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.
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.
State Bar of Arizona website
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.
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.
The following is just a sampling of sources of Arizona legal forms. For more general and Arizona forms, see the law library's guide to Legal Forms.
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.
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.
The following publications are primarily current awareness tools, but they also include some articles and columns on legal issues.
Updated: 4/08. Friendly URL: http://www.law.asu.edu/AZMaterials.
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