List of figures -- Foreword / Mike Eisenberg -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Part 1: Foundation: Legal Information Overview -- Structure of the legal system in the United States -- Getting started finding legal information -- Fifty-one legal systems -- Rule of threes -- Three types of primary law -- Three branches of government -- Legislatures enact statutes -- Administrative agencies promulgate regulations -- Courts make case law -- Three levels of courts -- Trial courts -- Intermediate Appellate Courts -- Final Appellate Courts -- Conclusion -- Secondary sources and practice materials -- Secondary sources generally -- Secondary sources: In print -- Legal encyclopedias -- National legal encyclopedias -- Localized legal encyclopedias -- Treatises -- Practice materials and forms -- Loose-leaf services -- American Law Reports -- Legal periodicals -- Law reviews/journals -- Legal newspapers, magazines -- Restatements -- Secondary sources: Pay-for-view databases -- Secondary sources: Free online access -- Conclusion -- Finding Federal Law: legal information in the Federal system -- Introduction -- General secondary sources for Federal Law -- American Law Reports-Federal -- Practice and procedure and form books -- Treatises -- Resources recap -- Free web sources for Federal Law -- Government sites -- Educational institutions' sites -- Private company sites -- Resources recap -- Primary law: U S Constitution -- Secondary sources on Constitutional Law -- General sources -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Primary law: Federal statutes -- Pending legislation -- Websites -- Current statutes -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Primary law: Federal cases -- United State Supreme Court -- Print -- Websites -- United States Courts of Appeal (aka "Circuit Courts") -- Print -- Websites -- United States District Courts -- Print -- Websites -- Other Federal Courts -- Bankruptcy -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Primary Law: Regulations (Administrative Law) -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Primary law: Federal Court Rules -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Conclusion -- Finding state and local law -- Introduction -- All-in-one websites -- Resources recap -- State constitutions -- Resources recap -- State statutes -- Statutory codes -- State session laws -- Court decisions interpreting statues -- Resources recap -- State Administrative Law -- State Regulatory Codes -- State Regulatory Registers -- Court decisions interpreting Administrative Law -- Resources recap -- State Court decisions -- Opinions from Trial Courts Or Courts Of Limited Jurisdiction -- Finding State Appellate Court decisions in hard copy -- Finding State Appellate Court decisions for free online -- Resources recap -- State Court rules -- Resources recap -- State Executive materials -- Resources recap -- Other State-specific resources -- Resources recap -- Local Law: Primary sources -- Resources recap -- Tribal Law and Federal Indian law: Primary sources -- Resources recap -- Part 2: Preparation: Understanding Legal Information Needs -- Legal research basics -- Deciding what legal information is needed -- Reference interview for legal information needs -- Legal information versus legal advice -- Resources recap -- Techniques for finding what is needed -- Jurisdiction -- Secondary sources -- Citations: Known item searching -- Keyword and subject searching for Case Law -- Hard-copy tools for Case Law subject searches -- Online databases for Case Law subject searches -- Keyword subject searching for Statutes and Regulations -- Resources recap -- Building on what is found -- Pearl growing: Finding one good case, then more like it -- Pay-for-view services: Lexis and Westlaw -- Updating -- How much is enough? ; who can help me further? -- Resources recap -- References -- Resources beyond the public library -- Law libraries -- Resources recap -- Free legal help -- Resources recap -- Alternative dispute resolution -- About mediation -- ADR organizations and resources -- Resources recap -- Choosing a lawyer -- Resources recap -- Conclusion: Knowing the community --
Part 3: Information: Specific Legal Questions
Framework for questions in this area of law
Finding answers to frequent questions
Legal procedures and forms
Pretrial stages of a lawsuit
Juries and jury instructions
Framework for questions in this area of law
Getting started: a checklist
Finding answers to frequent questions about relationships
Questions when unmarried and living together
Finding answers to frequent questions about children
Questions about parenting plans
Questions about child support
Finding answers to frequent questions about domestic violence
Finding answers to frequent questions about adoption
Framework for questions in this area of law
Finding answers to frequent questions
Wills, Estate Planning, and Probate
Framework for questions in this area of law
Finding answers to frequent questions
Debts, collections, and credit
Framework for questions in this area of law
Matters involving contracts
Debtor: Basic starting information
Creditor: Basic starting information
Finding answers to frequent questions
Framework for questions in this area of law
Currency: Be sure you have the most recent information
Finding answers to frequent questions
Employment and unemployment
Framework for questions in employment discrimination
Finding answers to frequent questions about employment discrimination
Resources in employment discrimination
Resources in employment discrimination
Primary sources: Federal Law of employment discrimination
Primary sources: State statues in employment
Do-it-yourself publications in employment
Framework for questions in unemployment compensation
Finding answers to frequent questions about unemployment compensation
Resources in unemployment compensation
Primary sources: Federal statues about unemployment compensation
Primary sources: State statutes about unemployment compensation
Do-it-yourself publications in unemployment compensation
Framework for questions in worker's compensation
Finding answers to frequent questions about workers' compensation
Resources in workers' compensation
Primary sources: Federal statutes in workers' compensation
Primary sources: State statutes in workers' compensation
Do-it-yourself publications about workers' compensation
Framework for other employment law questions
Framework for questions in this area of law
Finding answers to frequent questions
Crimes and criminal codes
Part 4: Collection: Building A Basic Collection Or Website
What's online, what's not, and when to use what
When to use print sources
When to choose free or pay-for-view online databases
Comparing and combining print, free online, pay-for-view repositories
Evaluating the trustworthiness of websites and self-help law books
Creating a library webpage and basic legal collection
Deciding what your library needs
Building a basic website of local legal links
Topical "clusters" for your site
Shortcuts: Mega portals and piggybacking
Linking to (and from) your OPAC
Easy tools for website creation
Building a basic print collection-on a shoestring, or no string, budget
Hand-me-down books sources
Do-it-yourself book publishers
Appendix 2: Recommended legal resources online
Appendix 3: State law resources online
