Legal Research Basics for Non-Lawyers

Legal encyclopedias: 

• Contain brief narrative summaries on particular topics  
• Provide a quick overview of basic legal principles and issues
• Provide citations to relevant legislation and cases

The hierarchical classification of legal encyclopedias are useful. They give researchers an overview of how the key elements in a given area of law fit together.

Legal dictionaries have: 

• brief definitions or translations of established legal terms and maxims (including in French and Latin)
• definitions of common terms that have special legal meanings 
• reference to cases or legislation 

These dictionaries can be helpful in ensuring you have the right search terms when you are starting your research.