Domestic Law Workshop -- Legal Research Tips

ARTHUR W. DIAMOND LAW LIBRARY

Center for Public Interest Law.

Domestic Law Workshop -- Legal Research Tips – 2007

Written by Dana Neacsu
Last updated February 6, 2007

Table of Contents

Catalogs, Indexes and other Databases
Browsing Our Library Shelves
General Sources in the Law Library
Subject Specific Sources in the Law Library
Helpful Web Sites
Helpful Research Guides

Following is a selective list of resources useful for human rights and other public interest issues. For additional help, you may ask any Reference Librarian for assistance.

1. Catalogs, Indexes and other Databases

Use the Diamond Law Library’s catalog, PEGASUS(http://pegasus.law.columbia.edu/). Also use the University Libraries’ catalog, CLIO (go to http://pegasus.law.columbia.edu/ and choose it from the drop down menu CATALOGS mentioned there), to find resources at other libraries, including the Business Library. You may also use WorldCat (go to http://pegasus.law.columbia.edu and choose it from the drop down menu under CATALOGS) to find books beyond the Columbia system.
To find law journal articles, use Wilson’s Index to Legal Periodicals and the Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals. You may access those indexes from the Diamond Law Library’s new Pegasus index (http://pegasus.law.columbia.edu/)
To find full text journals try HeinOnline from the Diamond Law Library’s new Pegasus portal (http://pegasus.law.columbia.edu/)
To find BNA products, such as U.S. Law Week and Supreme Court Today, available at go to the Diamond Law Library’s new Pegasus (http://pegasus.law.columbia.edu/) as well.
To find indexes and journals for business resources, go to the Business and Economics Databases Page (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/business/index.html).
To find journal articles in non-legal fields, use JSTOR (http://www.jstor.org/), Project Muse (http://muse.jhu.edu/), or any of the other databases listed on the University Libraries’ Web Page under E-Resources → Databases (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/), such as ProQuest Direct or ProQuest Historical.
To find federal, state and local government documents, go to CU’s U.S. Government Documents web site at (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/usgd/index.html)

2. Browsing Our library shelves

Domestic law sources are classified using the Library of Congress classification system (LC). Here are some of the LC call numbers you may want to use: KF 3775-3816 for environmental law; KF 501-553 for family law; KF 4800-4846 for immigration law; or KF 3301-3409 for labor law.

You can also search Pegasus by call number.

From the Web interface use the “Find by Call Number” option (http://pegasus.law.columbia.edu/), and

3. General Sources in the Law Library

Primary sources:

At the south end of the fourth floor (http://www.law.columbia.edu/library/about/call_no/4th), there are copies of the most heavily used U.S. state and federal primary and secondary legal materials, including the United States Code (U.S.C.), United States Code Annotated (U.S.C.A), United States Code Service (U.S.C.S.), United States Statutes at Large (Stat.), United States Code Congressional and Administrative News (U.S.C.C.A.N.), Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), the regional federal reporters and digests, national legal encyclopedias, the American Law Reports (ALR), general form books, and Shepard's citators (no longer updated).

State statutory and administrative codes can be found in the Reserve Reading Room on the third floor (http://www.law.columbia.edu/library/about/call_no/3rd); official state reports in the cellar (http://www.law.columbia.edu/library/about/call_no/cellar) and, according to date, in microfilm – on the second floor (http://www.law.columbia.edu/library/about/call_no/2nd); and the New York official case reporters, as well as another copy of McKinney's Consolidated Laws of New York Annotated, in the New York Collection in the northwest corner of the fourth floor (http://www.law.columbia.edu/library/about/call_no/4th).

4. Subject-Specific Sources in the Law Library

Conflict of Laws. Jurisdiction

Born, Gary. International Civil Litigation in United States Courts: Commentary & Materials (3^rd ed)

3rd Fl Reserve: KF8940.P75 B67 1996

This one-volume treatise covers in its third part “Legislative Jurisdiction and Choice of Law,” which encompasses issues about international law limits on legislative jurisdiction in U.S. courts.

Nanda, Ved P. Litigation of International Disputes in U.S. Courts (2005)

4th Floor: KF8940.P752 N362

Published in loose-leaf format, this two-volume source covers, inter alia, application of foreign law in U.S. courts (Ch. 9), and recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in U.S. courts (Ch. 11).

Domestic Protection of Human Rights

Jayawickrama, Nihal. The Judicial Application of Human Rights Law: National, Regional, and International Jurisprudence. (Cambridge University Press, 2002)

2nd Floor: JX4263.P3 J334 2002

In its main part, this secondary source covers 27 substantive rights -- such as the right to a fair trial, the right to health, and the right to education -- and their enforcement within various national, regional, and international jurisdictions.

Ying-Jen Lo. Human Rights Litigation Promoting International Law in U.S. Courts (2005)

4th Floor: KF4750 .L693 2005

This one-volume monograph tries to answer many of the questions that are preoccupying human rights activists today (i.e., If a treaty ratified by the United States is clearly self-executing, are courts more likely to follow the norms in that treaty than those in a non-self-executing treaty? Or, does a Senate reservation routinely act as a rule of law to bind the decision making of U.S. judges?)

Environmental Law

Environmental Law Reporter. (Environmental Law Institute) (1971-)

4^th Floor: KF3775.A6 E5

This multi-volume loose-leaf is a good source for statutory, administrative and case law materials, as well as news analysis, and briefs and pleadings on environmental issues. It also contains a detailed subject matter index. However, if you want to make sure that your search is comprehensive and up-to-date you should use its online version, available at http://www.elr.info/ .

Environment Reporter. (BNA, 1970-)

4th Floor: KF3775.A6 E49

This reporter is a comprehensive source of environmental cases decided by state and federal courts, as well as administrative agencies. Starting with vol. 26, no. 43 (1996) it is available only online at:

http://0-pubs.bna.com.pegasus.law.columbia.edu/ip/BNA/ENR.NSF/highlights/highlights?OpenDocument&login=1.

Robinson, Nicholas A. Environmental Law Lexicon. (1992-)

4th Floor: KF3775.A68 R67 1993

This one-volume loose-leaf is an excellent starting point for practitioners less familiar with environmental law terms.

Immigration Law

Immigration Law and Procedure (1988-).

3^rd Floor Reserve: KF4819 .G6 1988 (Matthew Bender)

In its 19 volumes, this loose-leaf covers, inter alia, an overview of immigration law, procedure (vol.1-8), immigration forms (vol. 9), United Nations documents and other international treaties (vol. 10), as well as INS-related documents (vol. 13-16). Its 20^th volume contains a detailed index.

Interpreter Releases, (West Group, 1948-)

4th Floor: KF4802 .I57

This periodical contains court opinions, administrative and legislative developments as well as legal articles on immigration matters. It analyzes up-to-the minute information on all significant immigration and nationality law matters. The library has almost the entire collection from 1948 onward. Westlaw coverage starts in 1987.

Labor Law

Labor Relations Reporter (BNA, 1938-)

4th Floor: KF3365 .L32

Considered to be one of the best compilations of U.S. labor law materials, this multi-volume set covers news and background information (binder no.1); decisions from courts and labor boards (binder no.2); labor arbitration (binder no.3); state statutes (binders nos. 4 & 4A); wage-hours cases and materials (binders nos. 5 through 6A); fair employment practice cases (binders nos. 7 through 9A); and Americans with disability act issues (binder no. 10).

Employment Law Deskbook (Matthew Bender, 1989-)

4th Floor: KF3455 .E47 1989

This reference tool aims to help practitioners decipher the new trends in labor law by giving them quick access to employment decisions, statutes, forms, and annotations.

Habeas Corpus

Hertz, Randy & Liebman, James S. Federal Habeas Corpus Practice and Procedure (LexisNexis, 2005)

3rd Fl Reserve: KF9011.A2 L53 2005

This two-volume reference source covers the history, purpose and operation of habeas corpus. It abounds with practitioners’ tips, summaries of cases from different jurisdictions and concise explanations of every single procedural step, and it is available on Lexis.

New York Law.

New York Lawyer’s Deskbook (2nd ed) (2002)

4th Floor: KFN 5074. N4992

This two-volume loose-leaf provides quick and authoritative access to a large array of subjects. Inter alia, volume 1 covers matrimonial law, labor law, workers’ compensation law, and social security, and volume 2 covers zoning and land use, mental hygiene law, and elder law.

New York Jurisprudence 2d

4^th Floor: KFN 5065 .N48 1979

This multivolume set is often a practitioner’s first step in the realm of New York law. It offers succinct commentaries of the law and it often points out to seminal cases.

David D. Siegel. New York Practice 3rd ed.
3rd Fl Reserve: KFN5995 .S54 1999
Extensive guide to New York practice, which reviews significant issues, principles, and exceptions.

Daniel Finkelstein and Lucas A. Ferrara. Landlord and Tenant Practice in New YorkKFN5145 .F497 (West, 1997-)
This two-volume loose-leaf provides information concerning substantive and procedural issues related to landlord and tenant matters in New York state, such as nonpayment and holdover proceedings or changes to rent regulations, terminating tenancy. It includes analysis of court decisions, statutes, rules, as well as useful practitioner-created and official forms. It is available on Westlaw.

5. Helpful Web Sites

The Library of Congress. Thomas. Legislative Information on the Internet (http://thomas.loc.gov/)

U.S. Government Printing Office(http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html)

US Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov/)

Internet Law Library. Environmental, Natural Resource and Energy Law (http://www.lectlaw.com/inll/101.htm)

US Department of Labor (http://www.dol.gov/)

Cornell's Legal Information Institute -- Labor (www.law.cornell.edu/topics/labor.html).

US Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review (http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/)

Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis)

Immigration Equality http://www.immigrationequality.org/

The National Organization for Women (NOW) (http://www.now.org/index.html)

Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (http://www.plannedparenthood.org/)

NY State Assembly (http://assembly.state.ny.us/)

New York City Documents (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/usgd/nyc.html)

Tenant.net: Housing Court Decisions (http://www.tenant.net/Court/Hcourt/)

FindLaw: Resources by Jurisdiction: New York (http://www.findlaw.com/11stategov/ny/laws.html)

LexisONE: Free Case Law (http://www.lexisone.com/)

6. Helpful Research Guides

Zimmerman's Research Guide..An Online Encyclopedia for Legal Researchers by Andrew Zimmerman (http://www.lexisnexis.com/infopro/zimmerman/)

LLRX.com guides:

Mary Kilpatrick. A Pathfinder to Information on The Endangered Species Act of 1973.LLRX.com (http://www.llrx.com/features/esa.htm)

Beth Smith. Immigration Law on the Web. LLRX.com. (http://www.llrx.com/features/immigrat.htm)

Please send comments regarding this guide to Dana Neacsu, Reference Librarian, Columbia University, Diamond Law Library at dana.neacsu@law.columbia.edu.