Legal Research: An Overview: Cases

Judicial opinions are the cornerstone of legal research, particularly for litigators. The following pages will help you to understand:

• The structure of the federal and California court systems, what case reporters cover what courts, and the distinction between published and unpublished cases;

• Mandatory v. persuasive authority;

• Techniques for finding relevant court opinions; and

• How to validate your research.

For more information on case law research, including videos, see the Georgetown Law Library Case Law Research Tutorial.