Law and Legal Research

Where do you go for background information on law, legal, policy, or court cases? Try some of these resources to start, depending on what you are looking for. 

• CQ Researcher : a source for original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news. Founded in 1923, CQ Researcher is noted for its in-depth, unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the economy. Each single-themed, 12,000-word report is researched and written by a seasoned journalist and provides an overview, pro-con debates, background and chronology, and assessment of the current situation.
• Nexis Uni : offers a content collection of over 15,000 news, legal and business sources. 
• Newspaper Source : provides full text for over 60 US and international newspapers. Also includes selective full text for 320 regional US newspapers.  
• CRS Reports : written by the non-partisan Congressional Research Services, these reports provide a wealth of background and current information on legislation including how specific policies changed over time.  You'll find very useful information in CRS reports such as...
  • Legislative histories (how laws changed over time)
  • Citations for legislation, court cases, etc.
  • Data and graphics with the source information
• LAW Library of Congress : Congress established its Law Library in 1832, recognizing its need for ready access to reliable legal materials. The Law Library has grown over the years to become the world’s largest law library, with a collection of over 2.9 million volumes spanning the ages and covering virtually every jurisdiction in the world.
  • Their law research resource guide
  • Provides one on one assistance through their "Ask a Librarian" feature (see the bottom of the page)
  • Similar to CRS Reports, the Library of Congress writes background research on topics for Congress. You can see current topical reports on this page (they also link to historical reports)
  • They provide several electronic resources under "Law" which are roughly divided by topic such as "American", "Historic", "Religious", "Tribal" and "International" law. 
• See the "Law: Beginners Guides" for several topical research guides put together by the Library of Congress on different legal topics such as employment, immigration, LGBTQ+, and more!