International Law — an Online Library and a Conference

The wonderful folks at AustLII, that powerhouse in the legal information institute movement, have just launched their International Law Library on WorldLII. From the press release [PDF]:

The International Law Library contains over 80,000 searchable documents for free access. This includes over 25,000 decisions of International Courts and Tribunals, over 30,000 treaties and international agreements (including the League of Nations and UN Treaty Series), international law journals and law reform materials. These materials cannot be jointly searched elsewhere on the Internet. AustLII’s LawCite citator tracks where international cases, treaties and law journal articles have been cited.

(A cavil: When there’s a pause in the splendid development of free online legal resources, most of the LIIs should spend some time improving the design of their sites. They’re simply too, too Neilsen: it’s not necessary to look like 1958 in order to be taken seriously, or, more important, to be usable by everyone.)

When you’ve brushed up on your international law, head on over to the International Bar Association Conference that’s taking place in Vancouver on October 3-8, 2010. The rainy season won’t have started then, so you’ll be able to enjoy some of that city’s spectacular scenery. If you’re interested, you can download the program in PDF.