"Learn how to research like a lawyer, locate the right legal authority online or in the library, put your results to work in the real world"--Cover.

Related web site is available; includes free legal updates, researching your legal issue online, articles and FAQs, profiles of lawyers in your area. "Over 30 years in print"--Cover.

1. Understanding the basics of the law -- What is the law? -- Sources of law -- State versus Federal law -- The Court System -- 2. Finding legal resources -- Where legal information is located -- Primary sources and secondary sources -- Looking for legal resources on the internet -- Legal research websites -- 3. Identifying your legal issue -- How to approach your research -- Is the issue civil or criminal -- Figuring out the area of law you're researching -- What resources will help you find what you need? -- Figure out your legal research question -- 4. Finding and using secondary sources -- Online resources -- Self-help legal books -- Legal encyclopedias -- Form books -- Practice manuals -- Continuing legal education publications -- Law Reviews and other legal periodicals -- Specialized loose-leaf materials -- Treatises and monographs -- Restatements of the law -- 5. Finding and using constitutions, statutes, regulations, and ordinances -- Finding and using constitutions -- Finding Federal statutes -- Finding State statutes -- Understanding and using Federal and State statutes -- Finding and using regulations -- Finding and using procedural statutes and rules -- Finding and using local laws or ordinances -- 6. Finding cases -- Using citations to find cases -- Finding cases online -- Finding cases in the law library -- The next step -- 7. Using case law -- What is a case? -- How cases are published -- How cases affect later disputes -- 8. Validating your research -- Making sure it's "good law" -- How to shepardize a case -- Shepardizing statutes -- Using Shepard's for research -- 9. Organizing and putting your legal research to use -- Organizing your research -- How to write a legal memorandum -- Going to court -- Finding and working with a lawyer -- Glossary -- Appendix : Topic-specific research sites.