Institute of International Commercial Law (IICL)

Founded in 1991, the Pace Law School Institute of International Commercial Law has played an instrumental role in the evolution of international commercial law and international arbitration by creating the award-winning CISG Database, founding the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot and participating as an NGO at UNCITRAL for the creation of legal instruments to support online dispute resolution systems for cross-border e-commerce trade.

CISG Database – Setting the Standard

Built on the philosophy that universally-free access to legal information contributes to peaceful cooperation among trading partners and countries, the Pace CISG Database offers the most current and comprehensive collection of information on the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), the law governing commercial transactions among the majority of the world’s trading nations. Our electronic library includes:

• Identification of States that have adopted the CISG;
• Texts of the CISG in a variety of languages;
• Volumes of material on the CISG’s legislative history;
• A bibliography on International Contract Law, containing over 9,800 entries;
• Over 1,500 full-texts of monographs, commentaries and books on International Contract Law;
• Over 2,850 CISG case law presentations (including over 1,500 translations);
• Annotated CISG text pages;
• Guides for managers and counsel;
• Links to the Autonomous Network of CISG Databases; and
• Links to related international commercial law sites

Vis Moot – The World’s Meeting Place

The International Commercial Arbitration Moot, named after the Institute’s first Director, Willem C. Vis and Eric Bergsten, Professor Emeritus at Pace Law School, is a staple in the training of law students in international sales law and international commercial arbitration around the world, as well as a professional networking event for persons in both fields of law.

Beyond the Database and Moot

Building on these successful programs, the Pace Institute of International Commercial Law continues to contribute to the landscape of teaching and scholarship in international commercial law and international commercial arbitration through its sponsorship and initiative in the creation of the following programs:

• Online Certificate Program on International Commercial Law and International Dispute Resolution;
• Clive M. Schmitthoff International Essay Competition (with the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary College, University of London);
• CISG Advisory Council (co-sponsored with the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary College);
• International Law Project (with UNCITRAL and the Moot Alumni Association);
• CISG Case Translation Program (with the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary College);
• Initiative to create the Global Principles of International Consumer Contracts;
• Texts on International Commercial Law published under the auspices of the Institute;
• International Commercial Law Lectures (with the Pace International Law Society);
• Lexical Initiative for International Commerce (LIIC)
• Guided research projects and summer externship program;
• Continuing legal education programs.

For further information contact:
Institute of International Commercial Law
Student Life Center - Room 104
Pace Law School
78 North Broadway
White Plains, NY 10603
(914) 422-4002
vrogers@law.pace.edu