Beginning of Life

For non-law students, the best online source is Westlaw Campus Research. It has federal and state statutes and cases.

Law students have access to LexisNexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law.

Federal and state statutes and regulations are generally available on free government websites. See links from Library Resources for Members of the Public.

Cases

•  Westlaw Campus Research: Select Cases from main menu.
• LexisNexis: Limit your search by content type by checking the "cases" box in the tab beneath the search bar.  You can further limit by practice area using the "Practice areas & Topics" tab.
• Westlaw: Choose "All Federal" cases from the drop-down menu next to the search bar at the top of the page or narrow it to a specific court or circuit.

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Limiting to one jurisdiction

• Westlaw Campus Research: Select "Cases" in the "What are you interested in?" section, then select your jurisdiction.
• LexisNexis: Limit your search to a specific jurisdiction by checking the boxes next to your state or court of interest in the "Jurisdictions" tab underneath the search box.
• Westlaw: Choose "All State" cases from the drop-down menu next to the search bar at the top of the page or narrow it to a specific state.

Why do people still use print statutes?

It's often easier to work with statutes in print because of the way they're laid out. You can see the outline form and pick up interrelationships more easily.

State: The current Washington statutes (Revised Code of Washington) are in the Reference Area (KFW30).

Federal: The United States Code (KF62), Code of Federal Regulations (KF70), and the Federal Register (KF70) all located in the Reference Area.