Legal Research in a Nutshell
by Morris L. Cohen, Kent C. Olson · Morris L. Cohen
A concise guide to legal research methodology covering primary and secondary sources, online databases, legislative history, administrative law, and international and comparative law research, written for law students and practicing attorneys.
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More resources on Legal Research
law.cornell.edu
Cornell Law’s Legal Information Institute (LII) offers free, searchable primary legal materials—such as Supreme Court opinions, the U.S. Code, the Code of Federal Regulations, and the Constitution—and practical legal-research guides and tutorials for students and researchers.
Caselaw Access Project
A free digitized collection of over 6.7 million U.S. court decisions spanning more than 360 years, compiled from Harvard Law School's library, offering searchable full-text access to historical and modern published case law.
Google Scholar (Legal)
A free search engine covering U.S. and international case law, court opinions, and legal journals, letting users search by citation, keyword, or court, and track how later cases cite a given opinion.
CourtListener
A free legal database run by the nonprofit Free Law Project, providing millions of court opinions, oral argument recordings, and PACER docket alerts, used by practitioners as a low-cost alternative to paid research tools.
Legal Research Fundamentals
Master legal research! This Quimbee course covers essential skills for finding and analyzing legal information effectively.
Legal Research Lessons
Master legal-research skills with lessons from various faculty! Explore statutes, case law, and secondary sources.