Legal Research Process
There is no one magic formula for legal research and no shortcuts. Struggling on where to get started? Provided is a worksheet designed to be a tool for research with space for you to take notes. There is a PDF fillable version (so you can take notes directly within the document) as well as a printer friendly version (if you prefer taking handwritten notes). There are also a variety of links to common resources.
Legal Research Process Worksheet (PDF Fillable)
Legal Research Process Worksheet (Printer-Friendly)
In general, the best place to start is what you already have/know. Read any court documents you have received thoroughly.
General Legal Information
General legal information websites can help you understand the legal basics (the why's, how's, and what's of the law) necessary for your legal issue.
Oregon Law Help
“Oregon Law Help connects people with civil legal information and legal help. The information on this site is written by Oregon attorneys for people with civil legal issues in Oregon.” They have a robust information library written in plain-language to help you better understand the law.”
Also check out their guided help tool, which can help "match" you to information and referrals based on your answers.
Oregon State Bar Legal Information Topics
General legal information from the Oregon State Bar. Good for learning terms and ideas but lacks citation to statutes or cases.
NOLO Press
Website for NOLO Press, which publishes self-help legal guides for non-attorneys. The site includes information pages explaining legal terminology and issues. (Note: information on this site is not specific to Oregon law and does not constitute legal advice. It is only intended to give users some general information).
NOLO's Free Dictionary of Law Terms and Legal Definitions
NOLO offers an online plain-English legal dictionary, helpful for understanding legal terms that may have a specific legal definition.
Library of Congress Research Guides
The Law Library of Congress has a variety of legal research guides for state, federal, and international law sources. For example, check out their research guide “Guide to Law Online: U.S. Oregon.”
(Note: some foreign law materials are available in English, but some links are to sites which are in the native language of the country represented, and are not translated.)
Legal Deskbooks (BarBooks)
Deskbooks are professional legal texts that provide detailed legal information in a format that is typically simpler to read than the law. The law library offers BarBooks, an online library of deskbooks from the Oregon State Bar, via access token. Please contact us a [email protected] if you are interested in an access token. You will need internet access for a token. If you need internet access, we can help you access BarBooks on our public computers (access token is still required).
The State Law Library of Oregon also can generate BarBooks tokens, you can email them at [email protected].
We also have paper copies of BarBooks books behind the reference desk.
Research Guides
Need help finding legal information? The
library has put together a set of research guides on many common legal
areas for our patrons. Note that many of the resources listed in the
guides are books carried in the library. Some books are located behind
the librarian’s desk. If the material is not at the librarian’s desk,
then our library has two main areas, the “Main Collection” and the
“Oregon Collection” and each is organized by call number (such as KF
8915.O15 2010).
State Law Library Provided Resources
The State of Oregon Law Library provides online legal research resources for all Oregonians.
Remote Westlaw for Pro Se
(for non-commercial use; will require free registration)
The SOLL offers remote Westlaw, a legal research database with a robust range of materials including example forms, statutes, cases, and treatises. Contact the SOLL at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Legal Information Source: Consumer Reference
(will require free registration)
They also offer Legal Information Source: Consumer Reference with access to most NOLO titles, a legal self-help publisher, through Ebscohost.
If you need assistance with either research service, feel free to contact us a [email protected].
Forms
The Oregon Judicial Department has a select number of forms made officially available for legal matters. Local courts such as Lane County Circuit Court have forms created for some situations not addressed by the state-wide forms. There are not always official forms for every legal issue, but the form you need may already be available. It is recommended to double-check the OJD Forms Center and Lane County Circuit Court Forms to see if their is an official form for the situation.
Certain family law forms can be purchased from Lane County Court Cashiers or the Family Court Assistance Office.
Click here to go to our Self-Help/Forms Information page for more information on forms.
Online Sources of Statutes, Rules, and Regulations:
Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS)
“The Oregon Revised Statutes are the codified laws.”
Annotations to the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS)
“The annotations, published in the fall of each even-numbered year, are brief summaries of the decisions of the Oregon Supreme Court, the Oregon Court of Appeals and the Oregon Tax Court as those decisions relate to specific Oregon laws and statutory interpretation.”
Oregon Rules of Civil Procedure (ORCP)
“The Oregon Rules of Civil Procedure govern civil proceedings in Oregon circuit courts.”
Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR)
Oregon Administrative Rules… …are created by entities created with rulemaking authority per Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 183.310(9) to implement or interpret their specific statutes.”
Oregon Constitution
“The Oregon Constitution contains fundamental laws outlining principles by which Oregon is governed.”
Uniform Trial Court Rules (UTCR)
“The Uniform Trial Court Rules (UTCR) are statewide rules that apply in each of Oregon’s 36 circuit courts. The UTCR promote the just, speedy and inexpensive resolution of cases, the efficient use of court resources and a uniform, consistent practice across the state.”
Supplementary Local Court Rules
“Each circuit court has their own set of additional rules, known as Supplementary Local Rules (SLRs).
Oregon Evidence Code
U.S. District Court Local Rules of Civil Procedure (District of Oregon)
More Online Resources
ABA Journal Resources
Contains a search box that will search over 400 law
journals and law review sources that are available online. Some provide
the article in full, while others only provide a preview. If you are
unable to access a full article, feel free to contact our library with
your citation and we most likely can provide your article.
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