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Researching the Law
Government Documents
Reference & Circulating Materials
Journals & Law Reviews
Databases
Internet Resources
Writing & Citing
This library guide offers a selection of the resources at the Peterson Library and some Internet websites useful in study of federal law. Additional guides on Connecticut law, accounting and taxation, criminal justice, and other subjects, may also be helpful. For a good overview of our library, take the Virtual Reference Tour. If you need research help, visit us at the Information Desk, call us there at 203-932-7189, or email us. For assistance with writing the research paper, visit the Center for Learning Resources in Maxcy Hall.
All the access points for library materials and services are on the left of our home page at www.newhaven.edu/library. From the UNH website at http://www.newhaven.edu/, click on Library in the top middle. The most important links are the ones for Catalog, Databases, Journals, and library Guides, but a quick look at our entire homepage will be time well spent.
Library Catalog
Use the library catalog to find circulating and reference materials, including books, audio-visual resources, government documents, and periodical holdings. Our catalog uses the Library of Congress (LC) 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. Some quick catalog search tips:
- Truncate with ‘?': legislat? will get legislation, legislative, legislature, 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 an item's Bibliographic tab for subject-heading links to find additional material.
- Click on the Linked Resources tab and/or look for a URL box that denotes online access.
For additional search tips, consult the library guide on Using the UNH Library Catalog (OPAC) or take our interactive Online Library Catalog Tutorial.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
If you need something not in our catalog, please use our ILL service to have materials sent here from other libraries. Forms to request books and articles are available at the Information Desk, and also online. Fill out a separate ILL request form for each item. Incorrect or incomplete information will slow down receipt of material, so please be accurate.
The "law" consists basically of two elements: statutory law, which comes from legislative and administrative bodies and includes constitutions, charters, statutes, ordinances, and administrative regulations, etc., and case law, which comes from 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.
The law changes constantly. Online resources are usually the most current and the older paper materials we retain are often brought up to date through our electronic subscriptions. Standard hard-bound volumes and sets are also often updated by pamphlet supplements and ‘pocket parts.' Always look for the latter inside in the rear cover pocket in the print volumes.
A federal documents depository since 1971, the library currently receives about a third of Government Printing Office (GPO) publications. Documents received since 2000 will show up in catalog searches. Many of these are also available online so be sure to click on the Linked Resources tab for each item. Most documents held in the library can be borrowed. Consult the government documents guide for more information. To request catalog items with the U.S. Gov't Docs location or to inquire about older documents, come to the Information Desk.
Ø Statutory Law
1. Federal Statutes
Federal statutes are the laws enacted by Congress. Most of the sources below have indexes as well as citators, which cross-reference laws in multiple jurisdictions. This process is referred to as Shepardizing® after the legal publisher known for developing these research tools. Note: citations below are examples only. Check publication manuals for specific styles.
Slip Laws. [Cited by public law number and date: P.L. 104-294 (October 28, 1998)]
This is a law's first published form. The example shows the 294th law passed by the 104th Congress. Each small pamphlet contains the text of one federal law. Ref. KF50
U.S. Statutes at Large. [Cited by volume and page: 86 Stat. 919]
Official texts of all public and private laws, in order of enactment, by Congress and session. Subject index and public law number index in each volume.
Library has 1789 to present (incomplete). Ref. KF50; also online.
United States Code. [Cited by title, section, and edition date: 42 U.S.C. 501 (1982)]
All permanent federal public laws in force, issued every six years with intervening supplements. Organized into 50 title categories with subject and statute indexes.
Ref. KF62 2000 .A2; also online as published and in searchable version online.
United States Code Service. [Cited by title and section: 22 U.S.C.S. 1174]
Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Co. edition of the code. Cites court cases interpreting a particular law and gives its legislative history. Library updated to 1984. Ref. KF62 1972 .L38
United States Code Annotated. [Cited by title and section: 22 U.S.C.A. 1174]
Commercial edition of the code from West Publishing Company.
Library updated to 1987. Ref. KF62 1927 .W45
United States Code Congressional Service ... and Administrative News.
[Cited by year and page: 1975 U.S. Code Cong. & Ad. News 797]
U.S.C.A. update; legislative history source. Library has 1944-1985. Non-circ. KF48
- Citators
Shepard's Acts and Cases by Popular Names: Federal and State. Ref. KF90 .S52 1999
Shepard's Federal Statute Citations. Ref. KF78 .S575 1996
Shepard's United States Citations. Ref. KF78 .S57 1986
Shepard's Labor Law Citations. Ref. KF3310.5 .S5 2003
- Legislative History
Besides the annotated codes above, the following tools trace the history of a law from its introduction as a bill, through bill-status changes, to defeat, veto, or enactment as law.
Library of Congress. Bills from the 101st Congress (1989-1991) forward are online.
Digest of Public General Bills and Resolutions.
Summaries of Congressional actions, derived from the Congressional Record, with concise legislative histories and indexes. Library has 1971-1990, when it ceased. Ref. KF18 .L5
Congressional Record.
House and Senate debates and votes. Library has 1913-1993. Non-circ. KF35; also online.
Congressional Record Index. "History of Bills and Resolutions" section references page numbers in the Congressional Record. Library has 1913-1936. Non-circ. KF40
Congressional Record Daily Digest. Library has 1947-2002. Non-circ. KF43
CIS (Congressional Information Service) Annual.
Indexes and abstracts Congressional publications, including hearings, documents, and reports. Library has 1970-1986 (incomplete). Non-circ. KF49 .C62
2. Administrative Regulations
Federal agencies overseeing new laws passed by Congress develop regulations to implement the statutes and publish them in the Federal Register for public comment prior to adoption. Final versions have statutory force and cumulate annually in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Federal Register. [Cited by volume, page, and date: 21 Fed. Reg. 7880 (1963)]
Daily listing of new or proposed federal agency rules and regulations. Not here in print but
online from 1994 on and complete in HeinOnline from 1936; see the Databases section.
Code of Federal Regulations. [Cited by title, section, and year: 24 C.F.R. Sec 202 (1949)]
Title arrangement corresponds to the U.S. Code. Subject, agency, and other indexes.
Library keeps current two years. Ref. and non-circ. KF70 .A3 C6; online from 1996 on.
Administrative Rules of Procedure. U.S.C.S. volumes, updated to 1984. Ref. KF70 .A3 U8
Index to the Code of Federal Regulations. Ref. KF70 .A312
Shepard's Code of Federal Regulations Citations. Ref. KF78 .S54
United States Government Manual.
Federal agency structure, functions, and authorizing statutes. [Info Desk] Ref. JK421 .A3; online from 1995 via GPO Access; full run from 1935 in HeinOnline Federal Register Library.
3. U.S. Constitution
This document is the basis of our entire governmental system. The ultimate test of validity of both statutory and case law is its constitutionality. Annotated editions of this document that analyze its interpretation and its legal applications are essential to the study of law.
United States Code Annotated. An annotated version of the Constitution is contained in a 14-volume supplement to the U.S.C.A. Library updated through 1987. Ref. KF62 1927 .W45
United States Code Service.
Publication similar to the above. Library updated through 1984. Ref. KF4558 .U52
Constitution of the United States. Online via GPO Access.
The Constitution of the United States of America.
Library of Congress edition. Each section analyzed with current interpretation and history. Federal and state court decisions, treatises, etc. are cited. Ref. KF4527 .U54 2004
4. Treaties
A formal treaty signed by the President and approved by the Senate has the force of federal statute. HeinOnline and Westlaw have treaty coverage. See the Databases section.
Other major sources for locating treaties are:
Library of Congress. Treaties from 1968 on are indexed online.
Government Printing Office.
Treaties as submitted by the President to the Senate for ratification from 1995 on are online.
Treaties in Force.
Annual list of all international agreements in force on January 1 of each year. Library has 1996-2003. Ref. JX236 and [U.S. Gov't Docs] S 9.14. GPO archive has 1997-2006 online.
Treaties and Other International Acts Series. [T.I.A.S.]
Advance sheets. Library has #10662-12673 [1983-1995]. [U.S. Gov't Docs] S 9.10
United States Treaties and Other International Agreements. [U.S.T.]
These volumes cumulate the annual T.I.A.S. entries, with indexes by country and subject.
Library has vols. 3-35, 1952-1984 (last published). Ref. JX231 .A34.
HeinOnline has both T.I.A.S. and U.S.T. in its Treaties and Agreements Library.
U.S. Statutes at Large.
From 1873 until 1950, treaties were published here. Library has 1789- (incomplete).
Ref. KF50. Volume 64, part 3 (1951), not in library, indexes all treaties in this set.
Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America.
Major government-published edition of U.S. treaties from 1776 to 1949, edited by Charles Bevans. Library has vols. 3-12. Ref. JX236 1968 .A5. Complete set is in HeinOnline.
U.S. Code Congressional Service ... and Administrative News.
Publishes selected U.S. treaties upon ratification. Indexed under "Treaties."
Library has 1944-1985. Non-circ. KF48
Ø Case Law
The U.S. court system generates federal case law, from District Courts, which are trial courts of original jurisdiction; from U.S. Courts of Appeals, which are intermediate appellate courts; and from the Supreme Court, the appellate court of last resort. Court decisions are published officially by the courts and reproduced in commercial ‘reporters.' West's National Reporter System covers the country by region, e.g., Atlantic Reporter, Pacific Reporter, etc. Note: the combined reporters are searchable by citation, party, and keyword in Westlaw.
1. Supreme Court
United States Reports. [Cited by volume and page: 247 U.S. 62]
Official U.S. Supreme Court decisions in the order in which the cases were decided. Volumes include a table of cases cited and a subject index. Library has 1935-. Ref. K101 .A5.
HeinOnline has U.S. Reports, 1754-, with recent preliminary prints and slip opinions.
- Reporters/Citators
U.S. Supreme Court Reporter. [Cited by volume and page: 92 S. Ct. 1571]
West's edition, October, 1882 term, forward. Library has 1882-1997. Ref. KF101 .U53 .D3
U.S. Supreme Court Reports. Lawyers Edition. [Cited by volume and page: 51 L. Ed. 2d 203]
Lawyers' Co-operative edition, in two series. Library has 1790-1984. Ref. KF101 .U5 .L25
Shepard's United States Supreme Court Case Names Citator. Cases from 1900-.
Ref. KF101.2 .S55
- Digests: These works act as subject indexes to the reporters.
Supreme Court Digest, Lawyers Edition.
The Lawyer's Co-operative index to their U.S. Supreme Court Reports. Ref. KF101.1 .U5 L23
United States Supreme Court Digest.
West Publishing's index for their U.S. Supreme Court Reporter. Ref. KF101.1 .U5 W5
2. Lower Courts
The U.S. District Courts and the 13 U.S. Courts of Appeals all publish official versions of their decisions, usually now also available at their websites. The commercially produced reporters and databases include most cases, but may omit ones deemed of lesser legal significance.
- Reporters
Federal Reporter. [Cited by volume and section: 460 F.2d 309]
West's selective coverage of U.S. Courts of Appeals cases published continuously in three series. Library has 1924-. Ref. KF105 .F42
Federal Supplement. [Cited by volume and section: 389 F. Supp. 233]
West's selective coverage of U.S. District Courts cases published continuously in two series.
Library has 1933-. Ref. and non-circ. KF105 .F442
- Citators
Shepard's Federal Circuit Table. Ref. KF105.2 .S417 1991
Shepard's Federal Citations. Ref. KF105.2 .S42. Covers Federal Reporter.
Shepard's Federal Citations. Ref. KF105.2 .S43. Covers Federal Supplement.
Shepard's United States Citations. Ref. KF101.2 .S54. Covers all federal courts.
3. Special Courts
Certain areas of law, like tax cases or bankruptcy cases, are handled by special courts. Many of these are in Westlaw: PRO Primary Law Library > Federal Materials > Cases & Judicial Materials. These courts have official reports, e.g. Reports of the Tax Court of the United States. Ref. KF6324 .A5 U5 and commercial reporters may cover them as well, e.g. Commerce Clearinghouse's Tax Court Reporter. Ref. KF6285 .C66
4. Regional and National Coverage
Atlantic Reporter. [Cited by volume, section (state, case year): 568 A.2d 354 (Vt., 1989)]
West's selective coverage of federal and state court decisions in the states covered by the particular reporter. Atlantic, now in 2d. series, covers ME, NH, VT, CT, RI, PA, NJ, DE, MD, and DC. Library has 1886-1988. Ref. and non-circ. KF135 .A7 [1st] & KF135 .A85 [2nd]
Shepard's Atlantic Reporter Citations. Covers 1994-2005. Ref. KF135 .A72 S5 2005
West's Atlantic Digest 2d. Non-circ. KF135 .A7 W4
American Digest System. Full set covers legal topics in state and federal cases from 1658. The General Digest compiles advance sheets for the next permanent Decennial Digest, which is issued incrementally. The KeyCite feature in Westlaw creates a ‘custom digest' drawing on the entire set. Library has Decennial Digest, 5th-11th, 1936-. Ref. and non-circ. KF141+yr
Federal Practice Digest 3rd. Covers Supreme Court, appellate, and federal district court cases from 1939-1961. Ref. KF127 .W481. Updated in Westlaw Federal Analytical Library.
5. Topical Coverage
- Treatises: These works analyze one area of law in depth, citing important cases and referring to primary sources and the reporters. Westlaw has many treatises and the library has some as well, e.g. Collier's Bankruptcy Manual. Ref. KF1524 .C56 1981
- Dictionaries: These works define legal terms and judicial constructions of them.
West's 45-volume Words and Phrases covers usage of terminology in the federal and state courts from the earliest times. Ref. KF156 .W64
- Encyclopedias: These compilations present legal topics as subjects with citations to cases, statutes, and regulations. Major legal encyclopedias include:
Corpus Juris Secundum.
[Cited by volume, topic, § number, volume date: 11 C.J.S. Bonds § 21 (1995)]
Covers all state and federal law in 101 volumes with a 5-volume index.
Library updated to 1984. Ref. KF154 .C6. Available in Westlaw.
Earlier edition: Corpus Juris. Updated through 1951. Non-circ. KF154 .C55
American Jurisprudence, 2nd.
[Cited by volume, topic, § number, volume date: 76 Am. Jur. 2d Trusts § 1 (1992)]
More selective in cases cited. Includes subject index and analytical table of contents.
Ref. KF154 .A42. Available in Westlaw.
American Law Reports.
[Cited by volume, edition, page, volume date: 52 A.L.R. 4th 853 (1987)]
Combines digest, encyclopedia, and reporter features. Discusses a legal topic, reports a leading case, and gives summaries of other important cases.
Library has A.L.R. 2nd -6th. Ref. KF132 .A52-56. The entire A.L.R. is in Westlaw.
West's ALR Digest. Ref. KF132.1 .A45
West's ALR Index. Ref. KF132.6 .I53
West's ALR Quick Index. Ref. KF132.6 .A544
Additional Reference Materials
ALWD Citation Manual. [Info Desk] Ref. KF245 .A45 2000
Black's Law Dictionary. 8th ed. Ref. K156 .B53 2004
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. [Info Desk] Ref. KF245 .B58 2005
How to Find the Law. 9th ed. [Info Desk] Ref. KF240 .C538 1989
Introduction to United States Public Documents. Ref. Z1223.Z7 .M67 1983
Legal Problem Solving. Ref. KF240. R64 1991
Legal Research and Writing. Ref. KF240 .S783 1999
Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. Library has 1983. Ref. K68 .M38. Available online.
West's Analysis of American Law. Ref. KF240 .W454
Articles from law reviews, law school journals, and publishers like West, BNA and others are regularly cited in legal literature. The Journals on our home page is a listing of most of the periodical titles, current and historical, to which you have access through the library, in all formats.
Use the upper search box to enter a journal title to get links to databases containing the journal electronically and a link for any available library holdings as well. You can also use the drop-down box here to look for words like law or legal or legislat* [truncated] in journal titles.
Use the lower search box to drop down through topical groupings as follows:
Law, Politics & Government > Law - U.S. > Law - U.S. - General. Click here to identify periodicals in this latter area and to browse current issues, either online or in the library.
Use the indexes and law journal libraries in the next section to find periodical articles. For more help, consult our library guide on Finding Articles.
Searching for articles on a subject is best done using an electronic index that examines the contents of many journals at one time. These databases now often provide the full text of articles as well. For tips on finding articles, take our interactive Database Searching Tutorial.
Access all our Databases via the link on the library home page and enter your UNH network log-in when requested. Most are available 24/7 from Internet terminals anywhere.
Databases useful for legal studies are listed below. Use the Annotated Listing to get additional information about them. Use the Subject Listing to look for others by topical category. Those under General/Multidisciplinary will be most broadly useful for all subject areas.
Legal Databases
Campus Research. From West Publishing, the legal content includes primary sources like statutes, court cases, and administrative regulations at the federal and state levels as well as analytical sources like Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R., and more than 700 law reviews and journals.
HeinOnline has five major libraries: Law Journals, Federal Register, Treaties and Agreements, U.S. Attorney General, and U.S. Supreme Court. All holdings are full-run, page-image format.
LegalTrac. Indexes legal journals, bar association publications, and law reviews in all areas.
WestLaw. The Directory shows you the extensive collection of materials from West and other legal publishers. Use the Paralegal tab to find cases by name or citation and use KeyCite and KeySearch for West's cross-referencing systems, which are akin to Shepardizing® materials. Available only to faculty, staff, and students in the Paralegal Studies Certificate program.
Other Databases
Academic OneFile. Multidisciplinary journal index, good for all research topics.
BNA Human Resources Library. Select Connecticut on the homepage and search legal issues.
BNA Tax Management Library. Select a state and choose Daily Tax Report.
Business and Company Resource Center. Search within a company for 'Legal Issues.'
CCH Online. Tax information by state, including pending and newly enacted legislation.
Criminal Justice Periodicals. Indexes criminal law news: search state legisl* and Connecticut.
ProQuest Newspapers and Historical Newspapers. Indexes major U.S. papers.
E-Books for Colleges. Links to online legal documents, current and historical.
Federal Resources
GPO Access. Executive, legislative and judicial branch links and annotated U.S. Constitution.
Library of Congress with the THOMAS database of legislative information back to 1989, and
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation with Congressional documents from 1774 to 1875.
U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Courts: The Federal Judiciary
U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate
State and Local Resources
State and Local Government. State, county, and city websites and information.
Connecticut Judicial Branch. Branch law libraries in New Haven and across the state.
Connecticut State Library. Law and Legislative Reference
Quinnipiac University School of Law
University of Connecticut School of Law
Yale Law School. Lillian Goldman Library
Additional Resources
Archives Library Information Center (ALIC). Legal materials from the U.S. National Archives.
British and Irish Legal Information Institute. British and Irish public legal information.
Catalaw. A mega-catalog of information about the law and government around the world.
FindLaw. Laws, codes, cases, law schools, legal organizations, news and employment listings.
Guide to International and Foreign Legal Databases. From New York University.
Law & Policies Institutions Guide. A gateway to sources on U.S. and international law.
Legal Information Institute. From Cornell University.
Legal Research on International Law Issues Using the Internet.
PublicLegal. Internet Legal Research Group site covering the law and legal professions.
The Virtual Chase. Websites and research strategies for finding the law.
The Voice of the Shuttle. The Legal Studies link has dozens of useful law resources.
Any questions? Come to the Information Desk, call us at 203-932-7189, or email us.
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