Library Guides: Legal Research: Welcome to Legal Research

This Guide's Contents

Use this page to get a basic understanding of the kinds of documents to look for when doing legal research.

Use this if you are having trouble with considering search terms.

Tips and tricks specifically aimed at improving legal research in HeinOnline.

Have trouble accessing this video or request a transcript? Contact kadelezenski@salisbury.edu

HeinOnline Academic This link opens in a new window
HeinOnline is the world's largest fully searchable, image-based government document and legal research database. It contains comprehensive coverage from inception of U.S. statutory materials, U.S. Congressional Documents and more than 2,600 scholarly journals. HeinOnline provides topic specific databases including all of the world's constitutions, all U.S. treaties, collections of classic treatises and presidential documents, Criminal Justice, Religion and the Law, and Women and the Law among others. Full text of state and federal case law powered by Fastcase is included.

Google Scholar Case Law Database
Be sure to click the button next to 'Case law' below the search bar to search for legal cases. Google Scholar is a great source for case law, but if you desire law journals, try HeinOnline.

Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new window
Academic Search Ultimate offers access to an unprecedented collection of resources including journals, magazines, reports, books, and videos. Many are peer-reviewed and full-text. Subjects range from astronomy to zoology.
Parry & Grant Encyclopedic Dictionary of International Law, 3rd ed. 2009 This link opens in a new window
A one volume starting point for international legal questions on diplomatic law, criminal law, human rights, and more. Entries allow the reader to form a deeper understanding than a mere definition could supply on legal terms, significant doctrines, prominent cases & decisions, important incidents, and treaties & conventions. Provides references for further research.