Guide to Law & Paralegalism
Websites:
Class Specific Links | Search Engines | Topics Directories | Dictionaries & Encyclopedias | Public RecordsForms | Lawyer Locators
Primary Law | Law Reviews | Technology | Texas
News and Magazines | Associations | Tutorials
Books:
Suggested Subjects Headings | Recommended Reference Books
Databases & Indexes
- LexisNexis Academic
- Legal Collection (TIP: Click the PULL DOWN MENU to also search simulataneously: Business Source Complete, Newspaper Source, Legal Collection, Regional Business News for the best results)
- Academic Search Complete (TIP: Click the PULL DOWN MENU to also search simulataneously: Business Source Complete, Newspaper Source, Legal Collection, Regional Business News for the best results)
- Business Source Complete (TIP: Click the PULL DOWN MENU to also search simulataneously: Business Source Complete, Newspaper Source, Legal Collection, Regional Business News for the best results.)
- New York Times/ Wall Street Journal
- Business Source Complete (company info access)
- InfoTrac Newspapers
- Newspaper Source (TIP: Click the PULL DOWN MENU to also search simulataneously: Business Source Complete, Newspaper Source, Legal Collection, Regional Business News for the best results)
- Dallas Morning News
- American History Online
- Information about hot topics related to history and government, biographies, speeches, laws, primary sources, government agency information, timelines and image gallery.
- Student Research Center
-- END OF DATABASES --
Class Specific Links
Search Engines
Search Engines/Portals:
- LexisOne: Legal Internet Guide
- Links to federal and state case law search engines, legal internet guide (links to 36 practice areas, state resources, court decisions, expert witnesses, law directories, news, and free forms. Search by federal or state case law (citation, date, parties, judges, or counsel) back to 1996. Also links to over 1100 free legal forms, and a Legal Internet Guide.
- ALSO: American Law Sources On-Line
- Search engine to U. S. Code plus categorical search by: law, commentary, and practice. The LAW section includes links to court decisions, legislation, U. S. Code, Rules of Practice and Procedure, and Administrative Law. The COMMENTARY section includes links to constitutional issues, legislation, regulatory activities, discussion forums, and Jurist. The PRACTICE section includes links to legal reference, courts, forms, subject specialty legal websites, organizations, embassies, governmental agencies, and lawyer locators. Also includes legal links for individual states, Canada and Mexico.
- FindLaw
- Search engine to U. S. case and code, law reviews, organizations, firms, news, reference, court opinions, consumer law, and small business center. Thomson Legal Guide provides a search by attorney, firm, or practice area - including currrent cases. Includes an extensive topical directory. Includes a section for law students with tutorials and legal guides. The directory also provides links to firms, experts, organizations, forms, government directories, professional development, news, schools, and discussion forums. Search engine and listing of links for state and international law. Public sector includes a search engine and directory to legal issues. Directory topics: auto, work, injuries, housing money, family, aging, immigration and education. The directory also provides links to U. S. Code, state laws, firms, legal topics, government directories, and community bulletin boards. Separate search engine and listing of links for state and international law.
- Choose Law
- Divided into sections for: students, business, legal professional and the general public. Includes basic information, FAQs, and links for additional information. Under the STUDENTS section, the State listing includes links to: state law, statues, courts, counties, and more!
- Law & Politics: Internet Guide
- General search engine and directory: comprehensive annotated links to law search portals, legal research, legal study, legal journals, law firms, legal associations, international law, paralegal links, treaties, criminal justice, tax info, government & politics, consumer resources, employment, news, medical resources, and forms. Extensive listing of medical illustrations.
- Law Guru
- Search engine (Multiple Search Tool) that searches multiple or individual federal/state codes, statutes, and/or opinions. Additional links for employment, firms, forms, discussion forums, and news.
- Legal Information Institute - Cornell
- Search engine to basic legal information. Also searchable by broad topics.
- Meta-Index for U.S. Legal Research
- Multiple search engines with multiple methods of searching (citation, title, keyword). Search by: judicial opinions, legislation, federal regulations, and lawyer locators.
- WASHLaw Web
- Legal search engine and topical directory plus search engines added to many of the topical pages. Links to individual state search engines and a legal dictionary. Includes a wealth of legal tutorials under Research Guides.
And More:
- CataLaw: Metaindex of Law and Government
- Annotated topical listing of links.
- FedWorld
- Links for quick access to federal law: U. S. Code, federal regulations, legislation, the courts, mediation, topical and title index, research, and a link to state law.
- Hieros Gamos
- Search engine to a wealth of legal information. Directory links to: international and federal judicial information, legal associations. Includes extensive links sections focusing on legal employment, legal news, law students, business law, consumer law, legal practice law. Each section includes legal how-to tutorials, articles, relevant associations, and additional sources of information.
- Jurist
- Topical directory with links to study helps, legal dictionaries, law reviews, legal research links, legal news, world law links...
- Katsuey Kat's Legal Links
- Topical directory. Legal news is prominently displayed on the homepage with links for additional information.
- Law and Legal Research Links (Academic Info)
- Links to web sites arranged by topic, with each topic providing an annotated list of links. Also includes a listing of legal search engines and reference tools.
- Law Engine
- Topical directory that generally links you to various other search directories and engines in this listing. Topical directory of links to federal courts, code and cases, reference, libraries, experts, forms, organizations, litigation aids, and tax links. General web search engine.
- Rominger Legal Links
- Directory listing quick links to: federal & state courts, federal and state legislative links, searchable Federal Register, SEC, searchable CFR, topical secondary sources, professional directories & resources, and professional associations.
- Virtual Chase
- Annotated categorical listing of links: How-To's, Research Aids, and Instructional Tools.
Special Topics
- Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct
- Code of Ethics for Legal Assistants
- Texas Center for Legal Ethics
- Texas Professional Ethics Opinions Online
- Career Exploration: Law, Security (job descriptions)
- American Legal Ethics Library
- Legalethics
- Topical directory to more than legal ethics: courts, laws (statutes, code, legislation), practice specialties, and more general links to general reference.
- Annotations to Cases Decided by the Supreme Court
- Corporate Law Basics
- Mediation, patents, trademarks, forming corporations (partnerships, LLCs, trade secrets), and e-commerce.
- Corporate Law: Definitions
- Basic definitions for a variety of corporate law areas: bankruptcy, estate planning, legal structures, employment law, class action, tax law...
- Cornell: Corporate Law
- Includes: banking, bankruptcy, contracts, transactions, sales. Includes an overview of the topic - with links to primary and secondary sources.
- FindLaw: Corporate Law
- FindLaw Library (corporation law documents, briefs, and articles). Includes sections on : articles, bankruptcy, securities, contracts...
- Hiermos Gamos: Corporate Law FAQs
- Includes information on: choosing a legal structure, sole proprietorship, limited liability, parnerships, nonprofits, bylaws, business financing (loans, credit, cash flow, leasing, reporting), accounting, and employment.
- Lexis One: Corporate Law
- Sections about: practice (forms), codes & statutes, federal agencies, legal publications, and links to some case law.
- Fair Credit Report Act
- Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (with search engine)
- Uniform State Laws
- Uniform Business and Financial Laws (Cornell)
- Texas Statutues Impacting Business
- Texas Business & Commerce Code
- Texas Business Law (State Bar of Texas)
- Texas Articles of Incorporation & Other Business Forms
- FindLaw Consumer Law
- Texas Business Labor Laws
- Law Info: Consumers & Businesses
- Consumer-oriented directory providing FAQ's, forms, discussion boards... on a variety of topics, including: bankruptcy, business,consumer, family, estate planning, immigration, landlord/tenant, real estate, social security, taxes, criminal law...
- Fair Credit Report Act
- FindLaw Consumer Law
- Topical links to information on car ownership, tickets, insurance, travel, purchases, criminal law and procedure, employment law, education, discrimination, family issues, bankruptcy, healthcare and retirement, immigration law, internet law, real estate, and wills and estate planning.
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- ABA Law Info for Consumers
- General guide to legal information, geared to consumers. Directory listings: family law, home, buying & selling, job, finances, courts, criminal justice, and a lawyer locator.
- Texas Law Help
- Information on disaster relief, bankruptcy, housing, public benefits, health, elderly, employment, family, domestic violence, immigration, disability, wills, identity theft, civil rights, child support... Includes information on courts, legal help and additional sources of information. Also includes some self-help/fill in forms to guide users through court procedures. Research Links: codes/regulations, and government agencies.
- Crash Course in Wills
- Know Your Rights: Death & Dying
- Links to information on funerals, living will, will, living trusts, medical power of attorney...
- Internet Law Library
- Texas Appraisal Districts Online
- Real Estate and Property Law (LexisOne)
- Glossary of Real Estate Abbreviations, Terms and Phrases
- Glossary of Real Estate and Mortgage Terms
- Glossary of Real Estate
- Real Estate Basics (with link to codes)
- Real Property Law: Free Advice
- Hieros Gamos Real Property Law
- 'Lectric Law: Real Property Issues
- Real Property Overview & Links (Cornell)
- Texas Commercial Real Estate Law: Terminology
- Texas Land Title Association (including relevant links)
- Texas State Statues: Property
- Texas Real Estate Commission: Links
- Texas Administrative Code
- Texas Corporation Acts & Codes (from the state of Texas)
- Texas Property Code
- Real Estate Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice
- Discovery Links: People Locators, Insurance Company Reports, Product Liability, Lawyer Reports... *
- Expert Witness Directory
Public Records
- Pubic Records: Links to Free Sources for all States
- Public Records Online
- Public Records Online: Sources *
- Public Records Online: Sources & Reviews (Am. Library Assn)
- RootsWeb: Texas Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce Records
- Public Records
- Links to: Appellate Court Cases, Birth records 1926 thru 1949, birth statistics, birth summary records 1950 thru 1995, conviction database (fee), corporations & limited liability companies, death records 1964 thru 1998, dentists, dental hygienists, dental laboratories, divorce index 1968 thru 1997, escapees, exports database, franchise tax information, insurance agents, insurance companies, insurance complaints, Texas marriages to 1850, marriage records 1966 thru 1997, missing persons, pharmacists, pharmacy database, physicians, sex offenders, statutes, and unclaimed property. Also has links to: Texas regional courts, Texas county property and voter records, and some city databases of sex offenders.
- U. S. Public Records
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Forms
- Legal Messenger: Free Forms and More
- All About Forms
- Forms
- Internet Legal Resource Guide: Forms (forms for contract law)
- Law Practice Forms
- Legal Docs
- LexisOne: Legal Internet Guide
- Links to over 1100 free legal forms.
- Forms and Publications (Texas)
Locating a Lawyer
Primary Law Sources
- Code of Federal Regulations
- Congressional Record Index
- Federal Register
- FedLaw
- Federal Judiciary
- Links to courts online: Supreme, Courts of Appeals, District, and Bankruptcy. Includes locations of Probation Offices.
June 4, 2008softexas/">Grammel's 19th Century Laws of Texas Online
- International Constitutional Law
- International Law & Regulations Search Engine
- LLRX: Rules of Court
- State Statutes and Legislation on the Internet (full-text)
- State Tax Laws (All types of taxes)
- United States Uniform Commercial Code
- Texas Statutes Online
- Includes zipped, downloadable copies of Texas codes, including property code, family code, etc.
- Texas UCC (Uniform Commercial Code)
- U. S. Code (with Search Engine)
Law Reviews
- Table of Contents Pages from Law Reviews and Other Scholarly Journals (750 law review journals - UT, Tarlton Law Library)
- Findlaw: Law Reviews
- Law Review Listing (Jurist)
- Legal Engine
- LexisOne: Legal Internet Guide
- Texas Review of Law and Politics
Technology
- FindLaw Modern Practice: Law Practice and Technology
- Law Technology News
- Microsoft Word Legal User's Guide
- ABA Legal Technology Resource Center
Texas
- Texas Statutes Online
- Includes zipped, downloadable copies of Texas codes, including property code, business & commerce code, family code, etc.
- Texas Commercial Real Estate Law: Terminology
- Texas Land Title Association (including relevant links)
- Texas Real Estate Commission: Links
- Texas Administrative Code
- Texas Corporation Acts & Codes (from the state of Texas)
- Texas Statutues Impacting Business
- Texas Business Law (State Bar of Texas)
- Texas Articles of Incorporation & Other Business Forms
- 19th Century Texas Law Archives
- Legal Research on the Internet (UT/Austin Tarlton Law Library)
- Links to online legal reference (dictionaries, directories, associations, and news, topical index, international law, federal law, Texas state law sites, and online law journals.
- Law 101: Basic Legal Web Links for Federal, Texas, & Municipals
- Links to U. S. Code, federal courts, Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register, FedLaw, Texas Legislature, Texas Judiciary Online, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, Texas Executive Office, Texas Administrative Code, Texas Register, Texas state agencies, Texas Legal Research Index, Texas Municipal Codes, other state statutes, other state courts, and additional legal search engines.
- Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism
- Texas Ethics Reporter
- Texas Ethics Commission
- Texas Legal Assistant Division (State Bar of Texas)
- Links to TPJ Online and legal links. The links are to: local, state and national organizations, ethics, experts, governmental agencies, intellectual property, investigative properties, directories, personal injury, products liability, legal research, and Texas-specific legal links.
- Texas Legal Sources on the Net
- Links to: attorney conduct disciplinary actions, attorney general opinions, Court of Criminal Appeals opinions, Texas Administrative Code, Texas bills, Texas Constitution, Texas Electronic Ethics Reporter, Texas Register, and Texas Statutes.
- Texas State and County Court Links
- State Bar of Texas
News & Magazines
- Jurist
- Legal Assistant Today
- Legal Intelligencer
- LLRX -- Law Library Resource Xchange
- Find Law's Legal Commentary
The Library subscribes to the following publications. The most recent issue is on display and back issues are available at the Circulation Counter. Bound issues are shelved in the upper level of the Library. Check the Periodicals Guide for information on the previous years shelved or bound.
| Legal Assistant Today Legal Management CQ Weekly Report Wall Street Journal New York Times |
Texas Monthly Texas Observer Washington Monthly Congressional Digest |
Associations
- American Arbitration Association
- American Bar Association
- American Society of International Law
- Legal Assistant Management Association
- Resources include: position papers (including ethics), job bank, compensation survey, and links to other legal professional associations.
- National Association of Legal Assistants
- National Association of Legal Secretaries
- National Federation of Paralegal Associations
- State Bar of Texas
- Dallas Area Paralegal Association
- Metroplex Association of Corporate Paralegals
Tutorials
- Finding Texas Cases
- Finding Texas Law
- Finding Texas Statutes
- Legal Research & Writing Tutorials
- Research: How to Shepardize, Free Shepards Lookup, and using Digests. Legal Writing: legal topics, do's and don'ts, using Microsoft for legal writing. Citation: Universal Citation Guide. Also includes legal dictionaries.
- Introduction to Basic Legal Citation
- Legal Case Notes
- 'Lectric Law Study Guides
- Tips on Shepardizing, legal citations, research guides, how to do legal research, outlines and pathfinders for various types of law, court decision summaries, and law review sample questions.
- Legal Research Guide
- Sections: Finding the law, sources of law, verifying results, legislative enactments, citation of authorities, Constitutions, case law, virtual law libraries. Includes tutorials on contracts, civil procedures, and remedies (injunctions, restitution, torts, contract damages, equitable remedies, declaratory judgments)...
- Legal Research Guides & Tutorials
- Links to legal guides and tutorials on: legal research, finding cases and statutes; using digests, ALRS, loose leaf services, and secondary sources; online versus books; effective searching; legal research for the non-lawyer; blue-book guide; legal ethics; legal forms; research by type of law (administrative, civil, criminal, environmental, tax, international...)
- Legal Research Guides and Tutorials*
- Links to legal guides on: legal research, case finding, case law sources, litigation aids, starting points, legal writing...
- Legal Tips & Research Guides
- LexisNexis For Paralegals
- Links to: Public Records Search Guide Tutorial, demographic information, dictionaries and manuals.
- LexisNexis Take a Tour
- Links to videos on: Case Law Summaries, Research History...
- Research Guides and Tips
Suggested Subject Headings
Do a SUBJECT or KEYWORD search in the Online catalog for your topic. After doing your search, you can limit the results to books at El Centro by selecting the Limit Your Search button.
| law jurisprudence canon law constitutional law courts statutes |
legal aid legal ethics procedures commerical law legal assistants criminal law |
Recommended Reference Books
in-library use only
ALR
REF KF 132.1 A51
Shepard's Citations for Annotations
REF KF 132.1 S41
Vernon's Texas Code Forms Annotated
REF KFT 1268 V4
Texas Jur III
REF KFT 1265 T49
West's Texas Digest
REF KFT 1257 W47
Black's Law Dictionary
REF KF 156 B532
Basic Legal Forms
REF NKF 170 B47
The best guide to resources is a librarian who can help you in using the catalog, databases and the Web. A librarian can also assist you in selecting materials appropriate for your needs. Please ask at any service desk for information or assistance!
The El Centro College Library does not guarantee the currency or accuracy of these websites. Links to these sites do not represent an endorsement of the site or of information contained within the site.
Reference/Information Desk: 214-860-2174 Circulation:
214-860-2175
Comments or suggestions are welcome.
©2006 El Centro College Library
Dallas, TX
Last Updated:
June 4, 2008