Legal Research
Basic legal research skills include finding cases, statutes, regulations, and secondary sources.
Secondary sources are often a good place to start because they give you an overview and cite primary sources, which are then easier to find.
Photo: Reference Area
Secondary Sources
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Secondary SourcesOverview of legal secondary sources, including treatises, study aids, periodical articles, encyclopedias, and American Law Reports.
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Books for NonlawyersBooks aimed at nonlawyers can provide a good entry to legal topics.
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Staying CurrentResources include newsletters, blogs, online alerts.
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Congressional Research Service ReportsReports and studies from a division of the Library of Congress.
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SSRNThe Social Science Research Network (SSRN) is an open-access repository where authors can post papers and researchers can find and download them.
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Statistics for Law & PolicySelective list of statistics sources.
Constitutions
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U.S. Constitution & Related SourcesResearch guide. Includes material for history of the Constitution (e.g., Federalist Papers).
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Washington State ConstitutionIntroduction to researching the state constitution.
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Washington State Constitution HistoryMaterials include The Journal of the Washington State Constitutional Convention, 1889, law review articles, and newspaper articles from 1889. Links to state constitutions that influenced Washington's framers.
Cases
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Court ReportersFederal, state, and regional reporters. Digests.
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Judicial Branch PublicationsFederal court publications. Focus on free online or UW-restricted resources.
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Other States' Primary Law SourcesPrimary law from states other than Washington.
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Court Briefs & Oral ArgumentsLibrary holdings and online sources for U.S. Supreme Court, 9th Circuit, Washington Supreme Court, and Washington Court of Appeals briefs and oral arguments.
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Tribal Court DecisionsPart of the Indian & Tribal Law guide.
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Civil ProcedureIncludes sources for the rules and rule history. Also: treatises, forms, practice materials.
Statutes & Legislation
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U.S. (Federal) Laws
United States Code and U.S. Statutes at Large. -
Legislative ProcessIncludes bill drafting, lobbying, and statutory interpretation.
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Finding Washington State Laws [Gallagher Law Library]Includes Revised Code of Washington, prior codes, session laws.
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Washington State Legislative HistoryIncludes print sources as well as free and commercial online sources.
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Other States' Primary Law SourcesPrimary law from states other than Washington.
Regulations & Administrative Materials
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U.S. Administrative Law Research
Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register, Agency Decisions. -
Washington State Administrative LawRegulatory process, Washington Administrative Code (WAC), Washington State Register, agency decisions.
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Professional ResponsibilityIncludes Rules of Professional Conduct, ethics opinions, treatises.
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Washington Attorney General OpinionsThis guide discusses how to find Attorney General opinions on the constitutional or legal questions relating to the duties of state officers.
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Washington Governor's Executive Orders & Related DocumentsExecutive orders, directives, proclamations.