Legal Reference Sources Subject Guide
Case Law
15 resources available
- Restricted to WMU users 
- Open Access
Case law is defined as "legal precedent that is created by judges rather than legislatures. In case law, judges can either interpret statutory law or apply the common law" (www.ll.georgetown.edu).
Case law can be traced through three excellent online legal databases:Westlaw Campus Research, LexisNexis, and HeinOnline as well as many online general sources such as FindLaw. The print resources listed below also provide summaries of case law arranged by topics.
An extensive research database of legal sources, including the Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register, United States Code Annotated (USCA), Federal and State court cases, American Law Reports (ALR), and American Jurisprudence 2d, Black's Law Dictionary, Legal Guides, and more. Also includes more than 700 law reviews and journals.
Indexes thousands of domestic and foreign newspapers, as well as journals, and other publications in News, Business company reports and articles, Legal Research, Medical and Reference. The legal research category includes law reviews, law news, federal and state laws and cases. Mostly full text. Includes Hoover's full text. Coverage dates vary.
HeinOnline: The Modern Link to Legal History
HeinOnline consists of major full text legal collections including: the Law Journal Library, the Federal Register Library, the Treaties and Agreements Library, U.S. Code, and the U.S. Supreme Court Library. These collections are image-based and fully-searchable, with comprehensive coverage of each title, some going back to the 18th century. Click on "Subscribers please click here to enter."
An extensive source for case law (state and federal), administrative law, constitutional law, consumer law, directories, legal news, and other law related references. Useful for legal professionals, students, the general public, and corporate counsels.
American Law Reports
American Law Reports. (A.L.R.; A.L.R. 2d; A.L.R. 3d; A.L.R. 4th; A.L.R. 5th) KF 105 .A4x (Ref)
"ALR delivers what no other resource can: an objective, in-depth, analysis of your specific legal issue, together with a complete list of every case – in every jurisdiction – that discusses it." WestLaw Web site. Use the pocket parts to update the topic.
Callaghan's Michigan Digest
KFM 4245.1 .C3x (Ref)
Contains a compilation of headnotes/annotations arranged and classified by legal topic within Michigan cases. Kept up to date with cumulative pocket parts.
Michigan Digest
(First Series) [Thomson-West Publishing] (Mich.Dig.)
KFM 4245.1 .M52x 1971 (Ref
Second Series (Mich.Dig.2d)
KFM 4257 .W47x 1989 (Ref)
Reprints the headnotes from Michigan cases. Kept up to date with cumulative pocket parts.
Modern Federal Practice Digest
KF127.M6x (Gen.Stacks)
Subtitle: all Federal cases law of the modern era covering 1754-date [1959].
United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyer's Edition
KF 101 .U52x(Ref): L.Ed
KF 101 .U52x 2d ser.(Ref): L.Ed.2d.
Beginning with the organization of the U.S. Supreme Court at the February Term, 1790, every case decided by the Supreme Court can be found here. It is our only source for U.S.Supreme Court opinions before 1937. Originally published by Lawyers Cooperative now part of Thomson Reuters, the text also includes annotations, analysis, and summary of the main holdings of each case.
West's Federal Reporter
(F.; F.2d; F.3d)
KF 115 .F4x General Stacks
Part of West's National Reporter System. Publishes, among other things, the decisions and opinions of the U.S. Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Claims (which adjudicates suits against the federal government), and the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals.
West's Federal Supplement
(F.Supp.)
KF 120 .F4x General Stacks
Part of West's National Reporter System. Publishes decisions of the U.S. District Courts (since 1932) and decisions of the U.S. Court of International Trade.
West's North Eastern Reporter
(N.E.; N.E.2d)
KF 135 .N6 General Stacks
West's North Western Reporter
(N.W.; N.W.2d)
KF 135 .N7 (Ref)
A regional reporter in West's National Reporter System which contains decisions of state appeals courts in 7 states, including Michigan.
West's Pacific Reporter
(P.; P.2d)
KF 135 .P2 General Stacks
West's Supreme Court Reporter
(S.Ct.)
KF 101 .S9x (Ref)
Part of West's National Reporter System. As with other volumes in this series, the text of each decision is preceded by headnotes, which are classified by digest topics and subtopics and contain short abstracts of the legal issues in the case.
Librarian's Comment: ALR is now available online through Westlaw Campus Research.