For instructions on researching the law itself (i.e.,statutes, regulations and court opinions), see the guides on those subjects. Check ANSWER (the online catalog) for locations of the works mentioned here.

Keep in mind that the law is constantly changing. When using legal information it is essential to be aware of the date when it was published.

Legal Encyclopedias

One work written specifically to help the layperson understand legal terms and concepts is West's Encyclopedia of American Law,a 12-volume set supplemented with yearbooks. Formatted like a basic general encyclopedia, it contains articles which range from one or two inches all the way up to several pages in length. You can look up a biographical sketch of Chief Justice John Marshall, find an explanation of the term "grandfather clause" or read about the legal rights of Native Americans.

Corpus Juris Secundumand American Jurisprudence 2dare more weighty encyclopedias of American law. Each is heavily footnoted with citations to court opinions and other sources of law, and is updated annually.

Similar encyclopedias covering Michigan law are the Michigan Law and Practice Encyclopediaand Michigan Civil Jurisprudence.

Legal Dictionaries

Good, basic information about legal terminology is found in Black's Law Dictionary, Seventh Edition. While more concise than an encyclopedia, Black'scontains many definitions far more extensive than the usual dictionary entry.

Other subject-oriented dictionaries in the law library include the Constitutional Law Dictionary, The Oxford Dictionary of American Legal Quotations,the New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics and the Law,and Labor, Employment and the Law: a Dictionary.

Periodical Articles

A wealth of information about the law is found in law reviews, bar journals and legal newspapers. Our two CD-ROM indexes, LegalTrac and Wilsondisc:Index to Legal Periodicals, are designed to help you locate relevant articles in these periodicals. They cover approximately the last two decades. To search for earlier articles, try the hardcopy Index to Legal Periodicals, which goes back to the beginning of the 20th century. For further information about our periodical collection, see "How to Find Articles in Legal Periodicals."

Books About the Law

You may wish to use ANSWER to search the holdings of the law library, and also of the Library of Michigan, for books which give a more extensive treatment of your topic than do encyclopedias, dictionaries or periodical articles. Access ANSWER at http://answercat.org. Follow the on-screen instructions to search by keyword, author, title or subject.

Although most of our books are purchased with lawyers in mind, many can be understood by the layperson. For example, the (Michigan) Institute of Continuing Legal Education publishes manuals on a wide variety of legal topics. They include Michigan Family Law, 5th ed.,Bankruptcy Law and Practice in Michigan, 2nd ed.,Michigan Environmental Law Deskbook and Advising the Older Client.

Ask the reference staff for additional suggestions.

Updated 02/09/2010