Legal research
Find and verify the law yourself
How to do legal research: locate primary law, read it correctly and confirm it is still good law.
Overview
Primary vs secondary sources
Primary sources are the law itself: constitutions, statutes, court rules, regulations and court decisions. Secondary sources — treatises, articles, encyclopedias and websites, including this one — explain the law but are not the law. Always finish your research in a primary source.
Binding or persuasive?
A decision binds a court when it comes from a higher court in the same system. Decisions from other jurisdictions, and from courts at the same level, may persuade but do not control.
Is it still good law?
Check the current version of every rule, the effective date of any amendment, and whether a decision has been reversed, overruled or limited before you rely on it.
Federal statutes
Federal court rules
uscourts.gov — current rules of practice and procedure.
Federal regulations
ecfr.gov — the electronic Code of Federal Regulations.
Pages
In this section
In editorial review. Pages in this section are being researched. Each one is published only after its citations are checked against the official text.
Overview
A simple legal research method
Good legal research follows a routine. First, identify your jurisdiction and your court. Next, find the statutes and rules that govern your question. Then read the court’s local rules.
After that, look for court decisions. A decision binds your court only if it comes from a higher court in the same system. Otherwise, it may persuade but does not control.
Finally, confirm that every source is current. Check the effective date of each rule, and make sure no later decision reversed or limited a case you rely on.
Free official sources help a great deal. For example, read federal statutes in the United States Code, federal regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations and federal court rules on the federal judiciary website. Our research checklist template walks through the same steps.
Lawtopolis provides legal information and education, not legal advice. Using this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and court rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time; verify every authority against the official source and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction about your situation.