Legal Studies & Paralegal: Web Sources
Online research guide for Legal Studies & Paralegal majors
General Legal Research
- CasetextCasetext is a visually appealing platform that gives free access to cases, statutes and regulations. Covers all federal cases but limited state resources. Casetext also has analysis and annotations from lawyer-authors.
- Court ListenerContains millions of legal opinions from federal and state courts; updated daily.
- FindLawGreat starting point for any legal topic. Learn about the law; find a lawyer and find legal forms on this site.
- Free Full-Text Online Law ReviewAn index to over 400 online full-text law reviews and law journals including the ABA Journal.
- JustiaJustia is an open access database. Users will find U.S. case law, codes and regulations as well as legal resources for all 50 states.
- Legal Information InstituteFrom Cornell Law School, you can look up constitutions and codes and search for laws. You can also learn about basic legal citations and how and why they are formed, and search directories.
- The First Amendment EncyclopediaFrom Middle Tennessee State University, the encyclopedia includes articles on court cases, people, concepts and legal terms, laws and proposed laws and issues related to the five freedoms.
Pennsylvania Legal websites
- Pennsylvania Code and BulletinThe Pennsylvania Code section of this website has been derived directly from the Pennsylvania Code, the Commonwealth's official publication of rules and regulations.The Pennsylvania Bulletin section contains the official gazette for the most up to date information on changes to Pennsylvania rules and regulations that will be updated in the PA Code.
- Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal"The Pennsylvania Judiciary Web Portal provides the public with access to various aspects of court information, including appellate courts, common pleas courts and magisterial district court docket sheets; common pleas courts and magisterial district court calendars; and PAePay."
- PA State Library - Law & Documents Research GuideInformation on searching the extensive resources the State Library offers as well as links to other State and Federal resources.
Federal Legislation
- Congress.govFrom Congress, we have comprehensive information about the Senate and House. The site includes a listing of bills and resolutions, Congressional Record, treaties, government resources and more.
- Federal Judicial CenterThe Judicial Center is the education and research agency for the federal courts
- FedLawA search engine called “Law Crawler” searches across legal websites and databases. You can also search state and federal case opinions and federal statutes.
- LegiscanFree database that monitors current legislation in all 50 states, as well as the U.S. Congress.
- United States CodeConsolidation by subject matter of laws of the United States.
- United States CourtsProvides information about the federal judiciary, federal courts and federal judges.
- United States Department of JusticeHas a wealth of information on all Department of Justice agencies such as the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service. There is also access to legal documents and publications of the various branches of the DoJ.
- Law Library of Congress"Congress established its Law Library in 1832, recognizing its need for ready access to reliable legal materials. The Law Library has grown over the years to become the world’s largest law library, with a collection of over 2.65 million volumes spanning the ages and covering virtually every jurisdiction in the world." from https://www.loc.gov/law/about/
Supreme Court
- Constitution AnnotatedIncludes legal analysis and interpretation of the US Constitution, based primarily on Supreme Court case laws.
- OyezThe archival home of the Supreme Court's oral arguments. Search a case name and get a CliffNotes summary of the case. You are even able to take a virtual tour of the Supreme Court Building.
- SCOTUSblogIn-depth, unbiased reporting on the Supreme Court.
- Supreme CourtContains historic and current information regarding the Supreme Court. It also has the court calendar, transcripts of arguments and court rules.
Legal Scholarly Works
- Digital Commons NetworkMore than 300,000 works devoted to law scholarship from law review articles and legal scholarship. An easy way to explore various legal disciplines.
- Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN)Not just for law scholars, SSRN allows authors to post their scholarship for all to read. Works are grouped by topic.
Legal Citation
- Bluebook Quick Style GuideShows examples of commonly used sources "in accordance with The Bluebook's Whitepages, which are intended for use in law review footnotes"
News, Blogs, and Podcasts
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- AmicusA biweekly podcast about the law, and the nine Supreme Court justices who interpret it for the rest of America. Hosted by Slate's Dahlia Lithwick. Part of the Panoply Network.
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Call or text 717-728-2500 or email Library@centralpenn.edu to make an appointment.
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