LGS 203 - Legal Research I

According to Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing, 4th edition:

"Laws passed by Congress or state legislatures are generally called acts or statutes.  This body of law is commonly referred to as statutory law." (p. 53)

Illinois Compiled Statutes (Ill.Comp.Stat.)

Official version of the statutes, without analysis.

print version:

• call number:  KFI 1229 .I4403 - located on floor 4

online version:

• Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) database

Note:  Because the statute database is maintained primarily for legislative drafting purposes, statutory changes are sometime included in the database, BEFORE they take effect.

West's Smith-Hurd Illinois Compiled Statutes Annotated (Ill.Ann.Stat.)

Annotated version of the Statutes with analysis, such as legal commentary and explanation.

print version:

• call number:  KFI 1230.5.W47 1992 - located on floor 4

online version:

• Westlaw: "Illinois Statutes & Court Rules"

According to Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing, 3rd edition:

"The body of law that results from the rules and regulations and court opinions interpreting them is called administrative law." (p. 71)

Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.)

According to Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing, 4th edition:

"The regulations of administrative agencies are codified in this multivolume, softbound set of books. The regulations are published in 50 titles, each of which represents a different subject area" (p. 72)

print version:

• AE 2.106/3:1/ - located in the Government Documents collection on the floor 4

online version:

• governmental version
• non-governmental version:
  • HeinOnline
  • Westlaw

Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) - keep CFR up-to-date

According to Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing, 3rd edition:

"[P]ublished daily by the United States Government Printing Office. All proposed new regulations, amended regulations, interim and final regulations are published....It also contains summaries of regulations, effective dates, notices of hearings on proposed regulations, and persons to contact for further information." (p. 77)

print version:

• unavailable

online version:

• governmental version
• non-governmental version:
  • HeinOnline
  • Westlaw

According to Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing, 4th edition:

"The body of law that results from the rules and regulations and court opinions interpreting them is called administrative law." (p. 72)

Administrative Code (Ill. Admin. Code)

print version:

• unavailable (no longer published)

online versions:

• governmental version: [Illinois] Joint Committee on Administrative Rules' Administrative Code
• non-governmental version: Westlaw

Illinois Register (Ill. Reg.) - keeps the Administrative Code up-to-date

print version

• unavailable

microforms version

• microfiche:  v.1, no.15 (October 1977) to  v. 25 (2001)

online version:

• governmental version: Illinois Secretary of State's Illinois Register (v. 26, issue 33 (2002) to present)

According to Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing, 4th edition:

"Court rules regulate the conduct of matters brought before the court.  They range in the subjects they cover from the technical, such as the format of pleadings, to the substantive, such as grounds for dismissal or when an appeal must be filed." (p. 75)

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Fed. R. Civ. P.)

print version:

• United States Code, Title 28 Appendix
  call number Y 1.2/5 - located in the Government Documents collection on floor 4

online version:

• governmental version:  United States Courts' Federal Rules of Practice & Procedure
• non-governmental version: Westlaw

Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure (Fed. R. Crim. P.)

print version:

• United States Code, Title 18 Part II
  call number Y 1.2/5 - located in the Government Documents collection on floor 4
   
• Federal Criminal Code and Rules - West's version - call number KF9606 .U502 - located on floor 4

online version:

• governmental version: United States Courts' Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure (.pdf)
• non-governmental version: Westlaw

According to Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing, 4th edition:

"Court rules regulate the conduct of matters brought before the court.  They range in the subjects they cover from the technical, such as the format of pleadings, to the substantive, such as grounds for dismissal or when an appeal must be filed." (p. 75)

Illinois Court Rules and Procedures

"This set contains all the court rules governing state and federal practice in Illinois."

KeyRules "[p]rovide the practioner with a comprehensive "single source" procedural guide for civil practice in state courts, combining applicable provisions of both statewide and local rules of civil procedure with relevant analytical materials"

Volume I - State
Volume II - Federal
Volume IIA - Federal ("KeyRules")
Volume III - Circuit Courts
Volume IIIA - Circuit Courts ("KeyRules")

print version:

• call number:  KFI 1729 .A194 - located in the reference collection on the main floor

online version:

• Westlaw: "Illinois Statutes & Court Rules"

Criminal Law and Procedure Handbook of Illinois

print version:

• call number:  KFI 1761.A29 I429 - located in the reference collection on the main floor

online version:

• unavailable

Trial Handbook for Illinois Lawyers

print versions:

• Civil, volumes 1 and 2 - call number:  KFI 1738.Z9 H78 1997 - located on the fourth floor
• Criminal, volumes 1 and 2 - call number:  KFI 1738.Z9 H85 2002 - located on the fourth floor
• Criminal Sentencing - call number:  KFI 1738.Z9 H82 2004 - located on the fourth floor

online versions:

• Trial Handbook for Illinois Lawyers-Civil
• Trial Handbook for Illinois Lawyers-Criminal
• Trial Handbook for Illinois Lawyers-Criminal Sentencing
• Trial Handbook for Illinois Lawyers-Homicide