Finding the law: A criminal justice guide to basic legal research techniques

Either by choice or by necessity, criminal justice students, educators, researchers, administrators, and practitioners frequently seek information or engage in conduct that somehow concerns the law. liiere are numerous reasons why persons interested in criminal justice theory and practice may want or need legal knowledge, but a lack of familiarity with the basic techniques for conducting legal research may inhibit access to this knowledge. This article describes the reference materials available for legal research, explains how they are used, and suggests why it is important that more people who are involved with criminal justice become skilled in the basic techniques of legal research.