Introduction to the German and EU-legal system and basic research skills

In a more globalized world where legal frameworks do not stand apart any more and interact with other systems instead, it becomes more and more important to know about the set up and legal proceedings in other countries or continents. Especially the European Union as a political and economic bechmark gains more and more influence. This paper will present an overview over the German legal system and explain the basic research skills needed to access German law. In a second part, it will present some issues of EU law as well as the basic research skills needed to approach the EU legal system. It will also point out the main differences between the two legal systems. It will ease the access to understand the German and European legal system by providing basic knwoledge about the historical developments and about the legal methodological mode. It will provide precise tools to do legal research about the two systems, which can be used directly for a scientific approach.