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Law Library Access

This guide provides information for non-law CU faculty, staff, and students, members of the bench and bar, and members of the general public on how to access the Law Library's collection.

Reminders for Online Legal Research

As a reminder, free and low-cost legal research tools generally offer keyword searching and limited Boolean functionality (using terms like AND, OR, and NOT). While they don’t always provide the advanced filters, citation tools, or search algorithms found in commercial platforms like Westlaw or LexisNexis, many do include helpful features like date ranges, jurisdiction filters, and document type limiters. Some platforms, like GovInfo or Congress.gov, offer advanced search forms that allow users to target specific sections or metadata fields. However, results often require more manual review, as relevance ranking and search precision can vary. With some extra time and well-chosen search terms, these tools can still support effective and targeted research.

Common Boolean Search Operators

Common Boolean Operators included in many free online search tools include:

Boolean / Operator

Function

Example

AND

Requires both terms to appear

tenant AND eviction

OR

Finds results with either term

attorney OR lawyer

NOT or -

Excludes a term from results

discrimination NOT employment or discrimination -employment

“Quotation Marks”

Searches for an exact phrase

"freedom of speech"

(Parentheses)

Groups terms and controls the logic order of a search

(landlord OR property owner) AND eviction

* (Asterisk)

Wildcard to include variations of a word (not supported on all platforms)

educat* finds education, educator, educational

 

 

Remember that free online tools do not include citators. It is important to evaluate the validity accuracy of your sources through other means.

Ways to Evaluate Legal Research Online

Check the Source

  • Look for websites that are official or maintained by reliable institutions. Government sites (ending in .gov), universities (.edu), and well-known nonprofits (.org) are generally trustworthy. 

Look for a Date

  • Laws change frequently. Always check when the content was published or last updated. If the site doesn’t list a date, be especially careful—it might be outdated.

See if It Cites Primary Sources

  • Good legal information usually references actual laws, court decisions, or regulations. If it says something like “Under the Fair Housing Act…” or gives a citation to the U.S. Code or a court opinion, look for an actual citation or link to an official source.

Make Sure It Matches Official Information

  • If possible, double-check what you’ve found against an official source, like the IRS, a state government site, or Congress.gov. Free government websites often have the most current versions of laws and rules.

Check for Bias

  • Consider who created the content and why. Some websites may present the law in a way that supports a specific political or commercial agenda. Look for neutral, fact-based explanations and be cautious of content that seems one-sided or overly persuasive.