Legal directories are locators for legal and government information. A variety of resources provide information about attorneys, law firms, legal experts, professors, government officers, corporate legal departments, legal aid organizations, and elected officials. For example, the Federal Regulatory Directory is a comprehensive guide to federal regulatory agencies. It includes citations to laws under which agencies derive their regulatory responsibilities. The United States Government Manual is a directory of federal agencies. Entries include a description of responsibilities of the agency, contacts, and references to the legislation that established the agency. The most popular legal directory is the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, which provides a listing of attorneys and law firms by state and other countries. The Martindale-Hubbell website allows for searches by lawyer, practice area, or geographic location. "Specialty directories" include information about lawyers practicing in a specific area of law and/or in specific jurisdictions.
Directories in Print (examples)
The print materials listed below link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online resources are provided when available.
Online Resources and Electronic Databases
Subscription resources marked with a padlock
are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.
FAQs
Secondary sources are materials that discuss, explain, analyze, and critique the law. They discuss the law, but are not the law itself. Secondary sources, such as Law Journals, Encyclopedias, and Treatises are a great place to start your legal research.
Where is the best place to start legal research? ›
Secondary sources are useful for putting the law into context, and often will lead a researcher to relevant legislation and cases. Secondary sources come in both print and electronic format. The best place to start legal research is with a legal encyclopedia or textbook, and then move onto journal articles.
What is the difference between primary legal resources and secondary legal resources? ›
Primary legal sources are the actual law in the form of constitutions, court cases, statutes, and administrative rules and regulations. Secondary legal sources may restate the law, but they also discuss, analyze, describe, explain, or critique it as well.
What is the best starting resource for legal research? ›
Secondary sources.
If you are researching a new legal principle or an unfamiliar area of the law, the best place to start is secondary sources, including law journals, practice guides , legal encyclopedias, and treatises.
How to search for secondary sources law? ›
Methods for Finding Secondary Sources
You can search or browse for secondary sources on Westlaw or Lexis by: Source Type (e.g., legal encyclopedia, treatise, law journal article, etc.) Jurisdiction (e.g., federal, California, etc.) Topic or Practice Area (e.g., Intellectual Property, Criminal Law, etc.)
When should you use a secondary source for legal research? ›
Secondary sources are a helpful place to start research, especially if the assigned topic is unfamiliar. Writers can save a time researching because secondary sources provide an overview of the legal issues and point to relevant primary authority.
What search engine do lawyers use? ›
Search Engines
These sources limit Web-searching to law-specific resources. Google Scholar Search Federal and State legal opinions and journals. USA.gov Search federal and state government websites. World Legal Information Institute Search engine with links to over 15,000 law-related websites all over the world.
Can I use Westlaw for free? ›
Reliable Free Primary Law Sources
The chart below lists reliable sources of primary law for the U.S. federal government and California. Note that California's online regulations and online case law are made available through "free" portals provided by Westlaw and Lexis, respectively.
What is the first step in legal research? ›
Step 1: Record the Facts of Your Case and Create a Research Plan. Handling a legal task with authority requires confidence in the process. This is true in any practice, jurisdictional setting, or level of legal expertise. A good process should start by taking time to identify and understand the facts of your case.
Why are secondary sources important law? ›
There are a number of reasons why secondary sources are so essential to the practice of law. One of the chief reasons being that secondary sources may reflect the prevailing view on how courts interpret primary sources. Some secondary sources are so authoritative that courts themselves rely on them in their rulings.
Secondary sources
- journal articles that comment on or analyse research.
- textbooks.
- dictionaries and encyclopedias.
- books that interpret, analyse.
- political commentary.
- biographies.
- dissertations.
- newspaper editorial/opinion pieces.
A secondary source contains commentary on or discussion about a primary source. The most important feature of secondary sources is that they offer an interpretation of information gathered from primary sources. Common examples of a secondary source are: Biographies.
What is an example of a secondary legal source? ›
In legal research, secondary sources refer to a variety of resources that explain, interpret, and analyze primary sources. They include legal dictionaries, encyclopedias, law reviews, American Law Reports, treatises, restatements, and jury instructions.
What are examples of a secondary source? ›
Examples of secondary sources include:
- journal articles that comment on or analyse research.
- textbooks.
- dictionaries and encyclopedias.
- books that interpret, analyse.
- political commentary.
- biographies.
- dissertations.
- newspaper editorial/opinion pieces.
Some of the most highly used secondary sources belong to the following categories: legal dictionaries, legal encyclopedias, American Law Reports, law journals, Restatements, and treatises.
Are secondary sources of law legally binding? ›
Primary sources (such as cases, statutes, and regulations) have binding authority, whereas secondary sources do not; instead, secondary sources have persuasive authority, and can be used to support your legal argument.
are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.