Legal Studies Resource Guide: Paralegal Studies

Provided by the John Joseph Moakley Law Library of the Suffolk University Boston Law School, this guide provides useful information on how to cite cases, statutes, articles, books and treatises, and electronic resources used in legal research.

A product of the University of Cardiff in Great Britain, this index provides assistance with abbreviated legal citations that are difficult to decipher by listing possible matches for a citation search. It includes English language legal publications, from the British Isles, the Commonwealth and the United States.

Use the left menu to find information on different citation types.

Provides a series of links to research guides for various areas of law which include overviews of the area and tips on how to approach research for that area of law.

Links of interest include recent decisions, transcripts and audio of oral arguments, and case documents of the Supreme Court.

The following description is taken from The Code of Federal Regulations website:
“The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) annual edition is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. The 50 subject matter titles contain one or more individual volumes, which are updated once each calendar year, on a staggered basis. The annual update cycle is as follows: titles 1-16 are revised as of January 1; titles 17-27 are revised as of April 1; titles 28-41 are revised as of July 1; and titles 42-50 are revised as of October 1. Each title is divided into chapters, which usually bear the name of the issuing agency. Each chapter is further subdivided into parts that cover specific regulatory areas. Large parts may be subdivided into subparts. All parts are organized in sections, and most citations to the CFR refer to material at the section level.”

Although not the official edition of CFR, this electronic version provides more up-to-date information. The following information appears on the website:
“The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) is a currently updated version of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). It is not an official legal edition of the CFR. The e-CFR is an editorial compilation of CFR material and FEDERAL REGISTER amendments produced by the National Archives and Records Administration's Office of the Federal Register (OFR) and the Government Publishing Office. The OFR updates the material in the e-CFR on a daily basis.”

The Congressional Record is the official daily record of the debates and proceedings of the U.S. Congress. The Daily Digest summarizes floor and committee actions providing a summary of the previous day's legislative activity. It is also possible to search the record for a specific date from 1995 to the present.

The Maryland Association of Paralegals is a voluntary, non-profit organization for practicing paralegals, students enrolled in paralegal programs, and others interested in supporting the paralegal profession.

Founded in 1974, NFPA was the first national paralegal association. Created as a non-profit federation, NFPA describes itself as an “issues-driven, policy-oriented professional association directed by its membership. It is comprised of more than 50 member associations and represents over 9,000 individual members reflecting a broad range of experience, education and diversity.”

The Maryland Bar Association’s mission is to “effectively represent Maryland’s lawyers, to provide member services and to promote professionalism, diversity in the legal profession, access to justice, service to the public, and respect for the rule of law.”

This section of the American Bar Association website provides resources for the public about the law and the legal system of the United States.

The Code of Maryland Regulations includes all laws enacted by the Maryland legislature, via the WestLaw datebase

Online access to the Code of Maryland Regulations.

This link provides access to the Code of Maryland (Statutes) and the Maryland Municipal Charters and Resolutions as compiled and maintained by the Maryland Department of Legislative Services.

The Register serves as the temporary supplement to the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR). Any change to the text of regulations published in COMAR, whether by adoption, amendment, repeal, or emergency action, must first be published in the Register.

Provides access to online information for the four levels of the Maryland Court system: two trial courts and two appellate courts. The trial courts consider evidence presented in a case and make judgments based on the facts, the law and legal precedent (prior legal decisions from a higher court). Appellate courts review a trial court's actions and decisions and decide whether the trial judge properly followed the law and legal precedent.

The Secretary of State's office handles certain executive functions within the state.
These include: Executive Orders, Extraditions & Requisitions, Pardons & Commutations, Public Disclosures with persons doing business with the State, and Service of Process.

The website for the state law library provides links to reliable sites covering legal issues in the state of Maryland.

In addition to cases, statutes, and regulations, this open access resource includes a lawyer-author blog with analysis and annotations on pertinent legal topics.

Collected by staff at the University of North Texas, this site provides CRS reports that are publicly available. CRS prepares reports to Congress on topics being considered for legislation. These reports are usually only available through citizen requests to a congressional representative or through a Freedom of Information request. Searching is available by keyword or through subject browse.

This free online resource includes articles on various legal topics focusing on significant laws and cases associated with these subjects.

An open access database that includes searching by subject, U.S. case law, codes, regulations, resources for all 50 states, a local lawyer search and information on law schools.

Sponsored by the Cornell University Law School, this site’s main focus is federal law such as Supreme Court cases, the U.S. Code, the Code of Federal Regulations, and the Uniform Commercial Code. Also provided are links to the websites of each state, as well as a legal dictionary and encyclopedia, Wex.

Provides summaries of cases argued by the Supreme Court including a breakdown of facts, the basic issue being argued, a synopsis of the decision, and how each justice voted. Search by case name or browse by term or issue.