Who Supports CoLD?

  • Swiss National Science Foundation: “The Hague Principles and Beyond”, Project No. 179515 (2018–2021)
  • Forschungskommission der Universität Luzern: Start up funding (2022)
  • Swiss National Science Foundation: “Choice of Law Dataverse: promoting transparency and access in private international law data”, Project No. 215469 (2023-2026)
  • Provost's administrative support, University of Lucerne (2023-2026)

Contributing to the Project

This project relies on the collaboration of qualified legal specialists and interested contributors worldwide to ensure the accuracy, relevance, and depth of its content. There are several ways in which you can participate, depending on your background and expertise.

Who Can Contribute?

We welcome contributions from individuals with a solid academic or professional grounding in private international law, particularly in the area of choice of law. The following profiles are especially encouraged to contribute:

  • Legal practitioners with experience in private international law, particularly those handling cross-border disputes involving choice of law issues.
  • PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scholars conducting research in the field of private international law.
  • Law professors and academic experts with publications in private international law or comparative law.

Familiarity with choice of law theory and practice is expected, though domain-specific knowledge of a particular jurisdiction is also highly valued.

How Can You Contribute?

  • Become a peer reviewer: Peer reviewers can validate existing datapoints, suggest refinements, and help ensure the methodological robustness of the database.
  • Contribute with new data: Add new datapoints (e.g., answers, legislation, case law, or literature); translate or summarize key provisions or decisions into English where appropriate.

Students and Volunteers

If you are a law student at undergraduate or master's level and are interested in contributing, we encourage you to reach out. While student contributions are not peer-reviewed in the same manner, we will work with you to find a suitable format for involvement. In most cases, this will involve coordination with a local specialist or academic to ensure the integrity of the data and the accuracy of regional input. This is a valuable opportunity to engage with cross-border legal issues, build academic networks, and contribute meaningfully to a global project.

Open to All: Literature and Case Law Suggestions

Anyone is welcome to suggest new literature or case law entries for inclusion in the Dataverse.

How to Be Recognized as a Country Report Specialist

Contributors who demonstrate sustained involvement and jurisdiction-specific expertise may be acknowledged as Country Report Specialists on the platform. To qualify for the specialist status, you should meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • Answer thematic questions for your jurisdiction, particularly in areas where no data is currently available.
  • Provide an in-depth case law analysis for a landmark or representative decision that is either absent from the Dataverse or lacking meaningful commentary.
  • Draft a jurisdiction summary or a case law differentiator that highlights key features or interpretative trends specific to your jurisdiction. Recognition as a Country Report Specialist includes visible credit on the platform, citation of your contributions, and potential invitations to participate in future academic or collaborative initiatives.

Please feel free to get in touch if you are interested in contributing or have questions about how your expertise can be integrated into the project.