Winning Research Skills - Westlaw

Fundamentals of Secondary Sources
The complete contents of Black’s Law Dictionary, Eighth Edition, including terms and their
definitions, groupings of related terms and their definitions, and an appendix providing
translations of legal maxims, is contained in the Westlaw database BLACKS.
Words and Phrases is an expanded multivolume dictionary. It contains hundreds of thousands
of judicially defined terms, arranged alphabetically. It can be used to locate cases that have
defined a particular term.
Law Reviews
Law reviews provide comprehensive analysis by scholars and legal professionals of
developments and issues in the law. You’ll find that the footnotes in law review articles are a
treasure trove of citations to relevant sources. Law review articles are themselves cited
extensively. Law reviews also generally include a “Notes and Comments” section, which
contains articles written by students.
The field of law is unusual—and perhaps unique—in that some of the field’s most prestigious
journals of scholarship and research are edited by students. Every law school has at least one law
review. Many of these will be collected by your law school library.
On Westlaw, materials from law reviews, continuing legal education (CLE) course handbooks,
and bar journals are available in the Journals and Law Reviews database (JLR).
Practice Manuals and Formbooks
Practice guides and sample forms can be very helpful in your law school courses and in your
work as a summer associate or clerk. A wide variety of pragmatic materials are available for
state and federal practice. These materials typically provide a general summary of the law (case
law, legislation, and regulations) and public policy, along with practice tips, examples, and
forms. In heavily regulated areas, practice guides will often include detailed descriptions of the
relevant regulatory authority and programs, along with guidance on compliance. Most practice
materials are organized in an outline format.
Conclusion
Secondary sources are a valuable point of access to a broad, deep, and diverse range of legal
information. Use them to familiarize yourself with complex or unfamiliar areas of the law and
jump-start your research into primary sources.
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