Legal Research

It happens to most new associates and externs - the dreaded 50-state survey research project.  Usually, these projects require you to track down all existing state statutes and regulations on a particular legal issue.  The task seems daunting, so how do you make it manageable?  Luckily, there are great resources out there, which can help you complete the project in a reasonable amount of time.  Your goal is to use these sources to find an already-existing 50-state survey on your legal issue.  Here are some of our favorite resources for finding these 50-state survey sources, which we've posted about in years past, but there are some new resources worth mentioning:

• Subject Compilations of State Laws, available to USF students, faculty, and staff through Zief Library's HeinOnline subscription.  This handy tome tells you where you can find 50-state surveys on particular subjects.  The editors list 50-state surveys published in a wide variety of formats, including law review articles, websites, research databases like Lexis and Westlaw, books, court briefs and opinions, federal and state government publications, and loose-leaf services.

• Lexis and Westlaw's 50-state survey databases.  When we originally posted on this topic, Lexis didn't have a 50-state survey source.  However, both Lexis and Westlaw now have fairly extensive 50-state surveys on a wide variety of legal topics, which are available through Zief Library's academic subscription.  It's best to research on both Lexis and Westlaw because the subject material may not overlap.  When I last had to assist with one of these projects, Lexis had an extremely helpful survey, and Westlaw had nothing, so it pays to check both!  Westlaw calls its 50-state survey database "SURVEYS."  Lexis includes its 50-state survey source right on the research tab, and it's called "LexisNexis 50 State Surveys, Legislation & Regulations."

• The National Conference of State Legislatures' 50-state survey page. Contains links to 50-state surveys on a wide array of topics.  Check the revised date for these surveys because some may not have been updated for one or two years.  

• Congressional Research Service reports, available to USF students, faculty, and staff through the Gleeson Library database, LexisNexis Congressional.  You can also find CRS reports through Internet searches, but CRS does not maintain a publicly accessible database of all of its reports, so LexisNexis Congressional is a safer bet. The Congressional Research Service prepares analyses for members of Congress on a wide variety of legal and policy issues.  Many CRS reports summarize and cite to all existing state statutes and regulations on particular topics.  To find a CRS report on your topic, go to the "Advanced Search" menu on LexisNexis Congressional.  Make sure that you search only "CRS Reports."  You can use the same "terms and connectors" search syntax that you use on regular old Lexis. 

If you're having trouble figuring out how to use any of these resources, contact a reference librarian for assistance.