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Wills and Trusts: Case Law Research

Resources on various topics in wills and trusts,

American Law Reports (ALR) annotations

ALR annotations provide a comprehensive summary of the case law on a particular topic.  Because they provide citations to cases in multiple jurisdictions, annotations are often a good starting point for finding primary authority.

ALR annotations have been issued in eight series, including two series that only deal with issues of federal law. All series are available in the basement of the law library.  For more assistance locating ALR annotations in print ask a librarian.

ALR annotations are also available through Westlaw (ALR) and Lexis - LEDALR.  Additionally, Westlaw has an ALR database specifically tailored to Estate Planning and Probate (ALR-EPP).     

Case Law Database - Westlaw

Westlaw and Lexis both offer databases of case decisions that specifically address will, trust and estate planning.