Law Research Guide: Treaties

Using the questions accompanying the table below, find a source that provides the information needed.

There are many other sources of treaties. Contact us for assistance.

Questions

1. Does the source only include treaties to which the U.S. is a party?
2. Does the source include the full-text of the treaty?
3. Does the source tell you whether the treaty is in force?
4. Years of treaties included in the source.

Other sources: U.S. a party

Treaty Documents, 81st-115th Congress (1949-2018)
"A Senate treaty document provides the text of the treaty as transmitted to the Senate, as well as the transmittal letter from the President, the submittal letter from the Secretary of State, and accompanying papers." "Treaty documents are available [...] for all treaties submitted to the Senate since the 94th Congress (1975-1976). Treaties submitted prior to the 94th Congress are included if they were pending in 1975."

Reference materials : U.S. a party

Finding Agreements, U.S. Dept. of State

U.S. Treaties: A Beginner’s Guide, Library of Congress

Restatement of the law, the foreign relations law of the United States
Main Libr KF4651 .R47 1987

Other reference materials

Parry & Grant encyclopaedic dictionary of international law

Encyclopedia of the United Nations and international agreements
Main Ref KZ4968 .O84 2003

National treaty law and practice, 2005. Treaty-making in: Austria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States.

Steps in the [international] treaty-making process, United Nations University.

Understanding Peace Treaties, Insights on Law and Society 13 (Spring 2013)

"Senate Executive Documents contain the text of a Treaty as it is submitted to the U.S. Senate for ratification by the President of the United States. Beginning with the 97th Congress in 1981, Executive Documents became known as Treaty Documents, and they are now numbered instead of lettered alphabetically." (FDsys)

"Senate Treaty Documents contain the text of a Treaty as it is submitted to the U.S. Senate for ratification by the President of the United States. Numbered consecutively from the 1st Session through the 2d Session of a Congress. Prior to the 97th Congress known as Executive (Lettered) Documents, and identified by letters of the alphabet." (FDsys)

"Senate Executive Reports: Reports of the Committee on Foreign Relations relating to Treaties between the United States and foreign nations, which have been submitted to the U.S. Senate for ratification, or are reports of various Senate Committees regarding nomination of individuals." (FDsys)