This guide contains links to LexisNexis and Westlaw databases. As a Paralegal Studies student at Fullerton College, you will need to purchase an individual license to both LexisNexis and Westlaw in order to access these links and the full content of LexisNexis and Westlaw. Please speak with your instructor for more information.
The Icons Key below will help you identify the different types of links and associated access restrictions.
Access provided by FC Library
Available in print
Requires Westlaw account
Requires LexisNexis account
Website
More information
When we use primary resources for legal research we are looking at the law itself. This can include cases, codes and various regulations.
This page lists primary print and electronic resources for legal research at the federal and state level.
Unlike case law which is made by judges in specific court cases, statutory law is made by the federal and state legislative branches of government. Statutory law is published in codes. The United States Code (U.S.C.) contains statutes that have been passed by Congress.
Federal regulations refer to the laws created by the different departments and agencies within the executive branch of the U.S. government. These regulations are organized into codes and published regularly in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Database vendors like LexisNexis also provide access to searchable versions of the codes through commercial publishers.
U.S. District Court cases are discoverable using the instructions below:
LexisNexis: Cases > U.S. Federal > desired jurisidiction (1789 - ) and individual files for the circuits
Westlaw: U.S. District Court Cases database (1945 - ); DCT-OLD (1789 - 1944); DCTU (unreported cases, 1945 - )
U.S. Court of Appeals cases are discoverable using the instructions below:
LexisNexis: Cases > U.S. Federal (1789 - ) and individual files for the circuits
Westlaw: U.S. Courts of Appeals Cases database (1891 - ); CTA-OLD (1891 - 1944); and databases for individual circuits (coverage varies by database)
Unlike case law which is made by judges in specific court cases, statutory law is made by the federal and state legislative branches of the government. Statutory law is published in codes. The California codes contains statutes that have been passed by the state legislature and signed into law by the governor.
State regulations refer to the laws created by the different departments and agencies that form the administrative arm of state government. These regulations are organized into codes and published regularly in the California Code of Regulations. Database vendors like Lexis also provide access to searchable versions of the codes through sources like Barclays Official California Code of Regulations (see below).
