Western Carolina University

WCU is a University of North Carolina Campus

Getting Started

The sources listed here help you to find out where to go to get good overviews and quick information – this is a particularly useful place to start if you don’t know a lot about your topic.

West's Encyclopedia of American Law
An authoritative legal encyclopedia written in plain English for the layman. Useful appendix volume contains the full text of many historical legal documents. Index volume includes legal dictionary. Currency is maintained by the American Law Yearbook.
REF KF 154 .W47 (2005+ Annual updates)

American Jurisprudence, 2nd (AmJur2d)
Legal encyclopedia with many case references. Detailed multi-volume index.
Also available online through Westlaw Campus Research.
REF KF 154 .A42

Strong's North Carolina Index, 4th
Similar to American Jurisprudence, but this is an encyclopedia of North Carolina law, with case references and cross references to federal law on topics.
REF KFN 7449 .S82

Black's Law Dictionary
Definitions of most words and phrases used in law. Legal abbreviations listed in back of volume.
REF KF 156 .B53 2004

American Law Reports, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th and 6th Series (ALR 2d, ALR 3d, ALR 4th, ALR 5th, ALR 6th)
In-depth analysis of legal issues, including lists of relevant cases, case summaries, and, for each topic, one complete case. Also available online through the Westlaw Campus Research database.
REF KF 132 .A52, .A54, .A542, .A543, .A56

American Law Reports Federal (ALR Fed)
In-depth analysis of law topics, with summaries and references to federal cases.
Also available online through the Westlaw Campus Research database.
REF KF 105 .A54