Many people are intimidated
by the law and researching law topics, but you don't have to be. The purpose
of this guide is to help you get started while avoiding some of the pitfalls. Three things to keep
in mind when researching law:
Federal resources are much easier to find than state ones.
It's easier
to find something when you know what you're looking for. Before beginning your search, answer as many of the following as you can:
Do you have a citation? A citation is the most useful information you can have, because it's unique. To find citations of cases (e.g. 5 US 137), statutes (e.g. PL 101-336), or regulations (e.g. 26 CFR 1.10), try searching a encyclopedia, book, or journal article (see Step 2). It's much easier to do your research that way than to go into
a database and try to find a case or act with just a subject or topic in mind.
Are you looking for a case, a statute, or a regulation?
Is it federal or state? If state, which one?
If it's a case, what are the names of the parties? What was the date? What was the legal issue?
If it's a statute, does it have a popular name like the ADA or NET Act?
Step 2: Use an article,
book, or encyclopedia to identify cases and/or statutes.
If you aren't sure
what kind of case or statute (state or federal) you have, use one of the sources
listed on the "How to Read a Legal Citation" web pages for cases
or statutes.
Step 3: Use Westlaw Campus Research or other sources to locate cases, statutes, and regulations you've identified in Step 2.
To find cases, go to Westlaw. Click on the LAW tab. If you know the citation or name of the case, type
it into the boxes on the lefthand side of the main screen.
If you're going to search by subject, select "All Federal Cases", "Supreme Court Cases", or select a state.
Don't forget to put quotation marks around your search terms if you're using a phrase (ex: "intellectual property").
More on finding cases...
To find statutes, go to Westlaw, click on the LAW tab, and select "United States Code Annotated" or "State Codes" (then pick a state from the pull-down menu). More on finding statutes...
To find regulations, go to Westlaw, click on the LAW tab, and select "Code of Federal Regulations" or "State Administrative Codes" (then pick a state from the pull-down menu). More on finding regulations...
