When researching an Illinois legal issue you must consider all possible forms of "the law" - cases, statutes, and administrative rules and regulations - that may apply. This guide presents sources for finding all 3 types of those primary authorities. Useful secondary sources for understanding Illinois law are also included.
This guide does not include specific instructions for researching in particular legal topical areas. If you need help researching a particular topic (e.g. Child Law) within Illinois law, please consider consulting one of our topical research guides as well.
Access to some of the electronic resources included in this guide is limited to users who have a valid Loyola ID and password; access to other resources is restricted to the law school community only.
These are a few free web options for finding Illinois primary authorities. Click the Web Resources tab, above, for more free web options for Illinois law.
NOTE: The Illinois Supreme Court recently adopted a new Style Manual for the Supreme and Appellate Courts, to apply to opinions filed on or after January 1, 2025. Read the manual here.
See the following links to learn more about the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of the Illinois legal system.
