1. Legal Research Process and Sources

2. George William Hopper Law Library http://uwyo.edu/LawLib http://uwyo.edu/LawLib

3. 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

4. Sources of Law

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

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

9. Other Types of Citations Primary Law Primary Law 18 USC § 2.68 18 USC § 2.68 42 C.F.R. 14.184 42 C.F.R. 14.184 Secondary Resources Secondary Resources 25 Wyo. L. Rev. 281 25 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 § 91 (4 th ed. 2004) 4 Wayne R. LaFave, Search and Seizure § 91 (4 th ed. 2004)

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

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

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

16. 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)

17. Tips for electronic searching Google at http://google.com Advanced searching helps to put the terms into context. Google at http://google.com Advanced searching helps to put the terms into context.http://google.com Select appropriate sites (http://thomas.loc.gov) Select appropriate sites (http://thomas.loc.gov)http://thomas.loc.gov Find specialized search engines using internet browser. http://www.google.com Find specialized search engines using internet browser. http://www.google.com http://www.google.com

18. Wyoming Materials Electronic Access Wyoming Supreme Court Decisions http://www.courts.state.wy.us Wyoming Statutes and Legislation http://legisweb.state.wy.us Wyoming Agency Regulations http://soswy.state.wy.us/rules/rules.htm

19. Municipal Codes Published in paper by many Wyoming cities. Published in paper by many Wyoming cities. Available online at: Available online at: http://www.statelocalgov.net http://findlaw.com http://municipalcodes.lexisnexis.com/ http://municipalcodes.lexisnexis.com/http://municipalcodes.lexisnexis.com/

20. Electronic Access to Legal Resources Findlaw www.findlaw.com www.findlaw.com Cornell www.law.cornell.edu www.law.cornell.edu State and local government www.statelocalgov.net www.statelocalgov.net

21. Commercial Databases Westlaw www.lawschool.westlaw.com www.lawschool.westlaw.com Lexis www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool Versuslaw http://lawferret.uwyo.edu http://lawferret.uwyo.edu

22. Citators Shepards Shepards Westlaw/Lexis Westlaw/Lexis

23. Other Resources Wyoming State Library Wyoming State Library http://wyld.state.wy.us http://wyld.state.wy.us http://wyld.state.wy.us