Paralegal Studies: Finding legal material

• Legal Encyclopedia:
  • Look up terms in the general index.
  • Go to the legal topic and section number (i.e., Family Law § 444).
  • Read summary and find cases by looking for the footnotes.
  • Always check the pocket part.
• Statutes and Codes:
  • Look up your terms in the General Index.
  • Jot down the statutory citation
  • Open that section and examine the table of contents of case notes that help interpret the statute to find a relevant case.
  • Sometimes it also points you to other useful secondary tools like legal forms. Check pocket part
• Legal Digest:
  • If looking for a definition of a legal term use the Words and Phrases Index.
  • If looking for general case law, use the Descriptive Word Index to find your legal issue.
  • Jot down the citation for your legal issue.
  • Find the appropriate volume, read the case summaries and check pocket part.
    Jot down the case citation: (i.e., 207 S.W. 2d 723)
  • Find your case in the SE. Reporter and update it via Shepard's Citations

Primary Sources--Cases:

• In reference
  • West’s Georgia cases reported in South eastern reporter
  • Georgia blue & white book.
  • Georgia cases reported in South eastern reporter
• Online
  • Peach Sheets Georgia State University Law Review
  • The fall issue (issue 1) features an annual legislative review known as the Peach Sheets. This review provides the legal community with an in-depth view of the Georgia General Assembly's activities and the legislative intent behind significant bills.
  • Official Code of Georgia,  Annotated

Primary Sources--Statutes

• In reference:
  • West’s Code of Georgia, Annotated

Georgia Secondary Sources

• In reference:
  • Georgia Jurisprudence
  • Georgia Digest