PSCI 447: American Constitutional Law

Databases | Constitutional Law Websites
Benner Library’s Constitutional Law Collection | Other Resources & Notes

Databases

Legal Research:

• Lexis Nexis
  Service = LexisNexis
  
  Academic (Lexis-Nexis) provides full text and citation access to information in the reference, business, medical, and legal disciplines. Newspapers, magazines, wire services, federal and state court opinions, federal and state statutes, federal regulations, and SEC filings such as 10-K's and 10-Q's. News information is updated daily and wire services several times daily. Lexis Nexis
  
• Westlaw Campus Research
  Service = Thomson Reuters
  
  Provides students with access to a comprehensive collection of law-related resources. An advanced search feature provides boolean search connectors such as AND and OR to further refine searches. Westlaw Campus Research
  (tips)

Constitutional Law Websites:

General:

• Yale University Library: guide to beginning your research
• http://confinder.richmond.edu: This resource provides access to various constitutions, amendments, and related documentation with global applications
• Library of Congress’ Website
• Official website for the United States Supreme Court: numerous sources

Specific Cases:

• http://www.findlaw.com/casecode/constitution/ - Gives full text of the United States Constitution including Articles and Amendments
• http://www.law.drake.edu/centers/conLawCenter/conLawResources.html - Displays links for many helpful areas including: full text of Constitution and multiple law related resources
• Cornell Law School: Gives summaries of the major American Constitutional law cases (including Regents of the Univ. of Cal. v. Bakke (1978); Roe v. Wade (1973); New York Times Co. v. United States (1971); Miranda v. Arizona (1966); Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964); Gideon v. Wainwright (1963); Mapp v. Ohio (1961), Brown v. Board of Education (1954); Shelley v. Kraemer (1948) and more…)
• FLITE Supreme Court Decisions allows a keyword search and a case title search producing full texts of the cases.

Other Legal Resources:

• University of Virginia Law library
• Cornell Law School: Legal information Institute;
• Human and Constitutional Rights Cases. Connected with Columbia Law School,

Selections from Benner Library’s Constitutional Law Collection

A March of Liberty: A Constitutional History of the United States.
Melvin I Urofsky. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1988. Call number 342.029 Ur6m
• Overview of court philosophy (i.e. Commentary on Marshall Court)
• Historical background information helpful in understanding cases and reactions to the decisions

Landmark Decisions of the United States Supreme Court.
Maureen Harrison and Steve Gilbert. Excellent Books, 1991.
Call number 347.7326 L229h

The Supreme Court From Taft to Burger, 3rd Edition.
Alpheus Thomas Mason. Louisiana State University Press, 1979.
Call number 347.7326 M381s 1979
• Reviews Taft and Warren Courts

The Supreme Court Review, 2001.
Dennis J. Hutchinson, David A. Strauss, Geoffrey R. Stone. University of Chicago Press, 2002.
Call number: 347.7326 Su76 2001

Black’s Law Dictionary, 7th Edition.
Bryan A. Garner.
Call number R 340.03 B5616, 1999

The Constitution and its Amendments.
Roger K. Newman. Macmillian Reference USA, New York. 1999.
Call number R 342.73 C766n

Historic U.S. Court Cases, An Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition.
John W. Johnson. Routledge, New York. 2001.
Call number R 349.73 H629j 2001 v. 1, 2

Other Resources

Need further help? Call the Northern Illinois University Shapiro Law Library Reference Desk, (815) 753-0519, they can usually offer further help.

NOTES:

-Begin step by step instructional sheet. i.e. take text from Yale beginning site, search for case, then supporting cases…etc.
- Add titles, URL, then description

Last updated November 9, 2007.