Research guides published by libraries, government offices, law firms, etc. are widely available and serve as excellent starting points for research in an unfamiliar area of law. Research guides can point you to both primary and secondary sources in an organized and easy to use format.
Search for research guides on the "Libguides" platform: https://community.libguides.com or a web search with keywords like "copyright law" and "research guide". For any guide found online, it is imperative that you evaluate the source of the guide, the publisher, the purpose for which it was published, and the date it was last updated.
Research Platform Subject-Based Collections
Westlaw Edge, Lexis+, and Bloomberg Law each offer collections of primary and secondary sources by subject. On Westlaw Edge and Lexis+ these are called "Practice Areas." Bloomberg Law calls them "Practice Centers." Refer to the images, descriptions, and links below to navigate to these landing pages.
Westlaw Edge
On Westlaw Edge, from the homepage choose the "Practice Areas" tab in the center from the navigation menu below the global search bar. Browse the topics to find which may be relevant to your research question.
Lexis+
On Lexis+, from the homepage choose the "Practice Areas" tab in the center from the navigation menu below the global search bar. Browse the topics to find which may be relevant to your research question.
Bloomberg Law
On Bloomberg Law, from the homepage choose the "Practice Centers" tab from below the main search bar. Choose the topic relevant to your research question from the drop down menu.
West's Topic & Key Number System
West's Topic & Key Number System is a digest system that organizes judicial opinions by subject. It is integrated into West/Thomson Reuters products both in print and online on Westlaw Edge which allows for multiple points of access depicted below.
Browsable and Searchable on Westlaw Edge
Browse the Topic & Key Number System to drill down from the broadest topic to the narrowest issue assigned to a specific key number. West editors assign key numbers to judicial opinions based on the issues discussed in the opinion. Change the jurisdiction settings to find judicial opinions that both binding authority and match the relevant key number/legal issue you are researching.
From a Known Case
If the starting point for your research is a known case, then you can access the Topic & Key Number System from the headnotes. Each headnote in a case is assigned a topic & key number. To find more cases assigned to the same key number follow the linked key number.
From a Secondary Source
Secondary sources published by West/Thomson Reuters often include relevant topics and key numbers which makes moving from an explanatory secondary source to binding primary authority a much easier task. For example, an encyclopedia entry in American Jurisprudence 2d or an ALR annotation found on Westlaw Edge will include linked topic and key number.
Locating Court Dockets on Bloomberg Law
Court filing such as complaints, briefs, and motions are available on Bloomberg Law. Bloomberg Law provides filing via the PACER system with content coverage including federal materials and limited state materials. Coverage of court dockets is available here: https://www.bloomberglaw.com/dockets/coverage
Select the court, enter your case's docket number (typically found under the case caption), and click "Search". You may also enter party names or other identifying information related to the case. The example below uses the document number and court information from Atkins v. O'Brien, a decision from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia (2:14-CV-36).
Select "Update Docket" to ensure you see the latest filings. n the docket. Select "View" or "Request" to view the full text of each court filing (e.g. a pleading, motion or brief). Note that some filings remain unavailable even upon selecting "Request".
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