Here are a few resources from the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) that may be helpful for beginners to legal research.
- How to Research a Legal Problem: A Guide for Non-Lawyers (Updated 2022)
How to Research a Legal Problem offers general tips and strategies for doing legal research.
“This guide is intended to help a person with a legal problem find legal rules that can resolve or prevent conflict. It is most useful to work through the steps and sources in the order given.”
This guide was prepared by the Legal Information Services to the Public (LISP-SIS) Special Interest Section (LISP-SIS) of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL).
- Starting Points for Researching a Legal Issue Using Print or Digital Resources
aka Prison Legal Research Pamphlet (2021)
This pamphlet uses infographics to explain how to use resources for legal research. It includes tips on how to use an index, use a table of contents, and search for legal information on the internet. It was developed especially for people who are incarcerated, but can be helpful for anyone. Also available in Spanish.
This pamphlet was created by the Social Responsibilities Special Interest Section (SR-SIS) of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL).
The links in the Public Library Toolkit are “meant to help public librarians understand the process of legal research, effectively develop and use the information located within their libraries, utilize information located outside their libraries, with the end goal of helping the patron locate the legal information they need.” The Toolkit webpage also includes links to other state-specific legal research guides.
Written by: Marsha Thomas, University of Utah S.J. Quinney Law Library, and Betsy Sandison, Baltimore County Circuit Court Law Library. Offered by: Legal Information Service to the Public Special Interest Section of the American Association of Law Libraries.
Pennsylvania Legal Research 101: About the Law and How to Find It 