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Legal Research Quick Start for Work

This guide is designed for current law students working as law clerks and for recent grads.

Starting Points

Running into problems? Check Online Resources or Ask a Librarian.

Looking for...?	Have you tried...?
federal litigation documents (complaint, answer, motion...)	Bloomberg Law docket search (Bloomberg Law login needed)
law journal articles	HeinOnline's Law Journal Library (UofSC login needed)
local rules	the court's website, maybe as a PDF showing the latest date the court rules were amended
restatements	Westlaw, Lexis, or HeinOnline's American Law Institute Library (UofSC login needed)
SC jury instructions	Anderson's Requests to Charge (Westlaw, Lexis, in print)
SC legislative history	UofSC Law Library's Guide to South Carolina Legal Resources > Superseded Statutes

Legal Research Process

1. Formulate the Question

What is the issue?
Facts? (who, what, when, where)
Jurisdiction?
Area of law?
Legal terms of art?

2. Secondary Sources

Define legal terms of art. (Black's Law Dictionary, Westlaw login needed)
Identify key statutes and cases. (Am. Jur., C.J.S., South Carolina Jurisprudence, Westlaw login needed)
Get necessary background on how the issue fits into an area of law. (treatises, guides, and jurisprudence on Lexis; or texts and treatises on Westlaw)

3. Statutes / Regulations

If a statute or regulation is relevant, look it up in the code on Westlaw or Lexis.
Use the annotations (Notes of Decisions) to find cases interpreting the statute or regulation.
Use the citator (Shepard's or KeyCite) to find cases and secondary sources, and to ensure the statute/regulation is good law.

4. Cases

If a case is relevant, look it up on Westlaw or Lexis.
Use its headnotes (topics) to find more cases.
Use the citations within the case to find more cases.
Use the citator (Shepard's or KeyCite) to find cases and secondary sources, and to ensure the case is good law.

At any point, feel free to Ask a Librarian.