In this two-hour program, Oklahoma law librarians will provide a review of the resources and research methods for conducting Oklahoma legal research.  Attendees will learn about the structure of law and will explore available free resources to answer legal research questions that might arise in the public library setting.  

Session 1 – Introduction to Law, Legal Research, and the Oklahoma Judiciary

In this first session, we will review the organization of legal authority, the process of legal research and how answering legal research questions differs from other types of research questions.  We will explain case law and how to use the Oklahoma State Court’s Network website to locate Oklahoma case law, dockets, and court information.  Plus, we will give some guidance on finding forms and making the most of available resources.

Session 2 – Researching Oklahoma Statutory and Regulatory Law plus the Law of Oklahoma’s Tribal Nations

In this second session, we will discuss research on three additional types of law.  First, we will examine statutory law and how to research in statutory codes.  We will next examine the role of executive branch agencies and how to find regulations and guidance documents.  Finally, we will explore how to research the law of tribal nations in Oklahoma.