about this guide or need research help, please visit https://asklib.law.harvard.edu/index.php.
Note: If you're interested in researching mediation, negotiation, court-connected ADR, and restorative justice, the law library also has a general alternative dispute resolution (ADR) research guide. It is available at https://guides.library.harvard.edu/law/adr.
QUICK LINKS
Below are quick links to some of our most popular resources for arbitration research.
Arbitration Terminology
Arbitration Terminology
Below are links to information about words or phrases that often appear in the arbitration literature. Terms listed include those used in the following types of arbitration, both of which are covered in this guide:
- Investment arbitration: resolving a dispute between a private investor and a state
- Commercial arbitration: resolving a dispute between two private parties that have entered into a commercial contract with each other
A variety of types of sources are linked to, including legal dictionaries, introductory treatises, and official websites of relevant organizations.
HOLLIS Searching
Using the Harvard Library Catalog, HOLLIS, for Arbitration Research
Access to all sources listed in this guide is available through the HOLLIS library catalog at https://hollis.harvard.edu, which you can use to search for books, journal articles, and more. Limit search results by resource type, library location, and more using the options on the right side of the search results screen.
Searching HOLLIS
Below is a list of pre-populated HOLLIS searches that are relevant for international arbitration research. Click a link to view its search results in HOLLIS. Note that most of these searches are very broad, so you will probably want to limit the search results by date, additional keywords, or other options.
Browsing Materials in HOLLIS by Library of Congress Call Number
Books in our library are organized on the shelves by subject and classified according to the Library of Congress call number system. Under this system, all books that are primarily about law have a call number that starts with the letter "K." If the book is mainly about international arbitration, then its call number will begin with "K2400."
In HOLLIS, you can browse books by call number. Click the link below to browse the K2400 books in HOLLIS.
Using HOLLIS to Find Papers on Arbitration Written by HLS LLM and SJD Students
To view a list of papers on the topic of arbitration in the library's collection written by HLS LLM and SJD students, click the link below to run the appropriate search in HOLLIS:
Title = "Harvard Law School Thesis" AND Keywords anywhere = "arbitration"
Databases
Subscription Databases for Arbitration Research
Below is a list of subscription databases that are helpful for arbitration research, organized alphabetically. For each database, a link to its HOLLIS record, which include a link to its Harvard-specific URL, is provided, along with a brief description of its content.
- Global Arbitration Review (GAR)"International journal of public and private arbitration."
- HeinOnlineHeinOnline provides comprehensive coverage of more than 2,600 law-related periodicals. It also contains materials related to treaties, constitutions, case law, world trials, classic treatises, international trade, foreign relations, and more.
- Investment Arbitration Reporter (IAReporter)Investment Arbitration Reporter is a news & analysis service tracking international arbitrations between foreign investors and sovereign governments.
- Investor-State Law GuideInvestor-State Law Guide provides access to all materials relevant to publicly available ICSID, NAFTA and ad hoc tribunal decisions. Note that you may experience access problems for this database if you are using a Google Chrome browser.
- Jus MundiSearch engine for international law and arbitration -- includes extensive database of arbitral awards and citator functionality.
- KluwerArbitrationKluwerArbitration is the world's leading online resource for international arbitration research. It contains a wealth of commentary from expert authors and an extensive collection of primary source materials, including ICC materials.
- Oxford Reports on International LawIncludes two modules: International Law in the EU Courts and International Trade Law Decisions.
- WestlawIn the search box on the Westlaw homepage, type "International Arbitration Materials" and select the corresponding link when it comes up in the drop-down menu. Content: cases, awards, rules, conventions, legislation, model laws, guides, model clauses, treatises, journals, and current awareness.
- WorldTradeLaw.netProvides summary and analysis of all WTO reports and arbitrations; a current keyword index; a database of dispute settlement tables and statistics; and a user-friendly search tool for WTO cases, legal texts, and other documents.
Books & Treatises
General Arbitration Research: Books/Treatises
Below are selected secondary sources that discuss international arbitration in general. They may provide a good basic overview for your research.
- The Complete (But Unofficial) Guide to the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot byPublication Date: 2015 (3rd ed.)
- The Culture of International Arbitration byPublication Date: 2017
- Domke on Commercial Arbitration byPublication Date: 2003-
- The Evolution of International Arbitration: Judicialization, Governance, Legitimacy byPublication Date: 2017
- Foreign Investment Law Including Investor-State Arbitrations in a Nutshell byPublication Date: 2022
- The Functions of Arbitral Institutions byPublication Date: 2016
- International Arbitration: A Practical Guide byPublication Date: 2019 (2nd ed.)
- International Arbitration: Law and Practice byPublication Date: 2016 (2nd ed.)
- International Commercial Arbitration byPublication Date: 2014 (2nd ed.)
- International Commercial Arbitration: A Transnational Perspective byPublication Date: 2019 (7th ed.)
- International Investment Arbitration: Substantive Principles byPublication Date: 2017 (2nd ed.)
- National Arbitration Laws byPublication Date: 2010 (2nd ed., looseleaf)
- The Principles and Practice of International Commercial Arbitration byPublication Date: 2017 (3rd ed.)
- Private International Law and Arbitration (v. 1) byPublication Date: 2018
- Redfern and Hunter on International Commercial Arbitration byPublication Date: 2015 (6th ed.)Note: This is also available as an eBook through KluwerArbitration..
- UCIA -- Universal Citation in International Arbitration byPublication Date: 2023 (2nd ed.)
- The World Arbitration Reporter: International Encyclopedia of Arbitration Law and Practice byPublication Date: 2010- (Looseleaf)
Arbitration Book Series
Academic publishers sometimes issue a series of books about a particular subject, and there are a few series devoted to arbitration. To search HOLLIS by series title, click its corresponding link below.
Selected Topics in Arbitration: Books/Treatises
- Addressing Corruption Allegations in International Arbitration byPublication Date: 2019
- Arbitration and Contract Law: Common Law Perspectives byPublication Date: 2016
- Arbitration in the Digital Age: The Brave New World of Arbitration byPublication Date: 2018
- The CISG Advisory Council Opinions byPublication Date: 2017
- Contributory Fault and Investor Misconduct in Investment Arbitration byPublication Date: 2019
- Cross-Examination in International Arbitration: Nine Basic Principles byPublication Date: 2014
- Good Faith in International Investment Arbitration byPublication Date: 2019
- Guerrilla Tactics in International Arbitration byPublication Date: 2013
- The Guide to Challenging and Enforcing Arbitration Awards byPublication Date: 2019
- The Guide to Damages in International Arbitration byPublication Date: 2018 (3rd ed.)
- Hardship and Force Majeure in International Commercial Contracts: Dealing with Unforeseen Events in a Changing World byPublication Date: 2019Note: This is also available as an eBook through KluwerArbitration..
- Injunctive Relief and International Arbitration byPublication Date: 2015
- International Arbitration and Forum Selection Agreements: Drafting and Enforcing byPublication Date: 2016 (5th ed.)
- Interpretation of Contracts in Comparative and Uniform Law byPublication Date: 2019Note: This is also available as an eBook through KluwerArbitration..
- Jurisdiction, Admissibility, and Choice of Law in International Arbitration: Liber Amicorum Michael Pryles byPublication Date: 2018Note: This is also available as an eBook through KluwerArbitration.
- Party-Appointed Arbitrators in International Commercial Arbitration byPublication Date: 2016Note: This is also available as an eBook through KluwerArbitration..
- Pleading in Arbitration: A Practitioner's Guide byPublication Date: 2017
- The Powers and Duties of an Arbitrator: Liber Amicorum Pierre A. Karrer byPublication Date: 2017
- Rules of Evidence in International Arbitration: An Annotated Guide byPublication Date: 2019 (2nd ed.)
- The Use of Economics in International Trade and Investment Disputes byPublication Date: 2017
- What Counsel in Arbitration Can Do, Must Do, or Must Not Do byPublication Date: 2015
Arbitration in the International Legal Order: Books/Treatises
The books listed below focus more on international law generally and include one or more chapters or sections specifically dedicated to arbitration.
- Building a Treaty on Business and Human Rights: Context and Contours byPublication Date: 2017
- Critical International Law: Postrealism, Postcolonialism, and Transnationalism byPublication Date: 2014
- Irresolvable Norm Conflicts in International Law: The Concept of a Legal Dilemma byPublication Date: 2017
- Principles of International Economic Law byPublication Date: 2016 (2nd ed.)
- Reconceptualising the Rule of Law in Global Governance, Resources, Investment, and Trade byPublication Date: 2016
- Transnational Commercial Law byPublication Date: 2019
Journals
Arbitration Journals
- Journals in KluwerArbitrationArbitraje: Revista de Arbitraje Comercial y de Inversiones, ASA Bulletin, Asian Dispute Review, Asian International Arbitration Journal, Belgian Review of Arbitration, BCDR International Arbitration Review, Indian Journal of Arbitration Law, International Commercial Arbitration Review, International Journal of Arab Arbitration, Journal of International Arbitration, Revista Brasileira de Arbitragem, Review de l'Arbitrage, and Spain Arbitration Review
- Journals in Kluwer Law OnlineIncludes Arbitration, ASA Bulletin, Asian International Arbitration Journal, Journal of International Arbitration, Revue de l'arbitrage, World Trade and Arbitration Materials, and more.
Online Sources
Online Sources for General Arbitration Research
Treaties
Arbitration Treaties
Print Sources
- International Arbitration Treaties byPublication Date: 2010- (Looseleaf)
- The World Arbitration Reporter: International Encyclopedia of Arbitration Law and Practice byPublication Date: 2010- (Looseleaf)
Electronic Sources
- International Arbitration: Treaties (Westlaw)Coverage begins with 1952 (Europe), 1992 (NAFTA), and 1994 (GATT).
Rules
Arbitration Rules
Print Sources
- Analytical Commentary to the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules byPublication Date: 2013
- Arbitrating under the 2014 LCIA Rules: A User's Guide byPublication Date: 2015Note: This is also available as an eBook through KluwerArbitration.
- Arbitration Rules -- International Institutions byPublication Date: 2010 (3rd. ed., looseleaf)
- A Commentary on the LCIA Arbitration Rules 2014 byPublication Date: 2015
- Comparison of International Arbitration Rules byPublication Date: 2013 (4th ed.)
- A Guide to the HKIAC Arbitration Rules byPublication Date: 2017
- A Guide to the ICDR International Arbitration Rules byPublication Date: 2019
- A Guide to the SIAC Arbitration Rules byPublication Date: 2018 (2nd ed.)
- Institutional Arbitration: Article-by-Article Commentary byPublication Date: 2013Coverage: ICC rules -- DIS rules -- Vienna rules -- Swiss rules -- LCIA rules -- MKAS rules -- CIETAC rules -- SIAC rules -- KLRCA rules -- IAR -- SCC rules -- DIAC rules -- ICSID rules -- UNCITRAL rule
- The UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules: A Commentary byPublication Date: 2013
Electronic Sources
Awards and Proceedings
Arbitration Awards and Other Proceeding Documents
Arbitration awards and documents related to arbitration proceedings can be notoriously difficult to find. Below is a list of options you can try. To suggest other sources that are not listed below, please contact research@law.harvard.edu.
- ASA Bulletin (Kluwer Law International)This publication from the Swiss Arbitration Association includes arbitral awards and orders under various auspices including ICC, ICSID, and the Swiss Chambers of Commerce (“Swiss Rules”).
- Case Law on UNCITRAL Texts (CLOUT)This is a system for collecting and disseminating information on court decisions and arbitral awards relating to the Conventions and Model Laws that have emanated from the work of the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).
- CISG Database (Pace Law School Institute of International Commercial Law)Free electronic database that includes cases/awards on the CISG; can be searched or browsed by country. Also includes a UNCITRAL case digest.
- FINRA Arbitration Awards OnlineFINRA's Arbitration Awards database enables users to perform Web-based searches for FINRA and historical NASD arbitration awards free of charge, seven days a week. Also available through the site are historical awards for New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.
- History and Digest of the International Arbitrations to Which the United States Has Been a Party6-volume historical treatise and reporter by John Bassett Moore, published in the late 1800s and available through HeinOnline.
- ICC Court of Arbitration BulletinIncludes excerpts from ICC arbitral awards, official notes, reports and guidelines on dispute resolution practice and procedure, statistics, news, and articles by eminent arbitration specialists.
- ICSID Arbitration Cases DatabaseIncludes more than 700 cases; filtering options include case status, case type, applicable rules, stage of proceeding, dispute subject, and more.
- International Arbitration Forum Database - AwardsEstablished in 2008, one of the biggest free online databases for lawyers and scholars seeking articles and cases related to international arbitration. Search here for arbitration awards.
- International Investment Arbitration and Public Policy (IIAPP)Includes a searchable database of investment treaty cases up to May 2010.
- International Legal Materials (ILM)ILM is a publication of the American Society for International Law. It publishes legal documents from various courts and tribunals around the world, including arbitral organizations like the ICSID arbitral tribunal.
- Investor-State Law GuideInvestor-State Law Guide provides access to all materials relevant to publicly available ICSID, NAFTA and ad hoc tribunal decisions. Note that you may experience access problems for this database if you are using a Google Chrome browser.
- ITALAWFree online current awareness service for arbitration awards, decisions, and materials.
- Jus MundiIncludes arbitration awards from multiple international tribunals.
- KluwerArbitrationKluwerArbitration includes an extensive database of arbitration awards issued by international arbitration tribunals, including the ICC, ICSID, ICDR, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, LCIA, Cour Permanente d'Arbitrage, AAA, and many more.
- Lloyd's Arbitration ReportsCoverage = 1988-1992.
- Oxford Public International Law Database: Arbitral CasesDatabase of more than 1,000 arbitral awards and decisions from various sources.
- Permanent Court of Arbitration -- CasesOnline database of cases heard by the PCA, including inter-state arbitrations and investor-state arbitrations.
- Reports of International Arbitral AwardsPublished by the United Nations. For more information about this resource, visit http://legal.un.org/riaa/.
- World Trade and Arbitration MaterialsIncludes reports of arbitration awards related to international trade; published several times a year.
New York Convention
New York Convention
Print Materials
- The 1958 New York Convention in Action byPublication Date: 2016Note: This is also available as an eBook through KluwerArbitration..
- Guide on the Convention on the the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards byPublication Date: 2017
Online / Electronic Sources
- http://newyorkconvention1958.org/This website was created to host information on the implementation of the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, signed in New York on 10 June 1958, with a view of promoting its uniform and effective application throughout the world. It provides access to the case-law from a number of jurisdictions on the application of the Convention by domestic courts as well as information on the ratification of the Convention by selected States.
Regional Materials
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