Legal research can be broken down into three basic areas: 1) You wish
to research a legal subject; 2) you have a case citation and want to find
the case summary ; 3) you have the case summary but now you want to
shepardize it; i.e., find out what other cases have cited this case. In each research
area, you may find yourself using a combination of both print and online
resources, and you may find yourself in the Reference collection, regular
collection and Government Documents collection. Legal research is still
difficult and time-consuming, even though electronic access has greatly
improved the ease with which you can become involved in the process. The
materials here are geared specifically for the user of the Indiana State
University Library; if you use other libraries, you may find different
combinations of print and online resources. If you need assistance, please
visit the Information Desk [1st floor] and/or use the comments/questions
link above.
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| Westlaw Campus | American Jurisprudence, 2nd. | A comprehensive encyclopedia of state and federal law [Am Jur] |
| Westlaw Campus | American Law Reports | In-depth articles that summarize and analyze court decisions on a particular legal issue [ALR] |
| Ref KF 156 .W6X | Words & Phrases | A comprehensive legal dictionary giving "definitions of words and phrases by the state and federal courts kept to date by cumulative annual pocket parts." |
| Info Desk KF156 .B53 2000 | Black's Law Dictionary |
Online law dictionaries include: Duhaime's Law Dictionary International Law Dictionary Law.com's Dictionary The 'Lectric Law Library's Legal Lexicon's Lyceum |
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All West publications, Reporters, Digests, etc. are accessible via the
Westlaw Campus database. Some print sets & series will be withdrawn.
If you are looking for a West publication under a call number listed here,
and you cannot find, it has probably been withdrawn; check LUIS Online
Catalog or inquire at the Information Desk for verification.
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AMERICAN DIGEST SYSTEM [accessible via Westlaw
Campus, some print volumes will be withdrawn soon. If your text has
a title with the word "Digest" in it, it should be accessible online from
Westlaw Campus]: Covers every reported case--federal, state, and
local--from
1897 to date; provides summaries.
Information about the print series: Contains summaries of cases arranged in volumes by topic. Serves as an index to all West reporters. Older sets in general collection at KF 141 [year]; e.g., KF 141 1897, entitled, American Digest. ...Decennial Edition...: A Complete Digest...From 1897 to 1906..(25 volumes; v.1-4 missing); also Second Decennial Edition.(1906 to 1916,24 v.); Third Decennial Edition (1916 to 1926, 29v.); Fourth Decennial Digest (1926 to 1936, 34v.); Fifth Decennial Digest (1936-1946, 52v.); Sixth Decennial Digest (1946-1956, 36v.); Seventh Decennial Digest (1956-1966, 38v.); Eighth Decennial Digest (1966-1976, 50v.); Ninth Decennial Digest (1976-1981, 36v.) -- Ninth Decennial Digest (Part 2, 1981-1986, 48 v.); Tenth Decennial Digest (Part 1, 1986-1991) and In Reference, same call number: Tenth Decennial Digest (Part 2: 1991-1996). Before cumulated into the Decennial Digests, cumulations of more recent cases are found in the individual Digests, divided by the level of court, e.g., Supreme Court, Federal Court, Circuit Courts, etc.Other titles include:
Reference KF 141 1976 West's General Digest... Library retains latest series only. Superseded by the next Decennial Digest.
Reference K .W538 West's Indiana Digest, 1817 to date. 30v. A digest of Indiana legal authorities, state and federal, from 1817 to date. Kept up-to-date by cumulative supplements. The key number system links Indiana authority to the legal authorities of the nation. Volumes 1-3 contain the Descriptive Word Index, and volumes 29-30 provide the Table of Cases and the Defendant-Plaintiff table.
Ref KF 4110.3 .W47 West's Education Law Digest.
Summarizes and indexes court decisions from West's Education Law
Reporter.
Ref. LB 2514 .D47 2000 Deskbook Encyclopedia of American School Law.
Presents court cases from across the country by Topic area; e.g.,
Accidents,
Injuries and Deaths; Table of Cases; Table of Cases by State
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Reports the opinions of the state appellate courts and the federal
courts.
It is made up of the following educational, regional and federal
reporters.
Some examples are:
| North Eastern Reporter [includes Indiana]. 2d series | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .N6 ser. 2. |
| West's Education Law Reporter | Westlaw Campus |
| Westlaw
Campus and
K .F3 |
Federal Reporter. 2d series. | Reports the decisions of the federal intermediate appellate courts. Connects with Federal Cases which publishes the decisions of the U.S. District Courts and the U.S. Circuit Court from 1880 to 1912, the Commerce Court of the U.S. from 1911 to 1913; the U.S. District Courts of the U.S. from 1880 to 1932 and since 1960, the United States Court of Appeals from its organization in 1891; the U.S. Court of Customs & Patent Appeals from 1929 (Patent cases only); and the U.S. Emergency Court of Appeals from 1943. |
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A.
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Atlantic Reporter. | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .A7 |
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A.2d
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Atlantic Reporter, 2d series. | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .A7 ser.2 |
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Burns
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Burns Indiana Statutes Annotated | Ref KFI 3030 1971 .A4 |
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C.F.R.
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Code of Federal Regulations | Online at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/index.html and Ref K .C669 |
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C.J.S.
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Corpus Juris Secundum | Westlaw Campus |
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Cal.Rptr.
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California Reporter (West) | Westlaw Campus and K .W5374 |
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F.
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Federal Reporter (300 volumes) | Westlaw Campus and K .F29 |
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F.2d
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Federal Reporter, 2d series (830 volumes) | Westlaw Campus and K .F3 |
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F.3d
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Federal Reporter, 3d series (current series) | Westlaw Campus and K .F |
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F.R.
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Federal Register | Westlaw Campus, other online, and Gov Doc AE2/106:; microfilm in Microforms, 2d floor |
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F.R.D.
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Federal Rules Decisions | K .F31 |
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F.Supp.
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Federal Supplement | K .F312 |
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Ind.
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Indiana Supreme Court Reports | Doc 14 SU 1.5: |
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Ind.App.
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Indiana Appellate Court Reports | Doc 14 AP 1.1: |
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LEd
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U.S. Supreme Court Reports Lawyers Edition | KF 101 .U5842 (thru 1984 only) |
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N.E.
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North Eastern Reporter | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .N6 |
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N.E.2d
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North Eastern Reporter, 2d series | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .N6 ser.2 |
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N.W.
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North Western Reporter | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .N7 |
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N.W.2d
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North Western Reporter, 2d series | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .N7 ser.2 |
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N.Y.S.
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New York Supplement | Westlaw Campus and KFN 5045 .N3 |
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N.Y.S. 2d
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New York Supplement, 2d series | Westlaw Campus and KFN 5045 .N3 ser.2 |
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P.
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Pacific Reporter | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .P2 |
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P.2d
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Pacific Reporter, 2d series | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .P2 ser.2 |
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S.Ct.
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Supreme Court Reporter (U.S.) | Westlaw Campus and K .S957 |
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S.E.
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South Eastern Reporter | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .S6 |
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S.E.2d
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South Eastern Reporter, 2d series | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .S6 ser.2 |
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So.
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Southern Reporter | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .S8 |
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So.2d.
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Southern Reporter, 2d series. | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .S8 ser.2 |
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Stat.
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United States Statutes at Large. | Westlaw Campus and , other online, and Gov Doc AE 2.111:; Doc S 7.9:(vol.) |
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S.W.
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South Western Reporter | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .S7 |
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S.W.2d
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South Western Reporter, 2d series | Westlaw Campus and KF 135 .S7 ser.2 |
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U.S.
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U.S. Supreme Court Reports | Westlaw Campus and Doc Ju 6.8:(vol.) |
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U.S.C.A.
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United States Code Annotated | Westlaw Campus and, online at http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/cong013.html, and Ref KF 62 1927 |
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A Note about Databases: The databases are available from the campus network; on the Library's homepage, select Databases: Alphabetical ; remote access is available to the ISU community. To obtain remote access instructions, connect to ISU's Proxy Services page.
Westlaw Campus database: This database, and the Academic Universe/Legal Research link below, are your primary access points for all online legal research. See also Westlaw KeyCite below. Westlaw provides online access to all case Reporters [courts in all 50 states, D.C., and the federal courts since 1654]; laws from all 50 states and federal statusts published inthe US Code Annotated, and other legal resources. Access to secondary sources includes American Jurisprudence 2d, a comprehensive encyclopedia of state and federal law; American Law Reports, articles that summarize and analyze court decisions on a particular legal issue; hundreds of journals and law reviews from leading law schools. Key Numbering is included. You can search two different ways, either 'Natural Language', or via 'Terms and Connectors' [aka Keyword/Boolean]. Read the Help Screens. Email is currently not a feature of Westlaw Campus; however, you can use your web-based email (e.g., Portal's email, but not Pmail) in another Browser window, and use the Cut/Paste commands.What journals and law reviews are included? If you want to verify a specific title, go directly to http://directory.westlaw.com. Select WestlawPRO and Westlaw Libraries. Then WestlawPRO Analytical Products, Forms & Libraries. Then Journals and Law Reviews. Then Journals and Law Reviews by Title.
Westlaw Campus' Keysearch is a BIG topic guide, like Yahoo. Select a category, then further sub-categories, then run your search to get very specific listings.
Academic Universe database-- Legal Research
- Legal News (articles from legal newspapers, magazines & newsletters)
- Law Reviews
- Case Law: Get a Case (federal & state legal cases), Federal Case Law (decisions from all federal court levels), State Case Law, (state high court & appellate decisions), Area of Law by Topic (cases on a variety of topics)
- Codes & Regulations:
- Federal Code (Federal Code, U.S. Constitution & court rules);
- Federal Regulations (Federal regulations, agency opinions & US; Attorney General Opinions);
- State Codes (statutory laws, court rules from all states & Attorneys General opinions from all states);
- EU Law (CELEX) (European Union law);
Tax Law (the IRS Bulletin, tax regulations & more )
WWW Virtual Library -- Law http://www.law.indiana.edu/law/lawindex.html --This site provides links to numerous and varied sites including: law schools; law firms; legal topics; law codes (international, federal, state); case law and law journals.
FindLaw http://www.findlaw.com/ -- Internet Legal Resources; looks like Yahoo
Law Engine: http://www.fastsearch.com/law/
Laws Online (bills itself as the premiere listing of World Wide Web sites dealing with all aspects of law: http://www.lawsonline.com/
Internet Legal Research Compass: http://vls.law.vill.edu/compass/
Internet Law Library: http://www.priweb.com/internetlawlib/1.htm
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Thomas http://thomas.loc.gov -- Current Congressional session information (digests and full-text), Congressional Record, Public Laws [93rd Congress to present]; Bill summaries [93rd to present]; Bill text [101-present].
Older access via LOCIS [Library of Congress Information Systems] telnet://locis.loc.gov -- includes access points to Federal legislation (1981-1998) and to Congressional sessions (1973-1998).
U.S. CODE ANNOTATED -- Westlaw Campus, and http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/cong013.html and U.S. CODE -- GovernmentDocuments U.S. Y 1.2/5:
Laws are first issued as individual documents, called slip laws [Documents U.S. AE 2.110:]. These individual slip laws are later bound chronologically into the Statutes at Large [Documents U.S. AE 2.111:], which include a very basic subject index for each volume. Public laws enacted from the 104th Congress onwards will be found at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/nara005.html. In addition, public laws from 1973 - 1996 are available at http://thomas.loc.gov/ All current laws are also arranged by subject into titles and republished in the U.S. Code http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/cong013.html . [look for Popular Name Table in Index]
Internet Law Library http://www.lawguru.com/ilawlib
[replaces the US House of
Representatives Internet Law Library, which was discontinued
5/28/99]
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Federal Courts Home Page: http://www.uscourts.gov/
Federal Courts/Circuit Courts: http://www.law.emory.edu/FEDCTS/
Federal Court Locator: http://www.law.vill.edu:80/Fed-Ct/fedcourt.html
US Supreme Court: http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/index.html-- includes links to 1937-75 Decisions via FedWorld
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State Law: http://www.washlaw.edu-- (searchable by state or by keyword)
State Court Locator: http://vls.law.vill.edu/Locator/statecourt/index.htm
State & Local Government on the Net:
http://www.piperinfo.com/state/states.html
Westlaw Campus' searcy by All State Cases contains documents dated after 1944 from the state or
local courts of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For a complete listing of the sources, click on the green I [Information] icon next to each search set. It does not include documents from Territorial courts. A document is a case (a decision or order) decided by the courts. State Jurisdications allows you to select an individual state to search, as does State Administrative Codes and State Statutes.
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Current session information http://www.ai.org/legislative/ -- (digests and full-text) via Indiana Access
Indiana Legal Information http://www.law.indiana.edu/law/research/lindiana.html -- Indiana code, constitution, courts]
Westlaw Campus' State Jurisdictions allows you to select Indiana, as does the State Administrative Codes and State Statutes.
State Constitution: you can locate the annotated version of this via Westlaw Campus' State Constitutions link.
West's Annotated Indiana Code -- Westlaw Campus -- Similar to the U.S. Code; Annotated; divided into titles (e.g., Title 22, Article 8 is Occupational Health and Safety Laws); each volume updated by pocket parts (inside back cover); cumulative index volumes. The Indiana Code can be found at http://www.ai.org/legislative/ic/code/ [PDF files].
Indiana Administrative Code-- Reference KFI 3035 1984 .A28 -- Indiana's equivalent of the Code of Federal Regulations; also divided into titles (e.g., Title 610 is Labor; Title 620 is Occupational Safety Standards Commission); cumulative index volumes. See also http://www.IN.gov/legislative/iac/. [WordPerfect 8 files]
Supreme Court of
Indiana
see also Judicial
Opinions;
including Archives;
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| Other Library-based Resources | Index to Legal Periodicals [& Books] (index to law literature), 1926-present -- Reference KF 8 .I5x [includes tables of cases]; caution: headings are very broad; materials may be available in the Library's collections: access LUIS Online Catalog: Author/Title/Subject Search --> Journal Title search; may be available via ProQuest (LUIS will indicate), or via Academic Universe databases (will have to access Academic Universe's sections listed above and check the Sources links) or via Westlaw Campus |
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| LUIS Online Catalog
or from the Library homepage How to use LUIS |
Library materials devoted to Legal Research, Criminology, etc. are available throughout the Library. Use Subject and/or Keyword searching to discover our local holdings. | Library of Congress categories, generally:
J=Political Science
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Print: Do a LUIS Journal
Title search for specific titles. In some cases you will also be linked
directly to an online, full-text subscription. ISU holdings will be
indicated
as current issue, bound volumes, microfilm, etc.
Academic Universe/Legal Research: Select either Legal News or Law Reviews. You can access the Source Listing under each category to see what specific titles are covered. All results will be full-text. Westlaw Campus: To search the journal literature, select the Journals and Law Reviews category under Encyclopedias. You can choose to search by a specific state, or by All journal holdings. All results will be full-text. What journals and law reviews are included? If you want to verify a specific title, go directly to http://directory.westlaw.com. Select WestlawPRO and Westlaw Libraries. Then WestlawPRO Analytical Products, Forms & Libraries. Then Journals and Law Reviews. Then Journals and Law Reviews by Title. ProQuest indexes and provides
full-text coverage of a number of legal titles. You can do a publication
search for a specific title [most should be linked from LUIS] via Search
Methods --> Publication.. You can also do a general search; e.g., enter
the word 'law', and a complete listing of publications with the word 'law'
anywhere in the title will appear. PQ will indicate if full-text or
indexed
only [129 titles as of 8/01].
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Citators help researchers to evaluate cases and statutes -- giving their latest status -- and help locate authorities.
Shepard’s Citations titles include:
- Shepard’s United States Citations -- Reference KF 101.2 .S54 covers US Statutes (STAT and USC); court rules, treaties, US Supreme Court cases from US, L.Ed.2nd and S.Ct
- Shepard’s Federal Citations -- Reference KF 105.2 .S42 covers F., F.2nd , F .3rd, F.supp. F.R.D.
- Shepard’s State Citators -- there is one for each state; e.g., Shepard’s Indiana: Reference KFI 3059 .S55
How To Do It [Print]
Start with a case, like United States V. Hudspeth, 384 F.2nd
683
this is your cited case
- Go to the appropriate Shepard’s set (this case requires the use of Shepard’s Federal Citations).
- Find the volume that covers F.2n 201-390, i.e., the 1969 volume which contains 384 F.2nd.
- Open your volume. Volume numbers are indicated on tops of pages and in columns.
- When you find the page(s) where 384 is listed, look down the columns for the number 683. You may nor may not find listings for your specific case. If you don’t, proceed to the next volume on the shelf and start over. When you find your listing it will look like this:
Cir.8
400F2nd8381
Cir.9
411 F2nd3904
and so on
These are your citing cases
Citing cases will give one of the following:5. Write down all the citations you find, volume after volume. As you approach the present, be sure to check all paper supplements as well.
2 history of the case; letter abbreviations indicate what happened to the case on appeal:
a affirmed on appeal
D dismissed on appeal
r reversed on appeal
c a case criticized the cited case
f a case followed the cited case
o a case overruled the cited case
q a case questioned the cited case
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Westlaw Keycite [online, in Library
only]. Access via Databases/Alphabetical.
Note information on screen:
Password=2766521HRJC
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The ISU Library will not always have the materials you need. The sooner you begin your research, the sooner you will discover what materials, if any, you need to get from somewhere else. You have several options:
Online Catalogs Within Indiana: Use the Other Libraries links explore other Indiana college libraries. Your Sycamore ID allows you check-out privileges at these universities, if you choose to go in person. Return materials to the ISU Library Interlibrary Loan Office and we will return them for you (be sure to do this well in advance of the other library’s due date)
Normally, you will probably just identify the items and then turn in with complete information to Interlibrary Loan (below).
Average turnaround time is 7-10 working days, so plan accordingly. Some limits to the number of requests per person per week do apply; for more information, inquire in the Interlibrary Loan office (open 8-4:30, Monday - Friday). Pick up materials at the Check-out Desk.
FirstSearch (OCLC) and Ingenta: Both of these electronic databases let you search for journal articles from a large selection of journals. FirstSearch searches articles in 12,500 periodicals allows you to email your interlibrary loan request directly to the ISU Interlibrary Loan Office. UnCover allows you to search 17,000 periodical titles, and then email the citations to yourself. Check LUIS for local holdings. Use ISU's Electronic Interlibrary Loan forms to request materials.
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Please link to Introduction to Basic Legal Citation (2000-2001 ed.) by Peter W. Martin (Cornell Law School), based on the Seventeenth Edition of the "Bluebook."
See also Legal Research and Citation Style in USA by Ronald B. Standler, a Massachusetts attorney.
Academic Universe makes the following suggestions:
Fullilove v. Klutznick. 448 U.S. 448. 448-554. No. 78-1007. US Supreme Court. 1980. Online. LEXIS-NEXIS® Academic Universe. (5 August 1999).
APA lists the case title, U.S. Reports citation, year of decision, and Internet address.
Fullilove v. Klutznick, 448 U.S. 448 (1980) [Online] Available: http://www.lexis-nexis.com/universe.
U.S. Code: MLA lists the title number, statute book of the U.S. Code,
section, year, publication medium, name of computer service, and date of
access.
42 US Code. Sec. 405. 1998. Online. LEXIS-NEXIS®
Academic Universe. 5 August 1999.
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Subject Browsers
Many of the subject browsers on the web side of the internet make links to crime, law and justice resources. They include:
Galaxy: http://galaxy.einet.net/
Lycos -- Law & Lawyers:http://www.lycos.com/wguide/network/net_144086.html
Lycos -- Government: http://www.lycos.com/wguide/network/net_484485.html
WWW Virtual Library: http://www.w3.org/hypertext/DataSources/bySubject/Overview.html
Galaxy: http://www.galaxy.com/galaxy/Government/Law.html
Librarian's Index to the Internet:http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/InternetIndex/2/law.html
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Legal Online[links
to court and legal sites]:
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http://www.legalonline.com/ |
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UN Crime and Justice
Information Network and Links to Related
Sites:
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http://www.uncjin.org/ |
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US Department of
Justice
and PAVNET link:
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http://www.usdoj.gov/ |
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NCJRS:
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http://ncjrs.aspensys.com |
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Bureau of Justice
Statistics:
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http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ |
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National Archive of
Criminal Justice Data:
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http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACJD/home.html |
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FBI and Links to
Uniform
Crime Report, Yearly Crime Statistics, and Law Enforcement
Bulletin:
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http://www.fbi.gov/ |
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Police Resource
List:
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http://police.sas.ab.ca/prl/index.html |
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CopNet:
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http://www.copnet.com |
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Criminal Justice
Links
(from Florida State University):
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http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/cj.html |
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Law
Index:
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http://www.law.indiana.edu/law/v-lib/lawindex.html |
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Guide to
Multinational
& International Legal Sources
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http://lcweb2.loc.gov/glin/x-multi.html |
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Law News Network:
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http://www.lawnewsnetwork.com/ |
Marsha.Miller@indstate.edu |
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