Legal Research for Non-Law Students

Often, a secondary source is the best place to locate relevant primary law. We recommend starting with one of the resources we mention in Beginning Your Research.

If you are uncertain which resource might be the most useful, don't hesitate to reach out and contact the law library. 

Below are some of the most commonly used databases for locating state and federal case law. 

• The public Westlaw computer: Stop in at the Massey Law Library and search cases on the Westlaw terminal. Our reference librarians are happy to help you!
• Nexis Uni: From the "All Nexis Uni" drop down button on the main page, narrow down to Cases. 
• Google Scholar. Select the case law radio button. 

Popular resources for accessing federal statutes: 

• GovInfo.gov: Provides access to the United States Code as well as the Session Laws of Congress. 
• Cornell's LII: Provides an easily navigated html version of the code. 
• Nexis Uni United States Code Service: In addition to the text and history of the code section, Nexis Uni provides short summaries and hyperlinks to relevant cases which discuss the specific section. 
• Many organizations and agencies also provide the text of certain sections of the United States Code. For example, the EPA provides links to the Clean Air Act, etc. 
• HeinOnline: Provides older versions of the code and all of the U.S.Statutes at Large (the acts as passed by Congress). 

Popular resources for accessing Tennessee legislation: 

• The Tennessee Code: Public access provided by Lexis.  
• Nexis Uni Tennessee Code Annotated: In addition to the text and history of the code section, Nexis Uni provides short summaries and hyperlinks to relevant cases which discuss the specific section. 
• HeinOnline: Provides older Tennessee statutes. 
• Employing a smart Google search may also lead you to a section of the Tennessee Code on an organization or department website.

Popular resources for accessing municipal codes:

• Google the municipality + ordinance. For example, that will lead you to the Code of Ordinances for the Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County. 
• Nexis Uni Tennessee Municipal Codes

Popular resources for accessing federal regulations include: 

• GovInfo.gov: The Code of Federal Regulations and the Federal Register (the daily digest of agency action). 
• The eCFR: The unofficial government version of the Code of Federal Regulations. Usually the most up-to-date version. 
• Cornell's LII's CFR: An easily-navigated html version
• Nexis Uni's Code of Federal Regulations: Includes information about other useful sources and cases that discuss the specific section.
• Federal agency websites: Generally, most federal agencies provide links to their rules and regulations on their agency website. 

Popular resources for accessing agency decisions include: 

• The agency website. Usually listed under a heading like Guidance or Decisions. 
• Nexis Uni's Administrative Materials: You can also enter the name of the agency in the main search bar, to see if there is a specific database just for that agency's decisions. 
• Sometimes certain agency's decisions are published in other reporters or databases. The easiest way to figure out where is to check out a legal research guide on the subject. Or ask your friendly law librarian!

To locate state regulatory materials, try these strategies: 

• Google the state + regulations. For example, that leads me to Effective Rules and Regulations of the State of Tennessee. 
• Check out a research guide on that state (Google [state] + legal research guide). It should list different resources for state regulatory materials. 
• Search Nexis Uni, narrowing by state and "Administrative Materials"
• Check out the specific state agency website. 

The U.S. Constitution may be accessed in many places. Some popular resources include: 

• Congress.gov's Constitution Annotated
• Cornell's LII's U.S. Constitution
• Nexis Uni Constitution of the United States

State constitutions can be found:

• On the state website. For example, here is Tennessee's: 
• Search Nexis Uni's All Constitutions database. 

Check out the Treaty Research Guide and contact Meredith Capps if you have any questions related to treaty research or foreign law.