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Research Guide for Foreign LL.M. Students and Visiting Scholars: Web Resources

About

The WWW offers an array of helpful resources related to U.S. law and legal research.  See the box at right for a list. 

Legal Blogs ("Blawgs")

A blog is a log or journal of chronological entries (called “posts”) by an individual, a group, or an institution, made available at a particular site on the WWW. Legal blogs are sometimes referred to as “blawgs." Blogs or blawgs may include a variety of types of articles, such as commentary on recent decisions, analyses of legal issues in the news, or lists of the author's favorite web links. A consensus is emerging that blawgs are having a transformative impact on the world of legal scholarship, due to their ability to allow for the rapid, unfiltered dissemination of legal ideas. When a “hot topic” legal issue erupts, bloggers are the first to provide reactions, suggest lines of inquiry and provide perspective.

Empirical Legal Research

For a guide to empirical legal research, see the LibGuide posted on New York University Law Library's website. 

 

Helpful Free Online Legal Research Resources

The list below Includes federal, university, and organizational websites.

Federal Court Locator

The linked map below shows the U.S. courts structure.  Chicago is located within the Northern District of Illinois (federal trial court level) in the Seventh Circuit (appeals court). 

PowerPoint on Researching U.S. and Illinois Law (2019)