Law Library

Law Library


Even if you intend to use on-line information (findlaw.com, justicia.com, Cornell law, Legal Information Institute LII, or scholar.google.com) you should still learn how the law libraries are organized.


If you have never been there, now is the time to visit your local law library.


On your first visit to a law library plan to spend 4 hours to get oriented.


If you are going to fight for your liberty, you need to learn where the ammunition is.


Most law libraries are in county courthouses, and at Universities that have a law school, and at your State Capitol's highest court's courthouse.


For your first visit to a law library, get oriented by trying to find:


A law dictionary

U.S. Supreme Court decisions

State Laws, codified (often called Revised Code, or Revised Statutes)

State Laws, statute laws (passed by your congress, each of which must mention the single purpose/objective/object of the law, and the purpose must be authorized by the State Constitution)

State regulations (written by agencies to enforce the statute laws)

Federal laws, codified (U.S. Code or U.S. Code -- annotated)

Federal regulations (Code of Federal Regulations)

State Court Rules, Civil

State Court Rules, Criminal

Your county's local court rules

State Appellate court cases.

Your State Lawyer's Practice Manuals (Civil, Criminal, others)

Pattern Jury Instructions



Many small county courthouse law libraries might not have all of these.

If you are in a big city, you will be overwhelmed and may get lost.


The state appellate courts are the authority that can overrule your local court. In your legal pleading you will need to find appellate cases most similar to your own.


Notice that the codified laws are copyrighted. They are copyrighted by lawyers. The acts of Congress cannot be copyrighted.


Also notice that the Rules of Evidence are all different between every States. This is because the system is rigged. By lawyers.


TO DO LIST

Read my essay Beware of Legal Lingo so you might understand what you read the next time you are reading a law or regulation.