Secondary Sources in Law
A secondary source is one that was created later by someone that did not experience firsthand or participate in the events in which the author is writing about. Secondary sources often summarize, interpret, analyze or comment on information found in primary sources.
Common examples of secondary sources include:
- Books
- Biographies
- Essays
- Encyclopedias
- Journal articles
Articles
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Hein Online This link opens in a new windowHeinOnline is a premier online database containing more than 155 million pages and 200,000 titles of legal history and government documents in a fully searchable, image-based format. HeinOnline bridges the gap in historical research by providing comprehensive coverage from inception of more than 2,500 law-related periodicals. In addition to its vast collection of law journals, HeinOnline contains the entire Congressional Record, Federal Register, and Code of Federal Regulations, complete coverage of the U.S. Reports back to 1754, and entire databases dedicated to treaties, constitutions, case law, world trials, classic treatises, international trade, foreign relations, U.S. Presidents, slavery and much more. Hein
Note: Remote access is restricted to UHV users. -
Legal Collection This link opens in a new windowFull text for nearly 250 scholarly law journals centered on the discipline of law and legal topics such as criminal justice, international law, federal law, organized crime, medical, labor & human resource law, ethics, the environment. EBSCO
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Legal Information Reference Center This link opens in a new windowProvides online full text library for many consumer legal reference books, along with multi-state forms to assist the general public. EBSCO
Find Books on the Supreme Court
You can find material on the Supreme Court through the UHV Library catalog, which will find things like books, ebooks, streaming videos and more.
Keywords to try:
"supreme court"
"ruth bader ginsberg" (or any name of a Supreme Court justice)
"supreme court" AND history
"supreme court" AND traditions
"supreme court" AND law
The following are sample books that you can check out from the library:
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Out of Order by ISBN: 9780812984323Publication Date: 2014-02-25From Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to sit on the United States Supreme Court, comes this fascinating book about the history and evolution of the highest court in the land. Out of Order sheds light on the centuries of change and upheaval that transformed the Supreme Court from its uncertain beginnings into the remarkable institution that thrives and endures today. -
Essential Supreme Court Decisions by ISBN: 9781538111963Publication Date: 2018-03-12The only reference guide to Supreme Court cases organized both topically and chronologically within chapters so that readers understand how cases fit into a historical context, the 17th edition has been updated with 20 new cases, including landmark decisions on such topics as campaign finance, Obamacare, gay marriage, the First Amendment, search and seizure, among others. Updated through the end of the 2017 Supreme Court session, this book remains an indispensable resource for undergraduate and law school students, lawyers, and everyone interested in our nation's laws and Constitution. -
Ruth Bader Ginsburg by ISBN: 9781400040483Publication Date: 2018-10-16The first full life--private, public, legal, philosophical--of the 107th Supreme Court Justice, one of the most profound and profoundly transformative legal minds of our time; a book fifteen years in work, written with the cooperation of Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself and based on many interviews with the justice, her husband, her children, her friends, and her associates. -
The Supreme Court by ISBN: 9780700626823Publication Date: 2018-08-28Fair-minded and sharply insightful, The Supreme Court portrays an institution defined by eloquent and pedestrian decisions and by justices ranging from brilliant and wise to slow-witted and expedient. An epic and essential story, it illuminates the Court's role in our lives and its place in our history in a manner as engaging for general readers as it is rigorous for scholars.
Other Websites
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OyezOyez is a project from Cornell’s Legal Information Institute (LII), Justia, and Chicago-Kent College of Law. It is a multimedia archive devoted to making the Supreme Court of the United States accessible to everyone. Oyez offers audio, case summaries, illustrated decision information, and full-text Supreme Court opinions.
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Federal Judicial CenterThe Federal Judicial Center is the research and education agency of the judicial branch of the U.S. government. You can find reports & studies conducted by the FJC, as well as education and history for the courts.
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Supreme Court of the United StatesEverything from opinions, case rulings, and filings to articles on the history of the court.