Start - Law - United States, General - Research Guides at University of Oregon Libraries

Starting Your Research

The following is a selected list of resources for starting research in law. For further assistance, email lawref@uoregon.edu.

These sources can help you identify a topic for your research. Some provide an overview of a specific issue and suggest other materials which might be useful for your research. Others help you to notice a topic that might be of interest to you.

Dictionaries
These sources can help you understand legal terminology:

Black's Law Dictionary (12th Ed.) by Bryan A. Garner
Call Number: KF156 .B53 2024 (Reference - Ask at Desk)

ISBN: 9798350290899

Publication Date: 2024-06-04

Black's Law Dictionary 12th edition contains over 65,000 legal terms, each clearly and precisely defined in plain English.
A Dictionary of Law (10th Ed.) by Jonathan Law (Editor)
Call Number: KD313 .C66 (Reference - Ask at Desk)

ISBN: 9780192897497

Publication Date: 2022-06-17

The tenth edition features over 4,900 clear and concise definitions on major terms, concepts, and processes within the English legal system, and is a useful source of information for any of the many countries that base their legal system on English law. Also available online.

Nolo's Free Dictionary of Law Terms and Legal Definitions
Find plain-English definitions for legal terms by browsing Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary.

Encyclopedias
These sources provide an overview of major legal subjects, concepts and events:

Corpus Juris Secundum
Cited and quoted as authority in courtrooms across the country, C.J.S., a national legal encyclopedia, covers state and federal legal topics from A to Z. General rules of law are summarized in blackletter law headings and expanded upon in the text. The book also provides the limitations and exceptions to the rules where appropriate. Since the citations and the supporting cases involve both state and federal courts, the user gets a full perspective of the law in a local jurisdiction as well as across the country. Available through Westlaw Campus Research.
American Jurisprudence 2d
Am. Jur. 2d is a comprehensive national legal encyclopedia covering both state and federal legal topics. Available through Westlaw Campus Research.

Law - United States, General

Starting Your Research

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