Corporate Law Research Guide

If a topic is new to you (and even if it isn’t) then secondary sources are an excellent place to begin your research. They help explain the law, provide context, and point to relevant primary and other secondary sources. There are many different types of secondary sources. Legal encyclopedias, textbooks, and treatises are useful if you’re looking for a basic or intermediate introduction to a topic. If you’re looking for more detailed information or practical guidance, then try a practice guide. If your research is more academic (as opposed to practical) in nature, an article from a law review or law journal might suit your needs.

This section of the law guide identifies some of the secondary resources helpful with corporate law research. Although many sources are listed in this section, it is by no means an exhaustive list.

Is it available in print or digitally? Many secondary sources are published in print and are available digitally in a database. While there are exceptions, in most cases Rains Library will have access to a source either in print or digitally, but not both. Also, unlike primary sources which are typically accessible through multiple databases and sometimes freely online, secondary sources are often available in only one database.

Tip: If you are using Westlaw, Lexis Advance, or Bloomberg Law to find the sources below simply type the title in the search bar. To find similar sources not listed below, select the secondary sources option in the database and narrow by topic, jurisdiction, and type of resource (law review, treatise, etc.) as appropriate.