Starting Points
This guide provides access to the most common or most useful resources in each of the categories listed on this page which can be found on each page's More Resources box.
- Comprehensive Listing of Library's Databases
- Comprehensive Listing of Library's Research Guides
For General Legal Research
Most legal research assignments can be done in one of the two major research platforms - Lexis and Westlaw. While their coverage of recent primary and secondary authority is comprehensive, you will find spottier coverage of older materials and you will need to consult other resources to find them. HeinOnline is a good source for historical primary law and documents. You must have an account to access these services.
- Lexis+ This link opens in a new windowComprehensive collection of federal and state primary law (cases, statutes, regulation, etc.) and secondary law (journal articles, treatises, practice materials, etc.) and international and foreign law. Accounts restricted to OU law school faculty, students, and staff.
- Westlaw This link opens in a new windowComprehensive collection of primary and secondary law, practice materials for U.S. and select foreign jurisdictions. Available to law school students, faculty, and staff. Public patrons may access the public patron version of this resource in the law library. Please ask at the Circulation Desk for assistance.
- HeinOnline This link opens in a new windowCollection of legal information including legal journals, U.S. Supreme Court Cases, Treaties/Agreements and more. HeinOnline provides the scanned page images of legal journals so that the user can view the page as it originally appeared in hardcopy. HeinOnline has the Oklahoma Law Review and the American Indian Law Review online. Coverage of the Oklahoma Law Review begins in 1948 and coverage of the American Indian Law Review begins in 1973. Also provides access to Fastcase. Remote access is available to students and faculty.
Legal Resources for Other Patrons
If you are on-campus and do not have a law school Westlaw or Lexis account, you can search a public version of Westlaw in the law library or use a similar service called Fastcase. Of course, all of the library's campus-based services are available to you.
- Westlaw - Public AccessThe Law Library provides public access to the Westlaw legal databases. Westlaw includes full-text access to all federal and state case law, statutes, and regulations. It also includes legal forms, encyclopedias, and more. Patrons must use one of the three terminals located within the Law Library near the Reference Desk. There is no charge to access this service. Please contact a Reference Librarian for additional details.
- FastcaseA user-friendly, full-text legal database that offers access to federal and state case law, statutes, regulations, constitutions, and court rules.
If you need to do legal research and are not able to come to campus to use the available subscription databases, here are a few free alternative resources.
Google Scholar - scholar.google.com
You can search for cases and law journal articles using Google Scholar.
GovInfo - www.govinfo.gov
Provided by the United States Government Publishing Office, this website provides access to many sources of federal law including statutes, bills, regulations, presidential documents, agency information and much more.
Congress.Gov - www.congress.gov
This is the official website for the United States Congress. It contains information about legislation and legislators, the legislative process, the United States Code and other legislative information.
Oklahoma State Courts Network - www.oscn.net
For Oklahoma legal researchers, this official government website provides access to decisions of the Oklahoma courts and links to Oklahoma statutes, session laws, court rules, regulations and tribal authority.
Legal Information Institute - www.law.cornell.edu
This website created and maintained by Cornell Law School provides links to free legal information from government websites and other sources including a free legal encyclopedia, Wex.
World Legal Information Institute - www.worldlii.org
This website provides access to foreign and international law.
Google - www.google.com
There is a great deal of US and international law available from government websites on the Internet. Use Google to locate the branch of government or agency or international body that you would like to research. You should also look for Research Guides created by law school librarians that will help you locate and use various legal resources.