Legal Research Process and Sources

George William Hopper Law Library

This Session Introduction to legal sources Introduction to legal sources Free Internet sites for access to these sources Free Internet sites for access to these sources Commercial database searching Commercial database searching

Sources of Law

Case Law Reporters and Digests West’s National Reporter System West’s National Reporter System Reporters Reporters Case law arranged chronologically Case law arranged chronologically Digest Digest Subject access to cases within the reporters Subject access to cases within the reporters

Case Law Wyoming Jurisdictions Supreme Court Pacific Reporter Wyoming Reporter Finding Aids: Pacific Digest Wyoming Digest Trial Courts Decisions not Officially Published. Finding Aids: None

Case Law Federal Jurisdictions US Supreme CourtUS Circuit Courts of Appeal US District Courts US Supreme Court Reports Supreme Court Reporter US Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers Edition Federal ReporterFederal Supplement Finding Aids for Paper Resources Supreme Court Digest Federal Practice Digest

Reading a Case Citation P., P.2d, P.3d P., P.2d, P.3d 242 P.2d 242 P.2d 242 P.2d P.2d P.2d 460 (Wyo. 1998) 242 P.2d 460 (Wyo. 1998) 1998 WY 4, 242 P.2d WY 4, 242 P.2d 460

Other Types of Citations Primary Law Primary Law 18 USC § USC § C.F.R C.F.R Secondary Resources Secondary Resources 25 Wyo. L. Rev Wyo. L. Rev Am. Jur. 2d. 340 (Civil Procedure) 12 Am. Jur. 2d. 340 (Civil Procedure) 4 Wayne R. LaFave, Search and Seizure § 91 (4 th ed. 2004) 4 Wayne R. LaFave, Search and Seizure § 91 (4 th ed. 2004)

The Legislature: Statutes and Codes Statutes—chronological collection of bills passed during one legislative session Statutes—chronological collection of bills passed during one legislative session Codes—arrangement by topic of all current general laws of a jurisdiction. Codes—arrangement by topic of all current general laws of a jurisdiction.

Statutes and Codes Wyoming Wyoming Session Laws Wyoming Statutes Annotated Federal Statutes at Large United States Code United States Code Annotated United States Code Service

Wyoming 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 legislature. Governor signs or vetoes. Governor signs or vetoes. Bill is assigned a chapter number and enacted into law. Bill is assigned a chapter number and enacted into law. Enrolled acts are published in the Wyoming Session Laws in the order in which they are passed. Enrolled acts are published in the Wyoming Session Laws in the order in which they are passed. Session Laws are codified into Wyoming Statutes Annotated Session Laws are codified into Wyoming Statutes Annotated

Federal Legislation Various versions of text of bill Various versions of text of bill CIS fiche CIS fiche Committee and Conference Committee Reports Committee and Conference Committee Reports USCCAN, Paper monographs, Congressional Record USCCAN, Paper monographs, Congressional Record Floor Debates Floor Debates Congressional Record Congressional Record Hearings Hearings CIS fiche, Paper monographs CIS fiche, Paper monographs Passed by Houses of Congress Passed by Houses of Congress Signed by President Signed by President Papers of the President Papers of the President Published in chronological order for each legislative session Published in chronological order for each legislative session Statutes at Large Statutes at Large Codified into United States Code, including Constitution Codified into United States Code, including Constitution United States Code Annotated and United States Code Service United States Code Annotated and United States Code Service

State Administrative Materials Executive orders and proclamations Agency rules and regulations Agency decisions

Federal Agency Materials Federal Register Federal Register Code of Federal Regulations Code of Federal Regulations Agency Decisions Agency Decisions

Secondary Sources Encyclopedias Encyclopedias American Jurisprudence 2d (Am. Jur. 2d) American Jurisprudence 2d (Am. Jur. 2d) Corpus Juris Secundum (C.J.S.) Corpus Juris Secundum (C.J.S.) Law Review Articles Law Review Articles American Law Reports (A.L.R.) American Law Reports (A.L.R.) Restatements (Rest. 2d Contracts § 14) Restatements (Rest. 2d Contracts § 14)

Tips for electronic searching Google at Advanced searching helps to put the terms into context. Google at Advanced searching helps to put the terms into context. Select appropriate sites ( Select appropriate sites ( Find specialized search engines using internet browser. Find specialized search engines using internet browser.

Wyoming Materials Electronic Access Wyoming Supreme Court Decisions Wyoming Statutes and Legislation Wyoming Agency Regulations

Municipal Codes Published in paper by many Wyoming cities. Published in paper by many Wyoming cities. Available online at: Available online at:

Electronic Access to Legal Resources Findlaw Cornell State and local government

Commercial Databases Westlaw Lexis Versuslaw

Citators Shepards Shepards Westlaw/Lexis Westlaw/Lexis

Other Resources Wyoming State Library Wyoming State Library