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Law Resources at HBKU

This guide is a compilation of Law resources at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Library

Legal Research

 Research Question

  • Start by defining your legal issue/question clearly
  • Identify the "W"s (Who, What, Where, When, Why)
  • Define the jurisdiction(s) (federal, state,..) and the Area (local, international,..) and which Law(s) applies/apply
  • Identify legal concepts and focus on legal issues
  • Prepare the list of relevant search terms or keywords (consult a legal dictionary if needed)

 Understand Information Types

In legal research, information types are mainly categorized by primary and secondary sources. But, against their grammatical order, it is advisable to start with secondary sources to lead you to primary sources. Both types are explained in their respective sections below.

Secondary Sources helps you understand the area of the law you're working on. They usually provide a general overview of the law, as well as citations to Primary Sources. They could also help you come up with additional keywords to use in your searches as well as to refine your strategy according to the results.

Examples of some Secondary Sources: 

  • Legal Dictionaries: concise and precise definition and context of legal terms. Rarely cite primary sources.
  • Legal Encyclopedias: overview of a law or an area of law. They are a good starting point although they are not comprehensive. Might cite primary sources.
  • American Law Reports: detailed discussions of discrete legal topics, not very comprehensive and do not cover every area of the law. Cite and summarize cases.
  • Treatises: book-length and authoritative sources, and provide in-depth analysis of a law. Cite many primary sources. (ex. Nutshells, Hornbooks, ..)
  • Law Review Articles: commentaries on specific areas of law and provide summaries of relevant primary sources.  May be cited in courts decisions. Cite several primary sources.

Primary Sources are formal, written statements of law enacted by governmental entities, ranging from a state's statutes to a city's ordinances to caselaw published by a court. They can be mandatory (courts must follow precedents when considering same/similar cases) or persuasive (courts can but is not obliged to follow precedents).

Examples of Some Primary Sources:

  • Law Case: dispute between two or more parties that is resolved by a court
  • Statute or Statutory Law: formal written law passed by a legislative body. It starts as a bill and then it gets enacted or dismissed. Statutes are often grouped into “codes”, collections of laws based on similar subject matter.
  • Rules & Regulations (Administrative Law): set of rules and regulations that govern how government agencies function.
  • Constitution: a fundamental set of principles around which all other law is derived and organized.

 Review Results

  • Refine strategy as you find results
  • Include new search terms
  • Narrow down/broaden your search
  • Revisit notes as you go
  • Consider other relevant sources

 Check Good Law

After ensuring that you covered all legal issues, Check that the laws you are referring to are still Good Laws. HBKU Library provides access to Shephard’s (Lexis). You may also consult these resources from Lexis for guidance in "Shepardizing".

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