Skip to Main Content

Summer Legal Research Tips: Secondary Sources: A Good Place to Begin

Practice Aids

Journals

Other LibGuides

You may want to also look to other LibGuides for subject specific or jurisdiction specific information. These guides can also be a great source when you need to locate non-law information as part of your research. Many libraries, both law and non-law, have research guides available. Below is the full listing of a few LibGuide resources, including the full listing of the LibGuides at Illinois.

A Quick Guide to Secondary Sources

See especially PRACTICE AID which we did not cover in the Legal Research Course fall semester:

Source Example Good for But  Where to find it
PRACTICE AID

Consumer bankruptcy law and practice by Henry J. Sommer

practical advice on a topic, often including checklists, sample forms & pleadings they are generic and must be adapted to your situation and facts See Practice Aids in the column on the left
NUTSHELL Legal Research in a Nutshell quick and simple overview no detailed analysis, may be a year or two old Library Catalog
TREATISE LaFave on Search & Seizure comprehensive coverage of a single topic, often updated at least annually often more scholarly than practical BloombergLaw Getting Started -  Books & Treatises 
Westlaw - Seconary Sources - Texts & Treatises
Lexis - Browse - Sources - Category - Secondary Sources - Treatises
JOURNAL ARTICLE

Reforming Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Reorganizations
Ralph Brubaker, Robert M. Lawless, Charles J. Tabb 2015 U. Ill. L. Rev. 507

in-depth coverage of a specific topic not updated, tend to be scholarly and idealistic  See Journals in the column on the left
AMERICAN LAW REPORTS (ALR)  Liability of swimming facility operator for injury or death allegedly caused by failure to adequately fence facility detailed analysis of narrow topic covering numerous jurisdictions there may not be one on your topic Print, Lexis, or Westlaw
ENCYCLOPEDIA Bankruptcy -Setoff overview of broad topic, primary sources in footnotes uses hidebound terms - start in the INDEX Print, Lexis, or Westlaw
UNIFORM LAW Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act  acts designed to be adopted in all 50 states - with comments  The law you need may not have been adopted in your jurisdiction Uniform Law Commission
RESTATEMENT Restatement of the Law on Contracts, 2d black letter law, plus comments and illustrations There may not be one for your topic Print, Lexis, or Westlaw