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Researching the Law
Government Documents
Reference Materials
Journals
Databases
Selected Internet Resources
The Peterson Library has a wide array of resources for all areas of Connecticut legal research. This guide is partly an introduction to legal research and partly a selective bibliography of resources, both ours and useful Internet sources. The library guide on finding Federal Law and Legal Research may be useful in conjunction with this guide, especially as it deals with federal cases in Connecticut.
Some helpful links:
Proxy Connection (access databases from outside the library)
Library Guides (various subjects as well as research and style guides)
Interlibrary Loan Forms (for books and other materials that the MKP Library does not own)
For help with writing techniques for your research papers, contact the Center for Learning Resources Writing Lab, located in Maxcy Hall.
For help with your research at the library, visit us at the Information Desk, call us at 203-932-7189, or e-mail us: LibraryHelp@newhaven.edu.
Use the library catalog to find circulating and reference materials, including books, audio-visual holdings, government documents, and periodical titles (for periodical articles, see the Databases section). Our catalog uses the Library of Congress classification system and subject headings. LC assigns call numbers (letters and numerals) according to the book's primary subject. The J area is for political science and the K area is for law. Useful materials throughout the collection may also be found in other areas with differing primary subjects.
Quick search tips:
Truncate with ‘?': legis? will get legislating, legislation, legislative, etc.
Put phrases in " ": "legal research" or "legislative calendar," "constitutional law," etc.
Sort results by ‘Publish date descending' to get newest items at the top of the list.
Click on the ‘Bibliographic' tab to determine the LC subject headings for an item and then click on those headings as links to additional material with the same subject.
Always click on the ‘Linked Resources' tab to check for electronic access for single items. In multiple-result searches, the URL box at the right of the screen is a reminder to look for a web link on the next page or click on ‘Linked Resources.'
For additional search tips, consult the library guide on Using the UNH Library Catalog or our interactive catalog tutorial.
The "law" consists of two elements: statutory law, which derives from legislative and administrative bodies and includes constitutions, charters, statutes, ordinances, and administrative regulations, etc.; and case law, which derives from the judicial bodies and consists of decisions of courts and administrative agencies. To know the law on a given topic for a given jurisdiction, you must find all the relevant provisions in both categories.
This guide describes the types of source materials used in Connecticut legal research and lists publications and websites where these materials can be found. It is important to note that the paper resources we subscribe to are generally not as current as what is online, and that the older paper resources we retain are often updated through our electronic databases or online websites. Hard-bound volumes and sets are often updated by pamphlet supplements and/or "pocket parts." Look for the latter inside in the rear cover pocket in hard-bound volumes.
Many of your catalog searches will turn up listings of government documents. The Marvin K. Peterson Library has been a Federal Depository Library since 1971, and our collection of government documents includes a substantial number of legal resources.
While many documents still come in physical formats (paper, microfiche, CD-ROM), electronic versions are increasingly common. All currently received documents, and many of the older ones, will be found through library catalog searches. Look for the URL symbol or click on ‘Linked Resources' to check for the online availability of a particular item.
Documents received before 2000 (and not online) may be in print or microform in our documents collection. To use this collection, come to the Information Desk, where a staff member will assist you. We will retrieve documents for you, help you find documents not listed in our catalog, or direct you to other resources. For more detailed information about searching for government documents, please consult our guide on How to Find U.S.Government Documents, available online from our home page or in print at the Information Desk.
Statutory Law
Connecticut statutes are the laws enacted by the Connecticut General Assembly, which currently meets in its regular January-June annual session and is supplemented in some years by special sessions if ordered by the governor. Each law can be found through indexes either by the public or special act number or, more broadly, by subject, and is incorporated into the general statutes in its annual revision. Most all of the sources have indexes and/or citators which cross-reference citations. The most familiar name in publishing commercial citators is Shepard. Shepardizing® is the well-known term used for the process of validating and cross-referencing laws and court cases across multiple jurisdictions and agencies.§ Statutes
Public Acts and Special Acts.
[Cited by year and law number. Example: P.A. 04-204 (or) S.A. 05-27]
Once a bill passes both houses of the General Assembly, it is given an act number, which it keeps if it becomes law. Public acts are laws affecting everyone, while special acts deal with individual situations and have a limited focus. Information about newly passed laws is available at state law libraries and also on the General Assembly's website.Connecticut Public and Special Acts.
[Cited by year and law number. Example: P.A. 04-204 (or) S.A. 05-27]
Published annually, these volumes contains all public and special acts passed by the Connecticut General Assembly for the year, in numeric order by law number. Library has 1972 to present. Ref. KFC3625 .A253
For earlier years, consult: Public Acts of the State of Connecticut. Library has 1963-1971 [incomplete]. Ref. KFC3625 .A25;
and Special Laws of Connecticut/Connecticut Special Acts. Library has 1939-1971. Ref. KFC3625 .A252General Statutes of Connecticut.
[Cited by title and section. Example: C.G.S. 448-23]
Revised annually, this is the official edition of all state laws in force, and is arranged topically by titles. Includes a 3-volume subject index, various tables, and the constitutions of the United States and of Connecticut. Ref. KFC3630.1958.A223. Browse statutes or search statute text online.Connecticut General Statutes Annotated.
[Cited by title and section. Example: C.G.S.A. 448-23]
This is West Publishing's annotated edition of the general statutes, containing full text of state law, judicial opinions, analytical notes, references to historical sources, and parallel tables. Updated annually with pocket parts and supplementary pamphlets. Ref. KFC3630.1958.A43
Connecticut Legislative Service.
[Cited by year, act and bill number. Example: 2007 Conn. Legis. Serv. P.A. 07-70 (H.B. 6372)]
Pamphlets issued by West during each legislative session with the text of currently enacted public acts, tables and subject index to the acts. Functions as an updating service for Connecticut General Statutes Annotated. Ref. KFC3630.1958.A3
Connecticut Session Laws: Acts of the General Assembly.
[Cited by year and law number or page: Example: 2007 Conn. Sess. Laws P.A. 07-70 (or) 101 (for page number)]
Annual publication from West containing the laws passed in the current legislative session. Library has 2001-present. Ref. KFC3625 .A254Summary of Public Acts.
Annual publication from the General Assembly's Office of Legislative Research. Acts are arranged by legislative committee, with subject index.
Library has 1973-present [incomplete]. Ref. KFC3625 .A255§ Legislative History and Bill Tracking
The progress of a bill currently being considered by the General Assembly, as well as the legislative history of bills and laws introduced in previous years can be found primarily online at the General Assembly's website.§ Administrative Rules and Regulations
The publication and announcement procedure for changes to the administrative rules of the state are similar to the Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Proposed changes for public comment and official notice of adopted changes are published in the weekly Connecticut Law Journal (CLJ) loose-leaf service, which is indexed by subjects and agencies. Subsequently, the changes are incorporated into the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, which is arranged topically by titles like public health, public safety, motor vehicles, etc. The library does not currently receive either CLJ or the Regulations. The regulations and laws in a particular area are sometimes published as separately as codes, which are enforced by the state agency that governs them:
Connecticut State Building Code. Ref. KFC813.C7 2000. Also online from the Office of the State Building Inspector.Connecticut State Fire Safety Code. Ref. KF3975.A15 N37. Also online from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Connecticut Public Health Code. Ref. KFC3954.A334 A2 1992. Also online from the Department of Public Health.
For other law compilations by subject, check other agency websites, or search the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, which is called the Connecticut Administrative Code, online via WestLaw - see the Databases section.Case Law
State case law is a product of the state court system, which consists of three main divisions: (1) Superior Court (trial courts of original jurisdiction); (2) Appellate Court (intermediate jurisdiction) and the Connecticut Supreme Court (the appellate court of last resort). The tools below will help you find the text of particular cases and related discussions, and cases relating to a particular topic. The decisions of judges in court cases are recorded in paper "reporters" published by West as part of its National Reporter System and covering individual states and various regions of the country (e.g., New England Reporter, Atlantic Reporter, etc.). These cases are also found online via both LexisNexis and Westlaw. See the Databases section, below.
Supreme Court
Connecticut Reports.
[Cited by volume and page. Example: 246 Conn. 617]
Official version of Connecticut Supreme Court decisions, in the order in which they were decided. Each volume has a table of cases and subject index. The first appearance in print is through the loose-leaf pages in the Connecticut Law Journal and is followed by publication in bound volumes. Library has from 1814 to present. Ref. KFC3645 .A2 1963
For earlier cases see: Kirby's Reports. Ref. KFC3641 .A2 1962 (1785-1788); Root's Reports. Ref. KFC3642 .A2 1962 (1789-1798); and Day's Reports. Ref KFC3643 .A2 1962 (1802-1813).
Advance release opinions for both the Supreme and Appellate Courts are online prior to their publication in Connecticut Law Journal.Appellate Court
Connecticut Appellate Reports.
[Cited by volume and page. Example: 253 Conn.App. 427]
Official version of the reported decisions of the Connecticut Appellate Court. Bound volumes are issued to supersede the loose-leaf pages first made available through the Connecticut Law Journal. Library has 1983-1995. Ref. KFC3648 .A2
Recent opinions are available online.Superior Court
Connecticut Supplement.
[Cited by volume and page. Example: 217 Conn.Supp. 106]
Official version of Connecticut Superior Court cases, selected and published for their legal significance. Bound volumes are issued to supersede the loose-leaf pages first made available through the Connecticut Law Journal. Library has 1935-1993; incomplete.
Ref. KFC3648 .A3 1974§ Court Reporters and Digests
Connecticut Reporter.
[Cited exactly the same as Atlantic Reporter, by volume, page, state, year. Example: 464 A.2d 6 (Conn. 1983)]
West's commercial edition of decisions of the Connecticut Supreme Court, arranged in chronological order, are extracted here from the Atlantic Reporter (see next item). Gives text of decision, with reference to volume and page of official Connecticut Reports.
Library has 1938-1995. Ref. KFC3641.A1 C6Atlantic Reporter.
[Cited by volume, page, state, year. Example: 464 A.2d 6 (Conn. 1983)]
Cases reported in the Connecticut Reporter are drawn from this publication by West, now in 2d. series, covering ME, NH, VT, CT, RI, PA, NJ, DE, MD, and DC. Library has 1886-1988. Ref. and non-circ. KF135 .A7 & KF135 .A85West's Connecticut Digest.
[Cited by volume and page. Example: 3 Conn.Dig. 232]
Digests cases from Connecticut state courts as well as from U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts in Connecticut. Arranged by subjects. Entries give very brief synopses of specific cases relating to that subject, with references to case reports in which full texts of decisions can be found. It thus acts as an index to Connecticut Reports, Connecticut Appellate Reports, Connecticut Supplement and various other reporters. Covers 1764-2001. Ref. KFC3657 .W47West's General Digest. Ref. KF141 .G46 2004
Shepard's Atlantic Reporter Citations: Every State & Federal Citation. 2005. Ref. KF135.A72 S5 2005
Shepard's Connecticut Citations. Library has 1983, 1991. Ref. KFC3659 .J5 1983
§ Other State Courts
Probate Court. Handles estates, trusts, and trusteeships. Forms, publications, directory, and Code of Probate Judicial Conduct at website.Superior Court Special Sessions. Includes child protection, community court, complex litigation, family violence, housing, small claims, and tax sessions. Information on sessions, locations, fees, and filings at website.
§ Administrative Agencies and Decisions
Connecticut State Register and Manual. Provides general information about Connecticut state agencies, including structure, personnel, and jurisdiction. Library has 1899-present [incomplete; non-circulating stacks]. Ref. JK3331 2005. Kept at Information Desk. Also online.
Opinions of the Attorney General. 1990-2007 are online.
Decisions - Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations. Ref. KFC3380 .C6. Also online.
Decisions of officials and administrative boards at other agencies may be available at agency websites and also via the Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Library website.
§ Rules and Procedures
Connecticut Code of Evidence. Ref. KFC4140.A3 C8. Also online.
Connecticut Rules of Court. Ref. KFC4129 .A193 2005Connecticut Practice Series. Connecticut Superior Court rules of procedure and practice. Covers civil and criminal procedure, legal ethics, juvenile courts and court forms, and other procedural rules of the state courts.
Ref. KFC3680 .C65. See also online.Handbook of Connecticut Evidence. Ref. KFC4140 .T33
§ Treatises
Connecticut Family Law Pamphlet. Ref. KFC3694.A29 C66
Connecticut Labor & Employment Law. Ref. KFC3931 .C66 2001
Connecticut Practice Series. See volumes on legal subject areas like land use, employment practices, etc. Ref. KFC3680 .C65
Connecticut Tax Reporter. Ref. KFC4070.A6 C6 1992. Loose-leaf service published by Commerce Clearing House.
350 years: Legal and Constitutional Developments in Connecticut, 1638-1988. Ref. KF4530 .C6 1988
§ Federal Courts
U.S. District Court. District of Connecticut website.U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit website. Hears appeals from U.S. District Court. District of Connecticut.
U.S. Bankruptcy Court. District of Connecticut website.
§ Municipal Ordinances
Local governments pass laws much like the state and federal governments do. These are available at the local town or city hall and often at local public libraries as well. You can link conveniently to most cities and towns from the state website. There are direct links to local codes of municipal ordinances via the state law library site as well as a link to the Municipal Code Corporation, which publishes many of the codes for municipalities in Connecticut and many other states. You can search and compare any or all the codes in a state with a single query.
§ Other Legal Research MaterialsALWD citation manual: a professional system of citation. Ref. KF245 .A45 2000 [also in Permanent Reserve collection]
Black's Law Dictionary. 8th ed. Ref. K156 .B53 2004
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. Ref. KF245 .B58 [also in Circulating Collection]
Fundamentals of Legal Research. KF240 .J3 1990 [Circulating Collection]
How to Find the Law. 9th ed. Ref. KF240 .C538 1989 [also in Circulating Collection]
Legal Research in a Nutshell. Ref. KF240 .C54 1992 [also in Circulating Collection]
Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. Annual publications listing lawyers in the U.S. by state and within state by city. Final volume contains a digest of the laws of each state. Library has 1983. Ref. K68 .M38. Online via LexisNexis. Lawyer locator is at http://www.martindale.com/.
The Process of Legal Research: Successful Strategies. KF240 .P76 1989 [Circulating Collection]
A Uniform System of Citation. 4th ed. Ref. KF245 .U53 1986 [older editions in Circulating Collection]
Writing and Analysis in the Law. KF250 .S5 1989 [Circulating Collection]
While periodical articles are a valuable source of information in all research fields, in legal research they are especially important. Articles from law reviews, law school journals, and publishers like West, BNA and others are regularly cited in legal literature. Journals at the MKP Library on our home page is a listing of most of the periodical titles, current and historical, to which you have access through the library, including print and microform materials in the library, as well as periodicals available electronically from providers like LexisNexis, HeinOnline, and others. Journals unique to Westlaw can only be accessed from their website. Otherwise, use Journals at the MKP Library to find:
Single journals or articles by citation: If you have the citation to an article, type the title of the journal into the top search box. Results will show which databases contain the journal electronically and give you a list of available issues to search through. Available ‘UNH Library Holdings' are also given to enable you to find and/or copy the article in the library. Current and older issues of most of our print periodicals, now interfiled in a single alphabetical arrangement, are on the lower level. Ask for current newspapers and microform holdings at the Circulation Desk.
- Lists of journals by keyword or subject: Use the top search option, with the drop-down box set to ‘Title contains all words' and search with title keywords (e.g. crimin*, law, legal, legisl* [‘*'= truncation here]). You can also use the lower drop-down search box and select subjects like ‘Law, Politics and Government' and the listed subcategories. These methods allow you to identify periodicals in a field and browse current issues of these periodicals, either online or in the library. Click here for the Law, Politics & Government subject grouping.
- If you need a list of articles on a legal topic or case, use the periodical indexes found in the, Databases. For more on searching generally for periodical articles, consult our library guide on Finding Articles.
Following is a list of selected journals useful for the study of Connecticut law:
Connecticut Bar Journal
Connecticut Employment Law Letter
Connecticut Insurance Law Journal
Connecticut Journal of International Law
Connecticut Law Review
Connecticut Law Tribune
Connecticut Lawyer
Connecticut Opinions: Highlights, the Connecticut Law Tribune
Connecticut Probate Law Journal
Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal
Government Finance Review
Public Management
Quinnipiac Health Law Journal
Quinnipiac Law Review
Quinnipiac Probate Law Journal
State & Local Government Review
State Legislatures
Yale Human Rights & Development Law Journal
Yale Journal of International Law
Yale Journal of Law and Feminism
Yale Law & Policy Review
Yale Law Journal
Databases are available on computer terminals in the library. Look for databases by name or by the name of the provider such as ProQuest or iCONN. They are also available away from the library, from any Internet terminal, via links on the library's home page. You will use the Proxy Connection: to log in, your username is your UNH ID number, which is the 16-digit number on your UNH photo ID. Only currently registered students, faculty and staff are eligible to use our subscription databases.
Following is a list of some specialized and multidisciplinary databases that include information for students interested in Connecticut state law. For a complete list of our electronic resources, see our guide to electronic resources, available at the Information Desk and online at our web page.
♦Primary Legal Databases:
Full text back to the late 1800s of many top state, national, and international legal journals as well as the Federal Register from the first issue, 1936, to the present.
An index of more than 1,400 titles including law reviews, legal newspapers, bar association journals and international legal journals. Titles are selected based on criteria provided by a special advisory committee of the American Association of Law Libraries. LegalTrac also contains law-related articles from over 1,000 additional business and general interest titles.
One of the most extensive collections of legal, news, business, and public records information. Legal information includes cases, statutes, administrative regulations at the federal and state level, and other primary legal documents; analytical treatises from publishers like Matthew Bender; legal journals, law reviews, and much more. All footnotes are fully Web-linked to cited documents. Note: Available only to faculty, staff, and students in the Paralegal Studies Certificate program. Only access is via program faculty.
LexisNexis Academic Universe-Legal
This version of LexisNexis includes much of the above with legal periodicals, case reviews, statutes, regulations, the option to search by topic, by jurisdiction (federal or state), or by case name.
Provides legal and business information spanning a variety of jurisdictions, practice areas and disciplines, including federal and state statutes, cases, federal regulations, public records, news, business and financial information, insurance, etc. Click on the 'Connecticut' tab and select databases to search or use the 'Connecticut Directory' link to see what our subscription includes. Use 'KeyCite' and 'KeySearch' for cross-references using West's Key Number System and topical indexing systems, a process similar to Shepardizing. All citations are fully Web-linked to cited resources. Note: Available only to faculty, staff and students in the Paralegal Program. Consult a librarian or paralegal program faculty member for access.
♦Other Useful Databases:
A good source for peer-reviewed, full-text articles from the world's leading journals and reference sources. Contains extensive coverage of all subjects, including law.
Select Connecticut from the home page and choose your area of interest, such as Labor Relations or Nondiscrimination and Diversity.
From the home page you may select State, and choose Daily Tax Report.
Business and Company Resource Center
A search on Connecticut law will return CT budget news, civil union articles, and other legal articles. Select a company search, choose Connecticut, and within company info you can pick 'Legal Issues.'
Primary website for tax information, searchable by state, including sources such as current, pending, and enacted legislation.
Focus on criminal law and legislation. Search 'State Laws' and 'State Legislation' articles for Connecticut. Includes access to several law reviews.
For news on the latest developments in Connecticut law, look to newspapers. The Hartford Courant is included in this collection for local news.
Links to legal documents on the web, such as Connecticut statutes, public acts, special acts, and the Avalon Project at the Yale Law School.
Articles on various Connecticut government organizations and agencies.
First Search.
Search groups of databases (by topic) or by individual database. FirstSearch can also suggest the best database to search, depending on your search terms. One way to search is to select 'Public Affairs and Law' and search Connecticut.
Note: Available in the library only. Ask at the Information Desk for a librarian to log you on.Historical Newspapers-ProQuest
For historical research on Connecticut law, this is a premier site, particularly since there is access to the Hartford Courant, the nation's first newspaper, since its inception in 1764.
Covers topics such as eminent domain, land use, and medical malpractice legislation.
RIA CheckpointAnother tax reporting service like BNA and CCH. You need to register before you can log in to use the database by going to: RIA Checkpoint First Time Sign Up. Note that you will need to register from a computer on the campus network, and that the e-mail you provide when registering cannot be from Yahoo!, Hotmail, AOL, or other free e-mail accounts. Your UNH e-mail account will work. You will most likely need to re-register your account for each semester or term, which can be accomplished by going to RIA Checkpoint First Time Sign Up.
The Internet provides much valuable information. As with any research material, evaluate the sources you use. This can be challenging with the Internet, since it is not always readily apparent who is responsible for the information on a particular page found via a Google or Yahoo! search. Look for a home page and an 'About us' link. Consider how qualified the organization or person is to provide the information, whether they have an agenda or particular point of view, how up-to-date the information is, and how it affects the point you want to make. The following is a selection of useful websites.
♦Associations and Lawyer Directories:
Includes Lawyer Referral Services.
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association
Decisions made in response to a grievance complaint about an attorney.
Includes Law Firm Guide and Law Schools Guide.
Browse the Martindale Hubbell directory for lawyers and law firms by location and specialty.
♦Connecticut Legal Resources:
Connecticut's official website: Executive Branch / State Agencies; Legislative Branch; Judicial Branch; Municipal websites.
Find the people who represent you at the state and federal levels, with links to their websites.
Commission on Official Legal Publications
Publishes, distributes, and sells most of the state's official legal publications.
Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Libraries
CT laws by subject, advanced release opinions, case look-up, CT statutes, pathfinders and research guides, including CT law by subject, with self-help bibliography. The nearest is at the New Haven County Courthouse: 235 Church Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, Phone: (203) 503-6828.
Links for Connecticut Law & Legislation and Law and Legislative Reference.
Law Library of Congress: ConnecticutLOC links to Connecticut legal sources.
Quinnipiac University School of Law Library
University of Connecticut School of Law Library
Yale Law School: Lillian Goldman Library and The Avalon Project at Yale Law School, a searchable site that provides access to primary documents on various subjects, including law.
♦States, Law, and Government:
Useful for its Connecticut link from the home page as well as information on sub-national (state) government found by following the Introduction to the Legal System - United States link and then scrolling down to sub-national government.
CataLaw: Metaindex of Law and Government
Lawyers are searchable by state. Site includes links to state law by topic and state court information.
State government resources.
From the World Wide Legal Information Association.
Legal Information Institute - Cornell University
Includes State Statutes Organized by Topic.
State & Local Government on the Net
A directory of official state, county and city government website.
State Legislatures Internet Links
Investigate bills, constitutions, issues, reports, legislators, and more.
Choose an issue, or select Connecticut from the state list. Offers an in-depth 'State of the States Report: State Policy Developments and Trends.'
Gives tips on how to perform legal research by topic.
Voice of the Shuttle: Legal Studies
Portal for many U.S. law sites.
From the Washburn University School of Law.
Any questions? Come to the Information Desk, call us at (203) 932-7189,
or e-mail us.
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