Disciplines & Professions: Law

Web Sites

Academic Info's Law Gateway
http://www.academicinfo.net/law.html

Law and legal research guide opens directly to a table of contents to select from. Provides thirty main links to different areas of law.

CataLaw
http://www.catalaw.com/

This comprehensive site contains a list of all major worldwide catalogs of law and government available on the Internet, yet is manageable due to logical indexing and easy search mechanisms. Search site by legal topics and/or regional (including international) law, as well as for extra information, such as legal directories and law societies.

FindLaw
http://www.findlaw.com/

You can do a keyword search or surf through progressively specific links to find a wide range of information for attorneys and scholars, the general public, and businesses alike.

Internet Legal Resource Guide
http://www.ilrg.com/

This categorized index of over 4,000 international Web sites is quality controlled to include only the most substantive legal resources. Sites are subject to selection criteria judging their uniqueness and the relative value of the information they present.

Law Forum
http://www.lawforum.net/

Contains main links to law firms, support services, legal resources, employment, and a place to post or peruse résumés, as well as a site search function.

Open Directory's Law Directory
http://dmoz.org/Society/Law/

Search by category. A few among the many include: consultants, professional resources, law enforcement, self-help information, education, employment, and recreational humor.

Yahoo!'s Law Directory
http://dir.yahoo.com/Government/Law/

Huge directory that has virtually everything related to the law, including legal directories, case summaries, the history of law, legal employment, help in finding a lawyer, and lawyer jokes. Accommodates both the lay person and the legal scholar. Can take time because of the volume.

Databases

Index to Canadian Legal Literature (Carswell, Thomson, available through SilverPlatter)

More than 55,000 records of Canadian periodicals, book reviews, and theses. Entries include bibliographic information for sources from 1987 to the present.

Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals (American Association of Law Libraries, available through SilverPlatter)

A multilingual database of articles and book reviews from almost 500 legal publications worldwide. More than 120,000 records cover 1985 to the present. Covers wide array of legal topics excluding the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Index to Legal Periodicals and Books (Wilson, available through OCLC FirstSearch and SilverPlatter)

Includes references to journals, yearbooks, reviews, and government publications. Most are from North America and the United Kingdom. 260,000+ records from 1981 to the present.

PAIS Archive (through OCLC Firstsearch)

A restrospective database chronicling global public policy and social issues from the early 20th century through the 1970s.

Print Resources

Burham, William. Introduction to the Law and Legal System of the United States. St. Paul, MN: West, 1995.

Specifically aimed at those who have not completed law school. Provides an overview of primary topics and methodology in American law. Appendix includes an extensive list of notable cases. Footnotes provide further explanation and bibliographic citations.

Clapp, James E. Random House Webster's Dictionary of the Law. New York: Random House, 2000.

Alphabetical list of key legal terminology. Provides definitions and cross-references related terms.

The Lawyer's Almanac. New York: Aspen, 2000.

This source includes facts and figures on topics pertaining to courts, government, law schools, lawyers, and law organizations. Provides the nature and resolution of cases recently tried.

Mikula, Mark, and L. Mpho Mabunda, eds. Great American Court Cases. 4 vols. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999.

Describes and analyzes more than 800 notable court cases, most of which were heard by the Supreme Court. Provides an overview of the case, discussion of its importance, and excerpts from judges' opinions. Includes a general chronology and a glossary of legal terms.

Palmer, Kris E., ed. West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 12 vols. Detroit: Gale, 1999.

More than 4,000 entries on all aspects of law in the United States. Subjects appear alphabetically. Provides a bibliography.

Sack, Steven Mitchell. Lifetime Legal Guide. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life, 1996.

Aimed specifically for a general audience. Entries appear alphabetically by subject. Includes a glossary of legal terms.

Shilling, Dana. Lawyer's Desk Book. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000.

Provides a quick overview of basic law rules and principles. Includes entries on Internet and cyberspace law. Organized by topic. Provides a subject index.

Thomas F. P., ed. Environmental Law Handbook. Sullivan, 15th ed. Rockville, MD: Government Institutes, 1999.

Covers legal issues related specifically to the environment. Organizes entries by subject. Attempts to present explanations with a minimum of legal terminology. Subject index provided.