Getting Started in Secondary Sources
The following general resources provide a starting point for a legal research problem:
Legal Encyclopedias
Legal encyclopedias are like any other encyclopedia except their focus is on legal matters. Entries are arranged alphabetically by subject and are usually neutral in tone. They include citations to cases and other materials relevant to a particular issue.
There are two main encyclopedias:
1. American Jurisprudence
- American Jurisprudence 2d byCall Number: KF132 .L38 2dThis is the main encyclopedia that the Law Library has in print. It can be found in the basement or on Westlaw and Lexis.
- Westlaw - American Jurisprudence
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- LexisNexis - American Jurisprudence
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2. Corpus Juris Secundum
Although the Law Library does not keep CJS in print, we provide access to students through Westlaw:
- Westlaw- Corpus Juris Secundum
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Treatises and Loose-leaf Services
Treatises, or books, are explanations or discussion of points of law on a particular subject. Legal treatises range from multivolume, specialized texts to short single-volume works on specific issues. Different kinds of treatises have different purposes. Hornbooks, written primarily for law students, provide a detailed treatment of a particular subject area and generally contain summaries of landmark cases and other useful details. Other treatises serve as practitioners’ tools. They address realistic legal problems and often contain forms. Loose-leaf services are frequently updated tools specializing in a discrete area of law. Loose-leaf services often contain primary legal sources, finding aids, and secondary source material making them an invaluable resource for the topic they address.
American Law Reports
Like encyclopedia entries, American Law Reports (A.L.R.) annotations provide a neutral and in depth analysis of the law. A.L.R. annotations tend to discuss narrow legal topics in great detail. The entries tend to be fact- specific and often focus on rapidly developing or controversial areas of law. A.L.R. features commentary and discussion of reported cases on a particular subject.
- WestlawNext - American Law Reports
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- Lexis Advance - American Law Reports
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Law Review and Journal Articles
Law reviews are scholarly publications edited by law students in conjunction with faculty members. They contain articles and essays by professors and lawyers as well as comments, notes or developments in the law written by students. Law reviews may be dedicated to a particular topic or may publish the proceedings of a wide range of panels and symposia on current and developing issues. The value of law review or journal articles lies in the depth of critique and analysis of a specific topic and the extent of its references to other sources. [See Locating Journal Articles tab].