Legal Research - LAWR I

Where to Start

Secondary sources are materials that discuss, explain, analyze, and critique the law. They discuss the law, but are not the law itself. Secondary sources, such as Law Journals, Encyclopedias, and Treatises are a great place to start your legal research.  Unlike primary materials (case law, statutes, regulations), secondary sources will help you learn about an area of law, and provide you with citations to relevant primary materials.

Encyclopedias

A legal encyclopedia is a comprehensive set of brief articles on legal topics.  It is arranged in alphabetical order, with an index generally included in the final volume.  Legal encyclopedias are a great place to start your research on a new topic since they offer a general introduction to a legal topic, and often include citations to cases and additional materials.

The two main legal encyclopedias are:

Dictionaries and Reference Tools

The following sources will assist you with finding the meanings and usage of legal terms and abbreviations:

Treatises

Legal treatises provide a scholarly and in-depth treatment of a legal subject. They often clarify significant concepts in the area of the law covered by the treatise and provide citations to pertinent cases and other primary materials.  Treatises may be obtained via interlibrary loan.

Law Journals and Periodicals

Law Journals are scholarly publications covering the legal field.  They publish articles that are comprehensive studies of current topics in law, generally written by law professors and practitioners.  The articles generally contain substantial citations to primary and secondary sources on the topic, which may lead you to additional information on the subject.

Electronic Journals:

Electronic version of journals may be reached through the Wilson Library using the "Journal" icon, then selecting a field.

Indexes:

Indexes give access to multidisciplinary sources.  Use the"search box to search for "Legal Indices" .

(Courtesy of LibGuides at New York University Library, accessed 1/16/23)

Other Secondary Sources of Law

Below are several additional sources of secondary sources of law:

• Witkin (Westlaw™ and Lexis™)
  • Summary of California Law 
  • California Procedure
  • California Criminal Law
  • California Evidence
• Rutter Group (Westlaw™)
  • Practice Guides
    • Civil Procedure Befoer Trial
    • Civil Procedure During Trial
    • Employment Litigation
    • Landlord-Tenant
  • Expert Series
    • California Criminal Law
    • California Criminal Procedure
• CEB (Continuing Education of the Bar)
  • Practice Guides
    • Over 130 titles in 11 subject areas (including criminal law, estate planning, business law, torts, etc.)
  • Action guides
    • 24 titles in 5 subject areas (including civil litigation, estate planning, etc.)
  • OnLAW
    • Free access for one year after passing the bar exam

Matthew Bender (Lexis™)

• Major Treatises
  • California Criminal Defense Practice
• Form books
  • California Forms of Pleading and Practice
  • California Points and Authorities
• Practice guides
  • Matthew Bender Practice Guides (various topics)

• Legal Encyclopedia

  • California Jurisprudence 3d (Westlaw and Lexis)

• Major Treatises

  • Miller & Starr, California Real Estate (Westlaw™)

  • Marsh's California Corporation Law (Aspen), Available Law Library, Stacks ; KFC345 .M37 2000

• Practice Series

  • California Civil Practice (Westlaw™)