Legal ResearchLegal Research

Process and SourcesProcess and Sources

George William Hopper George William Hopper Law LibraryLaw Library

http://uwyo.edu/LawLibhttp://uwyo.edu/LawLib

This SessionThis Session

Introduction to legal sourcesIntroduction to legal sources Free Internet sites for access to Free Internet sites for access to

these sourcesthese sources Commercial database searchingCommercial database searching

Sources of LawSources of Law

Judicial Legislative Types of Laws

Executive

Decisions BillsStatutes Constitution Resources

Regulations and Executive Orders

Reporters

Codes Administrative Code

Case LawCase LawReporters and DigestsReporters and Digests

West’s National Reporter SystemWest’s National Reporter System ReportersReporters

Case law arranged chronologicallyCase law arranged chronologically DigestDigest

Subject access to cases within the Subject access to cases within the reportersreporters

Case LawCase LawWyoming JurisdictionsWyoming Jurisdictions

Supreme CourtSupreme CourtPacific ReporterPacific Reporter

Wyoming ReporterWyoming Reporter

Finding Aids:Finding Aids:Pacific DigestPacific Digest

Wyoming DigestWyoming Digest

Trial CourtsTrial CourtsDecisions not Decisions not

Officially Officially Published.Published.

Finding Aids:Finding Aids:NoneNone

Case LawFederal Jurisdictions

US Supreme Court US Circuit Courts of Appeal

US District Courts

US Supreme Court ReportsSupreme Court ReporterUS Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers Edition

Federal Reporter Federal Supplement

Finding Aids for Paper Resources

Supreme Court DigestFederal Practice Digest

Federal Practice Digest

Federal Practice Digest

Reading a Case CitationReading a Case Citation

P., P.2d, P.3dP., P.2d, P.3d 242 P.2d 242 P.2d 242 P.2d 460242 P.2d 460 242 P.2d 460 (Wyo. 1998)242 P.2d 460 (Wyo. 1998) 1998 WY 4, 242 P.2d 4601998 WY 4, 242 P.2d 460

Other Types of CitationsOther Types of Citations

Primary LawPrimary Law 18 USC § 2.6818 USC § 2.68 42 C.F.R. 14.18442 C.F.R. 14.184

Secondary ResourcesSecondary Resources 25 Wyo. L. Rev. 28125 Wyo. L. Rev. 281 12 Am. Jur. 2d. 340 (Civil Procedure)12 Am. Jur. 2d. 340 (Civil Procedure) 4 Wayne R. LaFave, Search and Seizure 4 Wayne R. LaFave, Search and Seizure

§ 91 (4§ 91 (4thth ed. 2004) ed. 2004)

The Legislature:The Legislature:Statutes and CodesStatutes and Codes

Statutes—chronological Statutes—chronological collection of bills passed collection of bills passed during one legislative sessionduring one legislative session

Codes—arrangement by topic Codes—arrangement by topic of all current general laws of of all current general laws of a jurisdiction.a jurisdiction.

Statutes and CodesStatutes and Codes

WyomingWyoming

Wyoming Session Wyoming Session LawsLaws

Wyoming Statutes Wyoming Statutes AnnotatedAnnotated

FederalFederal

Statutes at LargeStatutes at Large

United States CodeUnited States Code

United States Code United States Code AnnotatedAnnotated

United States Code United States Code ServiceService

Wyoming LegislationWyoming Legislation Bill is drafted. Bill is drafted. Bill number is assigned. Bill number is assigned. Bill is introduced.Bill is introduced. Bill is referred to Committee. Bill is referred to Committee. Bill is referred to conference committee.Bill is referred to conference committee.

Bill is passed by individual houses of the Bill is passed by individual houses of the legislature. legislature.

Governor signs or vetoes.Governor signs or vetoes. Bill is assigned a chapter number and enacted Bill is assigned a chapter number and enacted

into law.into law. Enrolled actsEnrolled acts are published in the are published in the Wyoming Wyoming

Session Laws Session Laws in the order in which they are in the order in which they are passed. passed.

Session Laws are codified into Session Laws are codified into Wyoming Wyoming Statutes AnnotatedStatutes Annotated

Federal LegislationFederal Legislation Various versions of text of billVarious versions of text of bill

CIS ficheCIS fiche Committee and Conference Committee ReportsCommittee and Conference Committee Reports

USCCAN, Paper monographs, Congressional RecordUSCCAN, Paper monographs, Congressional Record Floor DebatesFloor Debates

Congressional RecordCongressional Record HearingsHearings

CIS fiche, Paper monographsCIS fiche, Paper monographs Passed by Houses of CongressPassed by Houses of Congress Signed by PresidentSigned by President

Papers of the PresidentPapers of the President Published in chronological order for each legislative Published in chronological order for each legislative

sessionsession Statutes at LargeStatutes at Large

Codified into United States Code, including ConstitutionCodified into United States Code, including Constitution United States Code Annotated and United States Code United States Code Annotated and United States Code

ServiceService

State Administrative State Administrative MaterialsMaterials

Executive orders and Executive orders and proclamationsproclamations

Agency rules and Agency rules and regulationsregulations

Agency decisionsAgency decisions

Federal Agency MaterialsFederal Agency Materials

Federal RegisterFederal Register Code of Federal RegulationsCode of Federal Regulations

Agency DecisionsAgency Decisions

Secondary SourcesSecondary Sources

EncyclopediasEncyclopedias American Jurisprudence 2d (Am. American Jurisprudence 2d (Am.

Jur. 2d)Jur. 2d) Corpus Juris Secundum (C.J.S.)Corpus Juris Secundum (C.J.S.)

Law Review ArticlesLaw Review Articles American Law Reports (A.L.R.)American Law Reports (A.L.R.) Restatements (Rest. 2d Contracts § Restatements (Rest. 2d Contracts §

14)14)

Tips for electronic Tips for electronic searchingsearching

Google at http://google.com Google at http://google.com Advanced searching helps Advanced searching helps to put the terms into to put the terms into context.context.

Select appropriate sites Select appropriate sites (http://thomas.loc.gov)(http://thomas.loc.gov)

Find specialized search Find specialized search engines using internet engines using internet browser. browser. http://www.google.comhttp://www.google.com

Wyoming Materials Wyoming Materials Electronic AccessElectronic Access

Wyoming Supreme Court DecisionsWyoming Supreme Court Decisions

http://www.courts.state.wy.us http://www.courts.state.wy.us

Wyoming Statutes and LegislationWyoming Statutes and Legislation

http://legisweb.state.wy.ushttp://legisweb.state.wy.us

Wyoming Agency RegulationsWyoming Agency Regulations

http://soswy.state.wy.us/rules/http://soswy.state.wy.us/rules/rules.htmrules.htm

Municipal CodesMunicipal Codes

Published in paper by many Published in paper by many Wyoming cities.Wyoming cities.

Available online at:Available online at:

http://www.statelocalgov.nethttp://www.statelocalgov.net

http://findlaw.comhttp://findlaw.com

http://http://municipalcodes.lexisnexis.communicipalcodes.lexisnexis.com//

Electronic Access to Electronic Access to Legal ResourcesLegal Resources

Findlaw www.findlaw.comFindlaw www.findlaw.com

Cornell www.law.cornell.edu Cornell www.law.cornell.edu

State and local government State and local government www.statelocalgov.netwww.statelocalgov.net

Commercial DatabasesCommercial Databases

Westlaw Westlaw www.lawschool.westlaw.comwww.lawschool.westlaw.com

Lexis Lexis www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool

Versuslaw http://lawferret.uwyo.edu Versuslaw http://lawferret.uwyo.edu

CitatorsCitators

ShepardsShepards Westlaw/LexisWestlaw/Lexis

Other ResourcesOther Resources

Wyoming State LibraryWyoming State Libraryhttp://wyld.state.wy.ushttp://wyld.state.wy.us