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Legal Information

Discover the nuances of legal information sources in academic and public libraries. Learn about legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and access directories, DIY sources, legislative materials, case law, and practical tips for legal research.

jamescollins
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Legal Information

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  1. Legal Information Thursday, March 23, 2006

  2. Academic Library Assignments Research/Exercises Big picture issues Standard sources Public Library Problem solving Practical/Applied Real life issues Sources depend on need Often involvereferrals Legal InformationAcademic vs. Public Libraries

  3. Types of Legal Information • Definitions of terms • Rules/Procedures • Case histories • Opinions • Text of the law • Forms • Primary & secondary sources

  4. “I’m just a bill…”

  5. Legislative BranchWhere the Laws Are Made • Federal  Congress • Federal statutes, public laws • U.S. Code • State  General Assembly • State codes • Indiana Code • Local/Municipal  Council, Mayor, etc. • Municipal codes • Meetings, hearings, public forms

  6. Executive BranchAdministrative & Regulatory Decisions • Federal  President, Executive Orders • Federal agencies (vast powers) • Power derived from statutes • Powers limited/regulated by federal courts • State • INDOT, DNR • Local • Health/Building inspectors

  7. Judicial BranchInterpretation of the Law • Federal • Supreme Court, other federal courts • Handle case law • Responsible for interpreting the “constitutionality” of laws • State • Similar structure, cases move to the federal level via appeals • Local • Small claims, criminal courts • Most pro se occurs at this level

  8. Legal InformationGeneral Sources • Encyclopedias & Dictionaries • West’s Encyclopedia of American Law • Black’s Law Dictionary (West pub.) • Legal Encyclopedias • Corpus Juris Secundum (C.J.S.) • American Jurisprudence 2d. (Am. Jur. 2d) • Web Resources • Legal Information Institute (Cornell) • GPO Access (Govt. Printing Office) • Good for info on the Constitution • FirstGov.gov

  9. Legal InformationDirectories • Martindale Hubbel Law Directory • Includes alphabetical index and area of practice index • Online and print • Multi-volume, issued annually • West’s Legal Directory • Browse by state or area of practice • Online only • http://lawyers.findlaw.com/lawyer/

  10. Legal InformationDo-It-Yourself Sources • Build your own • Maintain a file of commonly requested forms • Indiana Self-Help Legal Center • Available through the state website • Midwest Transaction Guide • Usually used for guardianship forms • NOLO Press • Pro se legal guides • Good idea to maintain a collection of these

  11. Legal InformationLegislative Sources (Bills, Resolutions, Statutes) • Print resources • U.S. Code • Slip law • Statutes-at-Large • Public laws • Electronic resources • GPO Access • Thomas • Importance of understanding citations

  12. Legal InformationCase Law • For the non-lawyer, this can be very difficult • Usually involves tracing the history of a case • Citation-orientated • Subject searching is best done with general sources • Take a course on legal bibliography

  13. Legal ReferenceIn the Academic Library • The goal is to locate a citation • All legislation is linked by citations • Students often have the name of the case, but not the citation • General sources are a good place to start • Especially if you have no citation • Most students will be clueless • Difference between codes, statutes, and regulations • The effort involved in doing legal research

  14. Legal ReferenceIn the Public Library • Make sure the patron understands the limitations placed on you • Refer them to experts • Maintain a community information file • Know what you have and what good it will do • Maintain a strong pro se collection • Maintain local sources

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