Welcome to our guide on researching the law and law-related topics! Research within the law can encompass a variety of topics and require an intricate web of sources, depending on what you're researching. While none of the Gustavus librarians are law librarians, we can still help you navigate the complex world of legal research. Browse through the sources on this page and please reach out to any librarian for more help.
We highly recommend these guides as well; please note that while we don't have access to every single source mentioned on these guides, you'll find a lot of listed material freely available online:
If you need a refresher on using the library, consult our Library FAQs and an overview of the Library. We also have a guide on how to do research well - use it to brush up and expand your research skills! And if you need a refresher on finding books in the library, consult this guide.
24/7 Chat: When Gustavus librarians are not available, librarians from other institutions will be available to help you 24/7.
Research Help Appointments: Schedule a one-on-one consultation with a Gustavus librarian; both in person and virtual appointments are available.
Research Next Steps Program: Fill out this form at any point in your research; a librarian will respond with suggestions and tips within two business days.
E-mail: folke@gustavus.edu (please include your name, the best way to contact you, and a brief description of your research needs)
For more information on finding information about the Supreme Court, please consult the POL 390: Constitutional Law guide, in addition to the following resources:
Interested in international law? Try these resources, which will both link you to specific sites and also provide information on how to conduct research in international law.
You'll be able to access many government documents online, although it gets a little trickier the farther back you go, as not everything has been digitized. These resources will point you to on legislation at both the federal and state levels.
Federal
Index to congressional publications from 1970 to the present, legislative histories for public laws, testimony at congressional hearings, and biographical and committee information. Also allows searching of the Congressional Record and Federal Register.
State
Law reviews can be found in a couple of databases. Explore the following databases to find law reviews and other legal research.
A good place to start research on most any subject. This multi-disciplinary database indexes nearly 8,050 publications and provides full text for nearly 4,600, including more than 3,900 peer-reviewed journals. Access is provided by eLibraryMN (ELM).
JSTOR is a digital library of journals, academic eBooks, images, and primary sources. JSTOR provides book and journal content from the date of initial publication up to a "moving wall" of 3 to 5 years before the present year.
This collection brings together journals, compiled legislative histories, congressional hearings and reports, Supreme Court briefs, and more related to gun regulation.
You can also search the Gustavus Library catalog for other government documents, both in print and online. We're a selective Federal Repository Library (bonus - scroll to the bottom of this page for more links on finding government documents). The links below will also have some information.
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
