LibGuides: Electronic Resources Directory: Legal Research Guides

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Welcome to the Research Guide List! This section is currently a work in progress (as is most of this guide, as a living resource). We will continue adding to this list—and updating entries—on a regular basis. If you don't see what you need, you can always email the reference librarians!

Page Index

What is a research guide or a LibGuide? Great question! Commonly called LibGuides by librarians, a research guide is a collection of materials, often centered around a specific topic, typically gathered and vetted by a subject matter expert, such as a law librarian, that allows researchers to have a useful starting point for researching the chosen topic. Not all research guides are created equal, and while some might be great for one type of researcher, it may not be for another. Researchers should be comfortable practicing information literacy and using a search engine to locate multiple research guides on a subject rather than selecting the first one they come across. When locating a research guide for legal research, make sure your search string includes law-related keywords; you may not want a more generic research guide.

Introduction

Research Guides are an amazing tool to use to begin research. Guides take out a lot of the initial hard work of research by pointing you to the best starting places. This allows you to quickly focus on the granular research, rather than spend time puzzling out which resources to even begin with. Sometimes you won't be able to find a good research guide for your topic; in that situation you should contact a law librarian who can either help you locate an applicable research guide or point you to good starting points in lieu of a guide.

While we recommend briefly viewing several research guides on a topic before ultimately selecting a guide to use, we are listing some well-known or speciality research guides here. You should not feel like you have to use any of these over another sound research guide you might locate. Part of having the right tool for the job is having the one that works for you specifically.

General Legal Research Guides

Spinelli's Law Library Reference Shelf, by HeinOnline This link opens in a new window
For legal researchers: contains research guides, bibliographies, dictionaries, and biographies, including Bibliography of Early American Law (BEAL).
For faculty and administrators: houses a section on Legal Education and much more.
For librarians: brings together checklists, newsletters, cataloging tools, and more.
Need help using this collection? Try HeinOnline's About Spinelli's Law Library Reference Shelf.
A Title List can be downloaded in KBART (TXT), CSV, or HTML format.
When using Hein, if you find you need help, click the Search Help link under the search box, or the Help link in the top information bar. Additionally, feel free to explore the items below.
Getting Started in HeinOnline.
Using HeinOnline.
HeinOnline Knowledge Base.
Hein's Tip of the Week.
HeinOnline's Suite of Tools.
What's New at Hein?

HeinOnline LibGuides
Updated regularly, Hein has created their own online collection of research guides to help researchers explore their specific collections and utilize the platform efficiently.
Additional Information and Help less...
Researchers can also access the HeinOnline A-Z Databases list, Knowledge Base, and HeinOnline Blog from this link.
University of Baltimore Law Library Research Guides

Maryland-Specific Research Guides

Reference & Research at the Maryland State Archives
The Reference & Research at the Maryland State Archives provides General Research Guides, Topic Specific Research Guides, Important Searchable Collections, Key Indices Found at MSA, Maryland Facts, and Contact Information.
Research Guides by Thurgood Marshall State Law Library
Library staff and volunteer-created research guides to assist novice and sophisticated researchers with locating, using, and citing the Library's comprehensive collection of Maryland law sources.
Guide categories include Jury Instructions, Library Collections, Maryland Courts, Maryland State Laws, Maryland State Regulations, Legal Research and Citations, and Legal Research Videos.

Family Law Research Guides

Family Law Guide by University of Texas's Tarlton Law Library
A guide to secondary, primary, and interdisciplinary sources on family law, including selected resources on domestic violence and juvenile justice.
Additional Information and Help less...
Reminder that links may not work properly from another academic institution's research guide. You should locate the resources in our A-Z List of Databases.

Foreign, Comparative, and International Law (FCIL) Guides

Foreign Law Guide This link opens in a new window
Tool to locate various sources of foreign law for approximately 190 jurisdictions around the world. Includes bibliographic citations to legislation, and selected references to secondary sources in English (English translations where available).
The Foreign Law Guide (FLG) is a well-known resource for librarians, researchers, law students, and practitioners interested in foreign and comparative law.
Once logged in, researchers can click the "Help" link at the top of the page to access guides to using the resource.

GlobalLex: Basic Guide to Researching Foreign Law
One of the top online guides for foreign law, created by Mary Rumsey, now at Willamette University College of Law.
Yale's Country by Country Guide to Foreign Law Research
Links to the "best research guides and databases for each country."

Other Useful Research Guides

Statistical Abstract of the U.S.: The National Data Book (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Best known statistical reference publication in the country, containing a comprehensive collection of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States, providing a snapshot of America and its people. Material begins with a guide that helps researchers understand how to read included tables, and each section begins with a synopsis of what data was collected and how. Each table has a clear source. Can be used both as an answer book and as a guide to locating statistical sources.
Published annually by the federal government from 1878 until 2011, then responsibility was assumed by ProQuest who has published this material since 2013.
ProQuest LibGuide on this database.
ProQuest Help is a good source for learning how to search the ProQuest databases.
Researchers can utilize the ProQuest | ExLibris Support Center to find popular training, troubleshooting, and how-to resources; this can also be accessed by clicking the left-hand side bar (three, horizontally stacked lines) and Selecting Support Center.
About ProQuest.

How To Meditate: A Guide For Lawyers (Part I)
Article written by the author of "The Anxious Lawyer", Jeena Cho, discussing some basic tips and guidance for meditating. You can find Part II, which addresses common questions and concerns surrounding meditation, here.