Legal research is "the process of identifying and retrieving information necessary to supportlegal decision-making. In its broadest sense, legal research includes each step of a course of action that begins with an analysis of the facts of a problem and concludes with the application and communication of the results of the investigation."[1]
The processes of legalresearch vary according to the country and thelegal system involved. Legal research involves tasks such as:[2]
Legal research is performed by anyone with a need for legal information, includinglawyers, lawlibrarians, andparalegals. Sources of legal information can include printed books, free legal research websites (likeCornell Law School's Legal Information Institute,Findlaw.com,Martindale Hubbell, orCanLII), and websites or software providing paid access to legal research databases such asWolters Kluwer,LexisNexis,Westlaw, Lex Intell, VLex, andBloomberg Law.Law libraries around the world provide research services to help their patrons inlaw schools,law firms, and other research environments find the legal information they need. Many law libraries and institutions provide free access to legal information on the web, either individually or viacollective action, such as with theFree Access to Law Movement.
Although many jurisdictions publish laws online,[3]case law is often accessed through specialty online databases.[4] Free-to-access services, through the free law movement, include:Australasian Legal Information Institute,British and Irish Legal Information Institute,CanLII,Law Library Resource Xchange,Legal Information Institute, Lex Intell, andLexML Brasil.
A variety of commercial services offer free tools to conduct legal research as well. Google offers a free, searchable database offederal andstatecase law as part ofGoogle Scholar.[5]
Commercial services for legal research include bothprimary and secondary sources. Commercial services can be country-specific, international, or comparative. As of 2010, commercial legal research tools in the United States generated an estimated $8 billion in revenues per year.[6]
Some governments also provide access to certain resources through paid databases, such as theUnited States PACER law system.
Legal research may be done by lawyers and individuals who are not lawyers. Due to the complexity of laws and the regulated nature of thepractice of law, legal research is often completed by lawyers. Legal research is known to take significant time and effort, and access to online legal research databases can be costly. Individuals and corporations therefore often outsource legal research to law firms that have specialized legal knowledge and research tools. Even still, with due consideration given to ethical concerns, law firms and other practitioners may turn to third-party legal research providers to outsource their own legal research needs.[7]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
