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This Checklist of resources sets out some of the issues when considering governing law and jurisdiction in the context of commercial contracts.

Governing law and jurisdiction clauses are categorised as boilerplate clauses in an agreement. For more information on boilerplate clauses, see: Boilerplate clauses—overview. For details about the role of boilerplate clauses and approaches to reviewing and drafting common boilerplate clauses, see Practice Note: The role of boilerplate.

A governing law clause (also known as an applicable law clause) is used to allow the parties to specify the substantive law that will apply to the interpretation of an agreement and, in the event of a dispute, in relation to it. For an example of a governing law clause, see Precedent: Governing law clause. The applicable law clause in a contract will usually be set out alongside a jurisdiction clause. It is important to note that jurisdiction and governing law are separate issues. 

A jurisdiction clause is necessary to allow the parties to specify the courts that are to have jurisdiction to hear disputes that arise