For attorneys, paralegals, and legal secretaries, legal research is the foundation of effective advocacy and case preparation. Understanding the hierarchy of legal authority, research workflows, and verification methods ensures accuracy, efficiency, and credibility in practice.

Understanding the Sources of Law

1. Constitutions & Statutes (Legislation)

• Constitutions set the framework of government and guarantee fundamental rights.
• Statutes, enacted by federal and state legislatures, are binding rules of law.
• Resources: 
  • S. Constitution (National Archives)
    
  • S. Code (Office of the Law Revision Counsel)
    
  • Cornell Legal Information Institute – Statutes
    

2. Regulations (Administrative Law)

• Federal agencies implement statutes through regulations.
• Published first in the Federal Register, then codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
• Resources: 
  • Federal Register (Office of the Federal Register/NARA)
    
  • Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
    

3. Case Law (Judicial Opinions)

• Courts interpret statutes and regulations through written decisions.
• Precedent ensures consistency—lower courts must follow higher court rulings in their jurisdiction.
• Resources: 
  • S. Supreme Court Opinions
    
  • Google Scholar – Case Law
    
  • Justia – U.S. Case Law
    

4. Secondary Sources

• Provide context, explanation, and analysis.
• Examples: treatises, law review articles, legal encyclopedias, and dictionaries.
• Resources: 
  • Legal Information Institute – Wex Legal Dictionary/Encyclopedia
    
  • American Bar Association – Law Review Finder
    
  • HeinOnline Law Journal Library (subscription, some free access)
    

5. Citators (Shepardizing / KeyCite)

• Citators confirm whether a case or statute is still valid law.
• They highlight the negative or positive treatment of prior rulings.
• Resources: 
  • Shepard’s Citations (LexisNexis – subscription)
    
  • KeyCite (Westlaw – subscription)
    
  • Casetext (alternative legal research platform)
    

6. Public Law Libraries

• Provide free or low-cost access to both primary and secondary legal resources.
• Often staffed with law librarians who can assist researchers.
• Resources: 
  • Law Library of Congress
    
  • Directory of Public Law Libraries (American Association of Law Libraries)
    
  • State-by-State Law Library Directory (PublicLibraries.com)
    

Key Steps in the Legal Research Process

Define the Legal Issue & Jurisdiction

• Narrow your focus by jurisdiction.
• Resource: Georgetown Law Research Guide – Jurisdiction
  

Use Secondary Sources for Context

• They provide commentary and direct you to controlling authorities.
• Resource: Cornell LII – Wex Encyclopedia
  

Dive Into Primary Sources

• Access statutes, regulations, and cases through official databases.
• Resource: gov (U.S. Government Publishing Office)
  

Apply Effective Search Techniques

• Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), phrase searching, and filters.
• Resource: Boolean Searching Explained – Library of Congress
  

Verify Current Validity

• Ensure your cases/statutes are still good law.
• Resource: KeyCite vs. Shepard’s Comparison (Law Library of Congress)
  

Organize Findings

• Keep structured notes and organize authorities logically.
• Resource: ABA – Effective Legal Writing & Research Tips
  

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