|
Reference Training Materials This material was used in the graduate Library Media Education
program at Western Kentucky University. It is placed here to allow library
workers to train themselves in the use of reference materials. Copyright
2001 - 2005 Bryan M. Carson. |
LAW
MATERIALS IN THE WKU LAW COLLECTION
AND THEIR CITATION ABBREVIATIONS
State
Cases | Federal Cases |
Specialized (Topical) Reporters
Federal Statutes & Regulations | State
Statutes & Regulations
Encyclopedias, Digests, & Annotations | Computer
Databases
Law-Related Materials in the Government Documents Section
| Reporter Title | Citation Abbreviation | Description |
| Atlantic Reporter | A. | Cases from Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, & Vermont. |
| California Reporter | Cal. Rptr. | California cases (unofficial). |
| Kentucky Law Reporter | K.L.R. OR Ky. L. Rptr. | Kentucky cases (unofficial); NO LONGER RECEIVED. |
| Kentucky Reporter | Ky. | Official Kentucky cases 1879-1951. Use Southeaster Reporter for cases after 1951. For older cases, see below. |
| Northeastern Reporter | N.E. | Cases from Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, & Ohio. |
| Northwestern Reporter | N.W. | Cases from Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, & Wisconsin. |
| New York Supplement | N.Y.S. | New York cases (unofficial). |
| Pacific Reporter | P. | Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, Northern Marianas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington, & Wyoming. |
| Southeastern Reporter | S.E. | Cases from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, & West Virginia. |
| Southern Reporter | So. | Cases from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, & Mississippi. |
| Southwestern Reporter | S.W. | Cases from Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. |
| Reporter Title | Citation Abbreviation | Description |
| United States Reports | U.S. | Cases from the United States Supreme Court (official). |
| Supreme Court Reporter | S.Ct. | Cases from the United States Supreme Court. Unofficial version of United States Reports. Contains headnotes and other editorial enhancements. |
| United States Supreme Court Reporter, Lawyers= Edition | L.Ed. | Cases from the United States Supreme Court. Unofficial version of United States Reports. Contains cross-references and other editorial enhancements. |
| Federal Reporter | F. | Cases from the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal. Also contained cases from the United States District Courts before 1932. |
| Federal Supplement | F. Supp. | Cases from the United States District Courts since 1932. Before 1930, use the Federal Reporter. |
| >Federal Rules Decisions | F.R.D. | Federal cases that discuss or interpret Federal Court Rules. |
| U.S.L.W. | Weekly summary of cases from State and Federal courts. |
Specialized (Topical) Reporters
| Reporter Title | Citation Abbreviation | Description |
| Education Law Reporter | Educ. L. R. | Cases pertaining to education. |
| Environmental Reporter | Envt. Rep. OR Envir. Rep. | Cases pertaining to the environment. |
| Media Law Reporter | Med. L. Rptr. | Cases about journalism, broadcasting, and the media. |
Federal Statutes & Regulations
| Title of Set | Citation abbreviation | Description |
| United States Code | U.S.C. | Federal statutes passed by Congress, arranged by topic (official). |
| United States Code Annotated | U.S.C.A. | Unofficial version of the United States Code. Each statute contains references to cases that discuss them. |
| United States Statutes at Large | Stat. | Official text of statutes passed by Congress, in the order the statues were passed. LOCATION: GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS, AE 2.111 |
| U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News | U.S.C.C.A.N. | Unofficial version of Statutes at Large. Also contains Legislative History documents for each statute. |
| Code of Federal Regulations | C.F.R. | Administrative regulations promulgated by Federal administrative agencies, arranged by topic. |
| Federal Register | Fed. Reg. | Daily report of new and proposed Federal administrative regulations, standards, programs, etc. |
| Title of Set | Citation abbreviation | Description |
| Kentucky Revised Statutes | K.R.S. OR Ky. Rev. Stat. | Official compilation of statutes passed by the Kentucky Legislature, arranged by topic. Each statute contains references to cases that discuss them. |
| Kentucky Acts | Ky. Acts | Official text of statutes passed by the Kentucky Legislature, in the order the statues were passed. LOCATION: KENTUCKY DOCS. |
| Kentucky Administrative Regulations Service | K.A.R., OR Ky. Admin. Regs. | Kentucky administrative regulations promulgated by state administrative agencies, arranged by topic. |
| Tennessee Code Annotated | Tenn. Code Ann. | Official compilation of statutes passed by the Tennessee Legislature, arranged by topic. Each statute contains references to cases that discuss them. |
Encyclopedias, Digests, and Annotations
| Reporter Title | Citation abbreviation | Description |
| American Law Reports | A.L.R. | Contains articles (annotations) about legal topics. |
| American Digest (Includes Century Digest, Decennial Digest, and General Digest) | References to cases from the Federal courts and the courts of all 50 states. Arranged by topic, using the West Key Number system. | |
| American Jurisprudence | Am. Jur. | Legal Encyclopedia |
| Corpus Juris Secundum | C.J.S. | Legal Encyclopedia. Often referred to as C.J.S. |
| Federal Practice Digest | Fed. Dig. | References to Federal cases by topic, using the West Key Number system. |
| Kentucky Digest | Ky. Dig. | References to Kentucky cases by topic, using the West Key Number system. |
| Database Title | Citation abbreviation | Description |
| Checkpoint (RIA) | Available to anyone | Tax accounting news and research materials from RIA Group for the accounting industry. |
| Congressional Universe | Available to anyone | Contains Federal statutes, the United States Code Service, the Federal Register, and the Code of Federal Regulations. Also contains indexing and abstracting of congressional publications and the CIS Legislative Histories (1970-present) as well as the full text of congressional reports, documents, prints, bills and the Congressional Record. Congressional Universe also contains prepared statements and selected question & answer transcripts (1988-present), bill tracking reports that follow bills through Congress, and the text of bills. In addition, Congressional Universe includes biographical and financial information and voting records for members of Congress, as well as rosters, charters and schedules for committees and subcommittees. |
| Shepards Online | Available to anyone | Includes Shepard's Citations. Also contains case law (Federal and State courts); Administrative law; Statutory law; Law Review articles; IRS items (Cumulative Bulletin, Revenue Rulings, RIA Fed. Tax Coordinator 2d, etc.). |
| Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe | Available to anyone | Contains cases, statutes, regulations, and law review articles. |
Law-Related Materials in the Government Documents Section
* Law Review
** Court Reporter
| Title | SUDOC Number |
| Administration of the Foreign Agents Registration Act | J 1.30 |
| Administrative Decisions under Employer Sanctions and Unfair Immigration-Related Employment Practices Laws of the United States | J 1.103 |
| Administrative Decisions Under the Immigration and Naturalization Laws of the United States | J 21.11 |
| Civil Aeronautics Board Reports | C 31.2/1 |
| Code of Laws of the United States of America | S 7.9/2 |
| Court of Claims Reports** | JU 9.5 |
| Cumulative Bulletin | T 17.6/3 - 5 |
| Decisions of the United States Department of the Interior | I 1.69 |
| Digest of Public General Bills and Resolutions | LC 14.6 |
| Digest of United States Practice in International Law | S 7.12/3 |
| Documentary History of the Constitution of the U.S.A. | S 8.2:D65 |
| FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin* | J 1.14/8 |
| FCC Reports | CC 1.12 |
| Federal Power Commission Reports | FP 1.20 |
| Federal Trade Commission Decisions | FT 1.11 |
| Federal Maritime Commission Reports | FMC 1.10 |
| House Journal | XJH |
| Index of Patents | C 21.5/2 |
| Index of Trademarks | C 21.5/3 |
| International Military Tribunal: Nuremberg | M 105.2:C86 |
| Interstate Commerce Commission Reports | I 1.6/10 |
| Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate | X 1.3:Ex3 |
| Legal History of the Presidential Election Campaign Fund Act | X 3 .E12/3.2 L52/3 |
| Military Law Review* | D 101.22 |
| Opinions of the Attorneys General | J 1.5 |
| Securities and Exchange Commission Decisions and Reports | SE 1.11 |
| Social Security Bulletin* | SSA 1.22 |
| Treasury Decisions | T 1.11/1 |
| Treaties and Other International Agreements (TIA) | S 9.5/1 - S 9.12 |
| Treaties in Force (TIF) | S 9.14 |
| U.S. Court of International Trade Reports** | JU 9.5/2 |
| United States Board of Tax Appeals Reports | JU
11.7 More Reports found at U 3.7/9:6 |
Last Updated July 1, 2003 by Bryan Carson