TCSS 325 Computers, Ethics, and Society: Legal
Search Tip
One of the best ways to find case laws or statutes - particularly when you are unfamiliar with an area of law - is to find a relevant secondary source. Examples can include:
- Law review articles. Examples include the Washington Law Review and Washington University Law Review.
- Legal encyclopedias. Examples include American Jurisprudence and Corpus Juris Secundum (available at the Pierce County Law Library). UWT does have access to West's Encyclopedia of American Law (linked from the Getting Started tab on our Business Law research guide).
- Handbooks/Guides. Examples include Consise Hornbooks and Nutshell Guides - overviews of a particular area of law with defintions and major cases.
When you start with a secondary source, you not only find case law and statutes, but also vocabulary that can significantly improve your searches. For example, when researching product liability, related terms might include "breach of warranty", "negligence", and "strict liability".
Books about getting started in legal research
Find Law Review Articles
- Hein Online This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Full text access to legal journals. Includes the "Washington Law Review" from 1925-2009.
Web resources for getting started in legal research
- What you always wanted to know about legal research but were afraid to ask.The UWT Library doesn't have access to everything mentioned on this page (e.g. Westlaw). However, there are some great tips on finding information as well as very useful resources that you may be able to request through interlibrary loan or see in print at the Pierce County Law Library.
- The Nolo Everybody's Legal GlossaryPlain english definitions for hundreds of legal terms.
- West's Encyclopedia of American Law [UW restricted]Good place to start if you need background information on a legal topic.