Reference Resources: Law

101 Law Forms For Personal Use
This 2007 volume (6th edition) contains forms for bills of sale, wills, power of attorney, renting, various contracts, etc.
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American Law Yearbook
Above is a link to the most recent edition (2008) of this annual update to West's Encyclopedia of American Law. The Yearbook updates earlier coverage and introduces emerging issues.
We also have these previous editions: 2007 2006 2005
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Annual Review Of Law And Social Science
Annual overview/synthesis of important topics in "theory and research on law." Publication began with the December 2005 issue and all materials should be available in full-text form. Additional Annual Review series are accessible here.
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Ballentine's Law Dictionary
Third edition (1969) contains over 40,000 definitions of legal term "based on the actual construction of those terms by courts of last resort, with each case cited to the page on which the definition appears."
The library also has a printed copy.
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Constitution Finder
Current and past constitutions, charters, amendments, and other related documents for nations around the world.
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Constitution Of The United States Of America -- Analysis And Interpretation
Also known as the Annotated Constitution, this valuable resource is an ongoing overview and analysis of judicial interpretations of each article of the U.S. Constitution and each amendment, as well as other materials, with supporting legal references.
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Constitutions Of The World
Third edition (2007) surveys about 100 nations, summarizing constitutional history and salient points of the latest form of the document. However, to see the actual complete texts of constitutional documents, check the University of Richmond's Constitution Finder.
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Court Web Sites
Excellent collection of links "provides judicial branch links for each state, focusing on the administrative office of the courts, the court of last resort, any intermediate appellate courts, and each trial court level."
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Crimes And Trials Of The Century
Two-volume set (2007) contains chronologically-arranged accounts of about 35 trials of the past century, beginning with the Black Sox scandal (1919) and continuing to the 21st-century Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal.
The above link takes you to Volume 1, with coverage through the 1971 Attica uprising, while Volume 2 spans the past 35 years.
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Digest Of Motor Laws
Fairly up-to-date database of U.S. state driving-related laws concerning alcohol, speed limits, etc.
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Encyclopedia Of Education Law
2008 volume is "intended to be a comprehensive source on education law... The primary focus is on developments since Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. At the same time, because education law is a component in a much larger legal system, the encyclopedia includes entries on the historical development of the laws that impact education." Alphabetically-arranged signed entries cover court cases, controversial issues, individuals, concepts, etc.
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Encyclopedia Of Law Enforcement
The three volumes of this 2004 set are divided into "State and Local," "Federal," and "International" law enforcment, with a total of over 400 signed essays on legislation and legal issues, police conduct and procedures, terrorism, victims, and more, You can see a list of entries for each volume here.
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Encyclopedia Of United States Indian Policy And Law
Published as a two-volume set in 2008, this resources contains signed entries by about 200 scholars and experts on "tatutes, rules, regulations, tribal laws, treaties, and agency and judicial decisions that make up Indian law and federal Indian relations," as well as key individuals, concepts such as sovereignty and assimilation, military policy and wars, and the impact of U.S. policies on Native culture and society.
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Encyclopedia Of The American Constitution
This six-volume set is the second edition (2000) of the pre-eminent encyclopedia on all aspects of constitutional law. You can see a PDF copy of the table of contents here.
Funding was made possible by a gift in memory of Lewis P. Nelson III, Class of 1961.
The library also has a printed copy of the multi-volume set in its collection.
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Encyclopedia Of The First Amendment
Published as a two-volume set in 2008, this resource contains entries up to 1,500 words in length on the First Amendment's freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition in American history, politics, law, and culture.
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Encyclopedia Of The Supreme Court Of The United States
Five-volume set (2008) contains about 1,100 signed articles "on the substance of American law, the processes that produce its legal principles, and the history of the Supreme Court, from its creation to the present," covering "concepts, cases, topics, personalities, institutions, events, and processes." You may view a copy of the table of contents.
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Famous American Crimes And Trials
Five-volume set (2004) contains over 50 chronologically-arranged accounts of famous crimes and trials in American history, including descriptions of the crimes within historical context, the cast of characters, the trials themselves, and media involvement. You can preview the table of contents.
The link above takes you to Volume 1, covering the span from about 1607 (Mary Dyer) to 1859 (John Brown). Subsequent volumes:
Volume 2 -- About 1860 (Henry Wirz) to 1912 (Becker-Rosenthal)
Volume 3 -- About 1913 (Leo Frank) to 1959 (Emmett Till)
Volume 4 -- Early 1960's (JFK Assassination) to 1980 (Ted Bundy)
Volume 5 -- About 1981 (Jack Henry Abbott) to 2000 (Timothy McVeigh)
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Foreign And International Legal And Constitutional Sites
Links to legal and constitutional sites and documents.
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Global Legal Monitor
Publication tracking legal developments around the world.
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Guide To Electronic Resources For International Law
"Designed to be used by students, teachers, practitioners and researchers as a self-guided tour of relevant, quality, up-to-date online resources covering important areas of international law," including human rights and environmental law.
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Guide To The U.S. Federal Legal System; Web-based Public Accessible Sources
Excellent guide, with links, to freely-available sources on U.S. Government legislation, judiciary, executive branch (including presidential documents),
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Handbook Of International Law
A concise account (2006) of international law, explaining how states and international organizations, especially the United Nations, make and use international law. You can see the table of contents here.
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Journalist's Guide To The Federal Courts
Overview of the Federal Court system, including District Courts, Bankruptcy Courts, and Appellate Courts.
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Law Of Higher Education
"Student version" of the 4th edition (2007) covers such subject areas as academic freedom, faculty employment and tenure, student misconduct, affirmative action, etc. You may view a copy of the table of contents.
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Legal Collection
Full-text content of more than 250 of the world's most respected scholarly law journals, covering "issues, studies, thoughts and trends of the legal world" -- constitutional law, criminal justice, environmental law, commercial law, ethical issues, etc. Chronological coverage varies among sources, with some extending back to the early 1990's.
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Legal Periodicals Full Text
Covers articles from "legal journals, yearbooks, institutes, bar association organs, law reviews, and government publications originating in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand." The database consists of over 300,000 citations, drawn from nearly 1,000 legal journals, law reviews, yearbooks, institutes, statutes, and publications from bar associations, universities, and governments.
Retrospective coverage as far back as 1927. (Law Library subscription)
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LexisNexis Academic -- Legal
This is the "Legal" sub-section of LexisNexis Academic, offering access to law reviews journals, federal and state cases and codes, tax law, and international legislation.
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Living Together: A Legal Guide For Unmarried Couples
The 14th edition (2008) covers such topics as the legality of living together, having and raising children, types of ownership agreements, relationships with a prior family, getting authorization to make medical decisions for an ill or injured partner, and more. Includes copies of documents.
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Loislaw
A wide array of primary legal resources, offering "access to up-to-date cases, statutes and other primary law at the Federal level and for all fifty states and D.C.," including U.S. Supreme Court Reports, district and circuit courts, the U.S. Constitution, state and Federal laws, etc. (Washington and Lee Law School subscription)
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Media And American Courts
Guide to cases, personalities, and controversies that have redefined the court/press relationship in the past century as the media expanded from print and radio to courtroom cameras, cable, and the World Wide Web.
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NELLCO Legal Scholarslip Repository
Database of scholarly legal materials, including "working papers, reports, lecture series, workshop presentations, and other scholarship created by faculty at member institutions."
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National Survey Of State Laws
The 6th edition (2008) of this work contains a brief summary of current state laws on such topics as abortion, drunk driving, capital punishment, legal ages, and other areas. We also have online access to the 5th edition (2005).
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New Oxford Companion To Law
2008 volume contains over 1,700 signed, alphabetically-arranged entries covering "all areas of law and legal systems," including both the U.S. and the E.U. Subjects include criminal law, human rights law, family and employment law, legal institutions, famous trials, and more.
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Nolo's Encyclopedia Of Everyday Law
The subtitle of this 2007 work (7th edition) explains its function: Answers to Your Most Frequently Asked Legal Questions. "Written by Nolo's expert team of attorneys, the book provides concise, plain-English answers to hundreds of the most frequently- asked legal questions," including credit and debt, workplace rights, divorce, landlord-tenant laws, and more.
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Oxford Companion To American Law
Nearly 500 entries (published 2002), including such topics as aging and the law, wiretapping and electronic eavesdropping, the Salem Witch Trials, and Plessy vs. Ferguson. There is a printed copy in the library collection.
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Oxford Companion To The Supreme Court Of The United States
The second edition (2005) of this guide includes over 1,200 entries on crucial issues and cases.
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Oxford Dictionary Of Law
Sixth edition (2006) contains over 4,000 entries which define and explain major terms, concepts, processes, and organization of legal systems founded on English law (with some coverage of European law).
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Oxford Encyclopedia Of Human Rights
Five-volume set (2009) contains over 300 signed, alphabetically-arranged entries, providing "situation profiles and full coverage of the development of the movement, historical cases of abuse, the key figures, major organizations, and a range of other issues in economics, government, religion, and journalism that touch on human rights theory and practice."
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Oxford Guide To United States Supreme Court Decisions
Second edition (2009) volume contains over 450 alphabetically-arranged entries on "landmark decisions that have shaped American life."
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Politics -- Legal And Constitutional
Collection of links on legal and constitutional issues, collected for W&L researchers.
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Public Domain; How To Find And Use Copyright-free Writings, Music, Art And More
Third edition (2006) "helps you find and identify what creative works are protected by copyright -- and what's not," including specific information about movies, writings, art, photography, and more. With hundreds of resources to help you find public-domain works. You can see the table of contents here.
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Real Life Dictionary Of The Law
Complete text of the 1995 edition of this work.
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Religion And American Law: An Encyclopedia
Edited by Paul Finkelman, this 2000 volume contains signed essays on all the major Supreme Court decisions (through 1997) dealing with church and state, topical and theoretical essays relating to the issue, and biographies of those justices whose decisions have achieved landmark status in the debate.
Part of the Routledge Religion Resource online collection.
The library also has a printed printed copy.
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Renters' Rights: The Basics
Fifth edition (2007) of this guide contains "critical legal and practical information that every renter needs," including such concerns as leases and rental agreements, discrimination, security deposits, privacy, roommates, repairs and maintenance, and more.
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State Laws (Browse By Topic)
Choose from 16 broad topic areas (Family Laws, DUI/DWI Laws, etc.) to view state-by-state summaries and links to state statutes.
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Summaries Of Leading Cases On The Constitution
Concise summaries of important U.S. Supreme Court cases on constitutional law. (This is the 14the edition, published in 2004.)
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Treaties With American Indians
Three-volume set (2007) edited by Donald Fixico contains 300 A-to-Z entries, 16 thematic essays, primary sources, chronology, and more, with coverage from the mid-18th century to 2007.
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U.S. Supreme Court
Collection of links to various sites containing texts of opinions and other information.
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Webster's New World Law Dictionary
Definitions of over 4,000 legal terms. (Published 2006.)
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West's Encyclopedia Of American Law
This is the e-book version of the 13-volume West's Encyclopedia of American Law (2nd edition), published in 2004. Its 5,000 entries cover historical and current terms, concepts, events, movements, cases, and persons significant to U.S law.
Updated annually by the American Law Yearbook.
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Wex
"Collaboratively-built, freely available legal dictionary and encyclopedia."
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World Legal Information Institute
A collection of legal information from various countries and international courts. Materials include case law, legislation, treaties, and law journals, as well some specialist subject databases.
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