RA Training - Baker

Research Assistant Resources

Search the Library Catalog

Law Library // Main Library

Constitutional Law Research Techniques

• Articles
• Books
• Gov Docs
• Newspapers
• All eResources

Current Awareness ReSources

5. Historical Documents

3. Books & Treatises

2. Articles & Journals

1. Research Help

4. Primary Law

• Heinonline
• LLMC
• HathiTrust
• Avalon Project
• Making of Modern Law

• Govinfo
• Westlaw/Lexis
• Legislative Histories

• Catalog Search
• Worldcat
• ILL Requests

• HeinOnline
• LegalTrac
• Working Papers
• Non-Law Articles

• Techniques
• Library Help
• Research Guides

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Research Help

Search Tips

Library Help

Research Guides

• Use Libguides by other institutions and libraries
• Provides research steps based on topic
• Recommends resources (databases, journals, websites, etc.)
• Just Google topic + libguide or research guide

• 3-Step Research Process
• Search Methods
• Natural Language
• T&C
• Finding Aids
• Statute or Rule

• Using the Catalog
• Contacting the Law Lib
• A-Z Databases

Stay organized by creating a Research Plan and/or using a citation manager

Where to Find Journal Articles (Law & Nonlaw)

Catalog Subjects

NonLaw Articles

HeinOnline

FIU Catalog Search

SSRN & bePress (Working Papers)

Finding Books & Treatises

Catalog Subjects

Westlaw & Lexis Treatises

FIU Catalog Search

Constitution Annotated

WorldCat

Advanced Searches

• Select advanced search >> under resource type choose articles (for individual articles) or Journals (to search journal titles only)

• In results list you can also filter to articles on left menu
• Catalog records identify if print or electronic and provide links into databases
• Also identifies is from peer reviewed journal or not

Advanced Searches

• Select advanced search >> under resource type choose books or ebooks

• In results list you can also filter to books on left menu, if you search "Everything"
• Catalog records identify if print or electronic and provide links
• Can search by keyword, title, author, subject
• Also searches book chapters if using keywords
• Good for law and nonlaw books

• Searches all articles/journals regardless of discipline based on keywords -- advanced search is also available
• If available through FIU, there will be a link to the right of article

Google Scholar

• Searching the Main catalog will search all databases, including nonlaw and interdisciplinary sources

FIU Catalog

A-Z Resource Databases

Both the Law Library and the Main Library (Green) have A-Z lists of our subscription or open access databases

• Can filter by subject
• Can filter by information type (e.g. newspapers, statistics, articles)
• Note that the Law Library's list is different than the Main Library's list -- check the Main Library for non-law or interdisciplinary resources

Primary Law - Cases, Statutes, Regulations

Law Journals (U.S. & Int'l)

• Largest holdings for law articles
• Organized into different libraries
• Includes journals, some gov docs, and historical materials (codes, caselaw, primary documents)
• Search using citation, author name, subject, or title(s)
• Advanced Search or Search the Catalog available
• T&C searches enabled
• List of subjects (org. by journal subjects)
• Current Index to Legal Periodicals (CILP)

• Institutional repository for most academic institutions
• Can find both working and published papers
• Includes Law Commons (and nonlaw)
• Open Access

BePress

• Working or soon to be published papers
• Various disciplines have research networks you can search
• Advanced searching available
• Free

SSRN

OR

&

PQ Dissertations

• Database of unpublished graduation and professional theses & dissertations
• Access through Main Library A-Z List or Catalog

Constitutions -- United StatesConstitutional law -- United States Constitutional law -- United States -- Amendments Constitutional law -- United States -- Amendments -- Ratification Constitutional law -- United States -- Interpretation and construction Constitutional law -- United States -- Philosophy Law -- United States -- Interpretation and construction Law -- United States -- Interpretation and construction -- History United States. Constitution - 1st-10th Amendments United States. Constitution 1st-10th Amendments -- History

Catalog Subjects for Constitutional Law

Constitutions -- United StatesConstitutional law -- United States Constitutional law -- United States -- Amendments Constitutional law -- United States -- Amendments -- Ratification Constitutional law -- United States -- Interpretation and construction Constitutional law -- United States -- Philosophy Law -- United States -- Interpretation and construction Law -- United States -- Interpretation and construction -- History United States. Constitution - 1st-10th Amendments United States. Constitution 1st-10th Amendments -- History

Catalog Subjects for Constitutional Law

• Early American Case Law
• Judges & the Judiciary
• State Statutes Archive
• U.S. Supreme Court Library

HeinOnline

• Open access catalog of full-text and indexed historical documents from various fields
• Content from member libraries

HathiTrust

• 501(c)(3) Org that digitizes historical legal & legislative documents
• Search catalog for Federal & State legal materials (going back to founding of US)

LLMC

• Access through A-Z Law Library list HERE
• Contains:
• Legal treatises (U.S & U.K.)
• ACLU Papers
• Supreme Court Records & Briefs
• Courts of Appeals Records & Briefs
• Federal & State selected primary law docs from 1620-1970)

Making of Modern Law

• Created by Yale Law
• Has selected documents arranged by century (from BC to 20th)
• Both US and foreign sources
• Some state sonstitutions and materials included
• See US Constitution Collection HERE

Avalon Project

• US state & federal archives w/ some digital collections

• Searchable catalog
• Items organized by record groups based on topic
• Can request items/scans
• More info here

NARA

Coverage Varies by Collection

• Largest library collection in world
• Searchable Catalog
• Digitzed select primary law documents
• Finding aids can be searched here!
• Request info here

LOC

Searching by resource type

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The catalog contains ALL items in our collection at all libraries across FIU To locate specific resources (journals, articles, books, dissertations, audio & images) perform an:

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advanced search - Search by keyword, subject, Title, Author, ISSN (articles) -Can use terms & connectors: AND, OR, NOT, (), " " *Must be uppercase -Select Search Tips for more help

Filtering Results

Subject Searching

In your results list, use "Tweak Results" to limit - Resource Type, Date, Subject, Journal, Language, Collection, Library or Location -Filter by Availability or Location to find electronic or print resources

Subjects are a useful tool to limit results in the catalog - In an advanced search, choose subject in the dropdown menu - Use keyword to find a topic or check the LOC classifications here -Within most resource records, you can click on its subject to see others like it

Get it

Catalog records will show how to access the item (print = call number or view online = electronic) -If available in multiple databases, you will see each one listed with dates of coverage

Why is helps?

• Frames your legal issue or question
• Identifies helpful resources and sources
• Space to brainstorms likely search terms, keywords
• Tracks relevant AND irrelevant searches
• Records whether a search was useful, and your results
• Provides a roadmap of the research process

Research Plans

Citation and research managers are tools, usually software or plug ins, which allow you to save & organize citations and pull info or docs directly from webpages or databases.

Citation Managers

• Create project folders to organize docs/citations
• Provides space to annotate or take notes
• Most have apps and/or saving to the cloud
• Some have Word tools to generate citations or bibs
• Most have browser plug ins to download directly from the web into your app
• Some have outline drafting capabilities

OR

More Info Here

Step 1 The Analysis

Step 3 The Validation

Step 2 The Law

Being with a Secondary Source

Determine if it's still "good law"

Find and use the Primary Law

The law itself: Statutes, Regulations, Case Law

Any source that analyzes, comments on, or describes the law

Use a citator to see subsequent citing treatment

Use citing references, notes of decisions, Headnotes and KeyNumbers for more

On Westlaw, search Secondary Sources > Filter to Practice Area > Constitutional Law

On Lexis, search Secondary Sources > Practice Area > Constitutional Law

Terms & Connectors

• Searching using phrases or sentences, as you would use in normal language

e.g. "Are dog fight videos protected by the First Amendment?" Pros: Similar to Google; Intuitive; Quick results; Works w/ AI in databases Cons: Not as precise; Depends on sophistication of algorithm; AI results can be inaccurate

Natural Language

Statutes or Rules

Finding Aids

• Searching using governing law, usually citations or references in a database like Westlaw/Lexis

e.g. Using the citing references from 7 U.S.C. § 2156 to find secondary sources Pros: Provide clear place to start; aggregates many types of resources in one place Cons: Can be limiting if other law applies; Can be hard to tell which citations are relevant unless search within results

• Searching using a tool that is part of a resource and is tailored only to that resource; Tables of Contents or Cases, Indexes, etc.

e.g. Search for term 'Dog' within the index to a treatise on the First Amendment Pros: Specifically designed for the resource being used; Corrective= directs you to the right term/phrase Cons: Just for that resource; No way to tailor or change parameters; Not included in all resources or on all databases

• Searching using defined terms in a search string that uses relationship of terms to one another

e.g. "dog fight" /4 video AND ("First Amendment OR "1st Amendment") Pros: Very precise, i.e. can tailor exact results; Yields fewer results & excludes irrelevant results Cons: Can be too narrow; Doesn't work with AI; Easy to mis-format

Keep up to Date on Developments

Legal News Resources

• Bloomberg Law News and Analysis
• Federal & State Con Law Analysis and BNA News
• US Law Week - Constitutional Law > Reporting on caselaw, regulatory and statutory developments, also includes circuit splits
• Lexis News Hub - Constitutional Law
• Westlaw Constitutional Law, Legal Newspapers & Newsletters
• National Constitution Center - Constitution Daily Blog
• ABA Journal Online - Constitutional Law News
• Justia Verdict Blog - Constitutional Law News & Analysis
• Con Law Jotwell (U. Miami Law)
• SCOTUS Blog (independent of Court)