List of figures -- Foreword / Mike Eisenberg -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Part 1: Foundation: Legal Information Overview -- Structure of the legal system in the United States -- Getting started finding legal information -- Fifty-one legal systems -- Rule of threes -- Three types of primary law -- Three branches of government -- Legislatures enact statutes -- Administrative agencies promulgate regulations -- Courts make case law -- Three levels of courts -- Trial courts -- Intermediate Appellate Courts -- Final Appellate Courts -- Conclusion -- Secondary sources and practice materials -- Secondary sources generally -- Secondary sources: In print -- Legal encyclopedias -- National legal encyclopedias -- Localized legal encyclopedias -- Treatises -- Practice materials and forms -- Loose-leaf services -- American Law Reports -- Legal periodicals -- Law reviews/journals -- Legal newspapers, magazines -- Restatements -- Secondary sources: Pay-for-view databases -- Secondary sources: Free online access -- Conclusion -- Finding Federal Law: legal information in the Federal system -- Introduction -- General secondary sources for Federal Law -- American Law Reports-Federal -- Practice and procedure and form books -- Treatises -- Resources recap -- Free web sources for Federal Law -- Government sites -- Educational institutions' sites -- Private company sites -- Resources recap -- Primary law: U S Constitution -- Secondary sources on Constitutional Law -- General sources -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Primary law: Federal statutes -- Pending legislation -- Websites -- Current statutes -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Primary law: Federal cases -- United State Supreme Court -- Print -- Websites -- United States Courts of Appeal (aka "Circuit Courts") -- Print -- Websites -- United States District Courts -- Print -- Websites -- Other Federal Courts -- Bankruptcy -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Primary Law: Regulations (Administrative Law) -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Primary law: Federal Court Rules -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Conclusion -- Finding state and local law -- Introduction -- All-in-one websites -- Resources recap -- State constitutions -- Resources recap -- State statutes -- Statutory codes -- State session laws -- Court decisions interpreting statues -- Resources recap -- State Administrative Law -- State Regulatory Codes -- State Regulatory Registers -- Court decisions interpreting Administrative Law -- Resources recap -- State Court decisions -- Opinions from Trial Courts Or Courts Of Limited Jurisdiction -- Finding State Appellate Court decisions in hard copy -- Finding State Appellate Court decisions for free online -- Resources recap -- State Court rules -- Resources recap -- State Executive materials -- Resources recap -- Other State-specific resources -- Resources recap -- Local Law: Primary sources -- Resources recap -- Tribal Law and Federal Indian law: Primary sources -- Resources recap -- Part 2: Preparation: Understanding Legal Information Needs -- Legal research basics -- Deciding what legal information is needed -- Reference interview for legal information needs -- Legal information versus legal advice -- Resources recap -- Techniques for finding what is needed -- Jurisdiction -- Secondary sources -- Citations: Known item searching -- Keyword and subject searching for Case Law -- Hard-copy tools for Case Law subject searches -- Online databases for Case Law subject searches -- Keyword subject searching for Statutes and Regulations -- Resources recap -- Building on what is found -- Pearl growing: Finding one good case, then more like it -- Pay-for-view services: Lexis and Westlaw -- Updating -- How much is enough? ; who can help me further? -- Resources recap -- References -- Resources beyond the public library -- Law libraries -- Resources recap -- Free legal help -- Resources recap -- Alternative dispute resolution -- About mediation -- ADR organizations and resources -- Resources recap -- Choosing a lawyer -- Resources recap -- Conclusion: Knowing the community --

Part 3: Information: Specific Legal Questions -- Lawsuits -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Getting started -- Resources recap -- Finding answers to frequent questions -- Process of a lawsuit -- Legal procedures and forms -- Pretrial stages of a lawsuit -- Evidence -- Trial process -- Juries and jury instructions -- Appeals -- Resources recap -- Family law -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Getting started: a checklist -- Finding answers to frequent questions about relationships -- Questions about marriage -- Questions when unmarried and living together -- Questions about divorce -- Resources recap -- Finding answers to frequent questions about children -- Questions about parenting plans -- Questions about child support -- Resources recap -- Finding answers to frequent questions about domestic violence -- Resources recap --Finding answers to frequent questions about adoption -- Resources recap -- References -- Landlord-tenant -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Getting started -- Finding answers to frequent questions -- From tenants -- From landlords -- Resources recap -- Epilogue -- Wills, Estate Planning, and Probate -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Getting started -- Understanding key terms -- Finding answers to frequent questions -- Resources recap -- Debts, collections, and credit -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Multistate matters -- Matters involving contracts -- Getting started -- Debtor: Basic starting information -- Creditor: Basic starting information -- Facing foreclosure -- Finding answers to frequent questions -- Resource recap -- References -- Bankruptcy -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Federal Law governs -- Currency: Be sure you have the most recent information -- Getting started -- Finding answers to frequent questions -- Resources recap -- References -- Employment and unemployment -- Introduction -- Getting started -- Resources recap -- Framework for questions in employment discrimination -- Finding answers to frequent questions about employment discrimination -- Resources in employment discrimination -- Resources in employment discrimination -- Primary sources: Federal Law of employment discrimination -- Primary sources: State statues in employment -- Discrimination -- Do-it-yourself publications in employment -- Discrimination -- Resources recap -- Framework for questions in unemployment compensation -- Finding answers to frequent questions about unemployment compensation -- Resources in unemployment compensation -- Primary sources: Federal statues about unemployment compensation -- Primary sources: State statutes about unemployment compensation -- Do-it-yourself publications in unemployment compensation -- Resources recap -- Framework for questions in worker's compensation -- Finding answers to frequent questions about workers' compensation -- Resources in workers' compensation -- Primary sources: Federal statutes in workers' compensation -- Primary sources: State statutes in workers' compensation -- Do-it-yourself publications about workers' compensation -- Resources recap -- Framework for other employment law questions -- Wages and hours -- Wrongful discharge -- Workplace privacy -- Resources recap -- Conclusion -- Criminal law -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Getting started -- Finding answers to frequent questions -- Rights of the accused -- Crimes and criminal codes -- Criminal procedure -- Criminal defenses -- Resources recap -- Part 4: Collection: Building A Basic Collection Or Website -- What's online, what's not, and when to use what -- Introduction -- Primary law -- Secondary sources -- When to use print sources -- When to choose free or pay-for-view online databases -- Comparing and combining print, free online, pay-for-view repositories -- Conclusion -- Evaluating the trustworthiness of websites and self-help law books -- Introduction -- Jurisdiction -- Statutes -- Regulations -- Case law -- Obsolescence -- Domain -- .Gov -- .edu -- .org -- .com -- Scope of coverage -- Authorship -- Authority -- Additional resources -- Self-help law books -- Conclusion -- Creating a library webpage and basic legal collection -- Deciding what your library needs -- Building a basic website of local legal links -- Topical "clusters" for your site -- Shortcuts: Mega portals and piggybacking -- Linking to (and from) your OPAC -- Easy tools for website creation -- Building a basic print collection-on a shoestring, or no string, budget -- Secondhand book sources -- Hand-me-down books sources -- Do-it-yourself book publishers -- Final words -- Resources recap -- References -- Appendix 1: Glossary -- Appendix 2: Recommended legal resources online -- Appendix 3: State law resources online -- Index -- About the authors.