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Legal Encyclopedias
- Legal encyclopedias are multi-volume sets that provide overviews of the law, in narrative form, on a full range of legal topics; the commentary provides references and footnotes to primary sources, including relevant cases and legislation.
- Standard features such as index volumes and ‘tables of contents’ at the beginning of each topic provide useful access points for researchers.
- Cross-references to related topics covered in the encyclopedia direct you to issues and areas of the law that you may not have even considered.
- If you are unfamiliar with a topic, or if you don’t even really know what your legal topic is, legal encyclopedias are an excellent place to begin your research.
Canadian Legal Encyclopedias
- Canadian Encyclopedic Digest (Western)Call Number: Reference Room (level 2): KE156.2 .C364or online via Westlaw Edge Canada
The print format:
• Multi-volume set, with both Western (focuses on federal law & provincial law from the 4 western provinces) & Ontario versions
• INDEX volume facilitates access to the alphabetically-arranged topics (called Titles)
• Every Title includes: Table of Contents, Table of Cases, Table of Statutes, Table of Rules & Regulations (if applicable) & subject index
• Grey-edged supplements at the front of most Titles brings research up-to-date - Halsbury’s Laws of CanadaCall Number: Reference Room (level 2): KE180 .H34or online via Lexis+ or Lexis Advance Quicklaw Plus
The print format:
• Bound volumes with Cumulative Supplement that provides commentary and references to case law & statutes on a full range of Canadian legal topics
• Each Title (or topic) is authored by Canadian expert(s)
• Includes: Table of Contents, List of Related Titles, Table of Cases, Table of Statutes, Index, and Glossary of Definitions (which identifies words & phrases defined in legislation, relevant to the Title’s subject matter)
• Companion Guide and Consolidated Index facilitates access to all Titles covered in the main volumes
U.S. Legal Encyclopedias
- American Jurisprudence, 2dCall Number: Reference Room (level 2): KF154 .A42 1962or online via Westlaw Edge Canada (identifier: AMJUR)
- Corpus Juris SecundumCall Number: Reference Room (level 2): KF154 .C67or online via Westlaw Edge Canada (identifier: CJS)
American Law Reports AnnotatedLAW LIBRARY level 4: KG357.A19 and LAW LIBRARY level 4: KG357.A185
Online via Westlaw Edge Canada, (identifier: ALR)
Published in 2 current series (ALR - for general & state legal issues and ALR Federal - for issues of federal law).
Not every research issue is covered by the set, and it is not really an encyclopedia, but are a very useful resource for doing U.S. research.
United Kingdom
- Halsbury's Laws of EnglandCall Number: Reference Room (level 2): KD310 .H34 2008