Although the ultimate goal of most legal research projects is to find "the Law," i.e. statutes, regulations, cases, and other primary sources, the quickest path to primary sources is frequently an indirect path through secondary resources. Secondary resources provide context for your legal research by explaining the area of law, defining terms and acronyms, and pointing you to primary sources. Beginning your research with secondary resources can save you time by giving you citations to a core group of important primary sources on which to build.
Which secondary source you choose will depend on your research needs. At the beginning of your research, you want something basic to get you started quickly. CLE materials and forms are good starting points. A bar journal or legal newspaper article can also give you a quick head start. Many Arizona legal treatises can also be helpful at the beginning of your research. Toward the end of your research , you may want to read some in-depth analysis to help you fine-tune your understanding of a legal issue. An article in a law-school journal or a chapter in a legal treatise is an excellent source for such analyses.
This research guide covers secondary resources that focus on Arizona law, with explanations on how to choose secondary resources and where to find them. For federal and general practice materials, see the Practice Materials Bibliography. If you need help, feel free to ask a librarian.
Access
The call numbers on this page link to library catalog records, which provide information about location, availability, and currency of each item in the Ross-Blakley Law Library.
Westlaw and LexisNexis links will take you to the specified database if you have a password. These links work better if you are already logged in. The College of Law provides Westlaw and LexisNexis passwords to its law faculty, staff, and students.
HeinOnline is available on the ASU computer network, including remote access for ASU faculty, staff, and students.
Loislaw links will take you to the Sign-In page. State Bar of Arizona materials are included in the Arizona state library and the Bar Publications library on Loislaw. College of Law faculty, staff, and students can obtain the access code via ASURITE.
Links to commercial databases will open in a new tab or window.
The law library has hundreds of items published by the State Bar of Arizona. Most current materials are on reserve or Arizona reference. The rest are in the state collection on 3rd. The following list is a limited selection of popular bar publications. To see a complete list, search the library catalog for AUTHOR: State Bar of Arizona.
This volume compiles formal ethics opinions and indexes them chronologically, by key word, and with annotations to the model rules of professional conduct.
Arizona Courts Manual: A Guide to Filing Documents and General Procedures / by Guy W. Bluff
This volume covers common procedural problems in civil practice before the fifteen Arizona Superior Courts, justice courts, U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona, tribal courts, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the 9th Circuit, and U.S. Supreme Court. It also provides up-to-date addresses and telephone numbers for frequently called court personnel, county recorders, and county assessors.
Continuing legal education materials are published and distributed in connection with a CLE program, but they can also be purchased separately. CLE materials explain how to handle certain matters in the area covered by the program.
Many Arizona State Bar CLE publications are also available on Loislaw with a subscription. College of Law faculty, staff, and students can obtain the Loislaw access code via ASURITE.
Practice Guides and Treatises are written in a very practical manner, providing detailed explanations of legal topics; tips for representing your client; and citations to the most important statutes, cases, and other primary sources. The following is a very select list of the Arizona treatises and practice guides in this library. Search the library catalog or ask a librarian for help identifying a treatise on your research topic.
2000 Arizona Probate Code Practice Manual / edited by Charles F. Myers
This two-volume set provides comprehensive coverage of Arizona's version of the Uniform Probate Code.
Arizona Appellate Handbook / L. Ray Haire & Paul G. Ulrich, co-editors
This three-volume set explains how to conduct appeals from superior court to the court of appeals and the Arizona Supreme Court; appeals from justice and traffic court to superior court; and appeals of agency decisions. It includes a number of forms.
Arizona Civil Rules Handbook / by Daniel J. McAuliffe
Volume 2B of the Arizona Practice series. This volume includes the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure with comments, Arizona Rules of Evidence, time frames, checklists, tables, and other practice aids.
Arizona DUI Trial Notebook / by Bruce H. Chalk, Christina Cabanillas, C. Daniel Carrion & Daniel S. Jurkowitz
This volume covers issues such as the constitutionality of DUI statutes, the stop, contact, testing, pretrial, trial, post-trial, and miscellaneous issues. The appendices include DUI laws, relevant regulations, sample voir dire questions, sample questions for officers and experts, DUI jury instructions, and a table of authorities.
Arizona Environmental Law Manual / Nicholas J. Wallwork, editor in chief
This two-volume set has forty-two chapters, each of which covers a single topic in the areas of Arizona law and the environment, environmental protection, natural resources, environmental enforcement and litigation, and special issues in environmental law.
Arizona Family Law Rules Handbook / by Mark W. Armstrong
Volume 13 of the Arizona Practice series. This volume covers the Arizona Rules of Family Law Procedure and the Arizona Rules of Evidence with comments and checklists. Because the family-law rules are so new, comments include references to relevant cases on the Rules of Civil Procedure.
Arizona Juvenile Law and Practice / by Thomas A. Jacobs
Volume 5 of the Arizona Practice series. This volume covers a variety of juvenile proceedings, including adoption, guardianship, and delinquency proceedings.
Volumes 11 & 11A of the Arizona Practice series. This two-volume set includes Arizona Constitution, statutes, and regulations relating to real estate law, with annotations and commentary.
Arizona Workers' Compensation Handbook / Ray Jay Davis, Julie Ferdon & R. Todd Lundmark, co-editors
This volume provides an overview of Arizona workers' compensation law including the development of the workers' compensation remedy and an introduction to the structure of the Industrial Commission, coverage under the workers' compensation system, benefits, and procedures.
Business Law Deskbook / by Brent A. Olson & Lisa C. Thompson
Volumes 9 and 9A of the Arizona Practice series. This two-volume set gives brief explanations and forms on topics relating to business organizations, contracts and commercial transactions, employment law, intellectual property, advertising and distribution law, environmental law, securities and mergers/acquisitions, bankruptcy, and business litigation.
Business Regulation in Arizona / compiled by Brent A. Olson & Lisa C. Thompson
Volumes 10, 10A & 10B of the Arizona Practice series. This three-volume set includes major state and federal statutes and regulations applicable to businesses.
Law-school-journal articles provide in-depth analysis of legal topics, with citations to the most important primary sources. Both Arizona State University and the University of Arizona publish law school journals, the Arizona State Law Journal and Arizona Law Review respectively. Both journals publish articles on Arizona and other legal topics.
