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Basic Legal Research

Understand essential primary and secondary legal resources, from statutes and cases to secondary sources like articles and books. Access federal and state regulations, and learn about effective legal research methods.

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Basic Legal Research

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  1. Basic Legal Research

  2. Primary & Secondary Sources • Primary • Statutes (Codes) • Administrative Regulations • Cases • Secondary • Journal & law review articles • Books & treatises • Encyclopedias & ALR

  3. State & Federal Statutes • Enacted by Congress and state legislatures • Arranged by subject into codes • Organized by titles or topics • Available in annotated formats

  4. Federal Statutes • Print • U.S. Code • U.S.C.A & U.S.C.S (Annotated) • Online • U.S. House Office of Law Revision • Cornell’s U.S. Code collection • THOMAS (pending) • LexisNexis Academic

  5. State Statutes • Print • Code of Laws of S.C. Annotated • Indexes & Popular Names Table • Online • Code of Laws of S.C. • www.scstatehouse.net • Current & pending--un-annotated • LexisNexis Academic • Annotated

  6. LexisNexis Academic • Legal Research • Federal Code • State Codes • Tips link for keyword searching • Edit Search • FOCUS within search • Print & E-mail

  7. Federal & State Regulations • Promulgated by federal and state agencies • To implement and enforce federal and state laws (statutes) • Agency Websites link to major legislation they enforce: • Federal Agencies Directory (LSU) • SC.GOV: Agency Listing

  8. Federal Regulations • Print • Federal Register & Code of Federal Regulations • Online • GPO Access • HeinOnline • LexisNexis Academic • Federal Regulations

  9. State Regulations • Print • S.C. Code Ann. Regulations • Online • SC: www.scstatehouse.net • All States: ABA Administrative Procedure Database

  10. CaseLaw • Opinions of state and federal courts • Enforcing & interpreting state & federal laws • Ruling on their constitutionality/enforceability • Published by jurisdiction chronologically in Reporters

  11. Federal Cases • Print • Trial Court Opinions • U.S. District Court • District of S.C. • F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d • Appellate Court Opinions • Federal Circuit Courts • 4th Circuit • F., F.2d, F.3d • U.S. Supreme Court Opinions • U.S. Reports, S.Ct. Reporter, L.Ed

  12. Federal Cases • Online • S.C. Federal District Court website • 4th Circuit Court of Appeals website • U.S. Supreme Court website • LexisNexis Academic

  13. FEDERAL UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT Last Resort UNITED STATES COURTS OF APPEAL Appellate UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTS Trial Federal Courts Finder

  14. US Supreme Court • Decisions are binding precedent for state and federal courts http://www.supremecourtus.gov/ www.oyez.org

  15. State Cases • SC Cases in Print • Published in SC, S.E. & S.E. 2d Reporters • SC Cases Online • www.sccourts.org (several years) • LexisNexis Academic

  16. SOUTH CAROLINA UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT www.sccourts.org SC SUPREME COURT SC COURT OF APPEALS SC CIRCUIT COURTS

  17. LexisNexis Academic • Get a Case • Name • Citation • Keyword • Shepard’s • Supreme Court Cases

  18. Secondary Sources • Articles • Legal Trac • Index for legal periodicals • Can choose publication • Shows availability in print (catalog) & online (HeinOnline/ LexisNexis Academic/E-Journals) at USC • LexisNexis Academic (legal news & law reviews) • HeinOnline • E-Journals

  19. Secondary Sources • Books • Catalog • USC • Law Library (non-circulating) • Nutshells • Hornbooks • Treatises • SC Materials • Legal Encyclopedias • Am Jur, CJS & SC Jurisprudence • Indexes at end of each • ALR • Separate Index

  20. Coleman Karesh Law Library www.law.sc.edu/library Cocky Law Blawg Podcast Tour Reference Desk lawref@gwm.sc.edu 777-5902

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