# Comprehensive Legal Research Sources

## Tier 1: Premium Legal Databases

### Westlaw (Thomson Reuters)
- **URL**: westlaw.com
- **Strengths**: KeyCite citator, West Key Number System, comprehensive coverage
- **Best For**: Case law research, statutory analysis, practice areas
- **Key Features**:
  - KeyCite: Real-time citation verification
  - Headnotes: Editorial summaries by legal topic
  - Secondary Sources: Extensive treatise library
  - Practical Law: Transaction guides and templates

### LexisNexis
- **URL**: lexisnexis.com
- **Strengths**: Shepard's Citations, news/public records, analytics
- **Best For**: Litigation research, due diligence, news monitoring
- **Key Features**:
  - Shepard's: Comprehensive citation analysis
  - Lex Machina: Legal analytics
  - Public Records: Background searches
  - CourtLink: Docket tracking

### Bloomberg Law
- **URL**: bna.com / bloomberglaw.com
- **Strengths**: Transactional resources, dockets, news integration
- **Best For**: Corporate, securities, tax practice
- **Key Features**:
  - Points of Law: AI-powered research
  - Draft Analyzer: Contract comparison
  - Docket Search: Comprehensive filing access
  - Practical Guidance: Step-by-step guides

## Tier 2: Specialized Databases

### vLex / Fastcase
- **URL**: vlex.com
- **Best For**: Solo/small firm research, state bar members
- **Key Features**:
  - AI-powered search (Vincent)
  - International coverage
  - Free through many state bars

### HeinOnline
- **URL**: heinonline.org
- **Best For**: Historical legal materials, law reviews
- **Key Features**:
  - Complete law review archive
  - Legislative histories
  - Treaties and international law
  - Historical legal documents

### Casetext
- **URL**: casetext.com
- **Best For**: AI-assisted research, brief analysis
- **Key Features**:
  - CoCounsel AI assistant
  - Brief analysis
  - Parallel search

## Tier 3: Free Legal Resources

### Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII)
- **URL**: law.cornell.edu
- **Coverage**: U.S.C., C.F.R., Supreme Court, state statutes
- **Best For**: Statutory text, regulations, legal encyclopedias
- **Limitations**: No citator service

### Google Scholar (Legal)
- **URL**: scholar.google.com
- **Coverage**: Federal and state case law, law reviews
- **Best For**: Quick case lookup, academic articles
- **Limitations**: No editorial enhancements, limited citator

### CourtListener / RECAP
- **URL**: courtlistener.com
- **Coverage**: Federal and state courts, PACER documents
- **Best For**: Free docket access, oral arguments
- **Key Feature**: RECAP browser extension for free PACER documents

### Justia
- **URL**: justia.com
- **Coverage**: Cases, statutes, regulations
- **Best For**: Quick statutory lookup, case summaries
- **Limitations**: Limited historical coverage

### Caselaw Access Project
- **URL**: case.law
- **Coverage**: All U.S. case law through 2020
- **Best For**: Historical research, data analysis
- **Key Feature**: Full-text searchable, API access

### Public Library of Law
- **URL**: plol.org
- **Coverage**: Cases, statutes, regulations
- **Best For**: Budget research, basic searches

## Court-Specific Databases

### Federal Courts

| Court | System | URL | Cost |
|-------|--------|-----|------|
| All Federal | PACER | pacer.gov | $0.10/page (cap at $3) |
| Supreme Court | SCOTUS | supremecourt.gov | Free |
| Circuit Courts | PACER | pacer.gov | Per-page fee |
| Bankruptcy | PACER | pacer.gov | Per-page fee |

### State Courts
Most states maintain free case databases:
- California: courts.ca.gov
- New York: nycourts.gov
- Texas: txcourts.gov
- Florida: flcourts.org

## International Sources

### Multi-Jurisdictional
| Source | Coverage | URL |
|--------|----------|-----|
| WorldLII | Global | worldlii.org |
| vLex Global | 100+ countries | vlex.com |
| HeinOnline | Treaties, Int'l | heinonline.org |

### Regional
| Region | Source | URL |
|--------|--------|-----|
| European Union | EUR-Lex | eur-lex.europa.eu |
| ECHR | HUDOC | hudoc.echr.coe.int |
| Australia | AustLII | austlii.edu.au |
| Canada | CanLII | canlii.org |
| UK | BAILII | bailii.org |
| India | Indian Kanoon | indiankanoon.org |
| India | SCC Online | scconline.com |

## Regulatory & Government Sources

### Federal Regulations
| Source | Content | URL |
|--------|---------|-----|
| eCFR | Code of Federal Regulations | ecfr.gov |
| Federal Register | Daily federal notices | federalregister.gov |
| Congress.gov | Bills, legislation | congress.gov |
| GovInfo | Government publications | govinfo.gov |

### Agency-Specific
| Agency | URL | Key Content |
|--------|-----|-------------|
| SEC | sec.gov/edgar | Securities filings |
| USPTO | uspto.gov | Patents, trademarks |
| IRS | irs.gov | Tax guidance |
| EPA | epa.gov | Environmental regs |
| OSHA | osha.gov | Workplace safety |
| FTC | ftc.gov | Consumer protection |

## Practice Resources

### News & Analysis
| Source | Focus | URL |
|--------|-------|-----|
| Law360 | Legal news | law360.com |
| JD Supra | Practice articles | jdsupra.com |
| ABA Journal | Bar news | abajournal.com |

### Academic
| Source | Content | URL |
|--------|---------|-----|
| SSRN Legal | Working papers | papers.ssrn.com |
| Law Reviews | Via HeinOnline | heinonline.org |
| ABA Resources | Practice guides | americanbar.org |

## Search Strategy by Source

### For Case Law
1. **Quick lookup**: Google Scholar, Justia
2. **Comprehensive**: Westlaw, LexisNexis
3. **Historical**: Caselaw Access Project, HeinOnline
4. **Free alternative**: CourtListener

### For Statutes
1. **Federal**: Cornell LII, GovInfo
2. **State**: Official state websites
3. **Historical**: HeinOnline
4. **Annotated**: Westlaw, LexisNexis

### For Regulations
1. **Current CFR**: eCFR.gov
2. **Federal Register**: federalregister.gov
3. **Agency-specific**: Agency websites
4. **Historical**: HeinOnline

### For Secondary Sources
1. **Treatises**: Westlaw, LexisNexis
2. **Law Reviews**: HeinOnline, SSRN
3. **Practice Guides**: Practical Law, Bloomberg
4. **Free alternatives**: ABA, law school clinics