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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.

Beginning Your Online Legal Research

Forming a Research Question

Before you jump straight into codes and court opinions, it's helpful to start with a clear research question. A research question helps narrow the scope of your issue and guide your research so the process is not so overwhelming. 

For example, perhaps you're a graphic designer working for a small corporation; however, you've also begun to make a modest income by selling original designs on a third party website and doing some commissions for local customers. Writing your scenario down can be helpful for remembering details. Once you've detailed the situation that has led you to your legal problem, try to boil it down to a simple question, such as, "Do I have to pay income taxes on freelance work" 

This will help you make your research more efficient by allowing you to do a few key things:

Determine Jurisdiction: 

  • What court has the power to hear your case? So, what laws do you need to research?
  • Where do you pay taxes?
    • State
    • Federal
  • This lets you know you'll probably need to look into your state's tax laws as well as the U.S. federal government's tax laws.

Look for Keywords

  • Find keywords in your question and/or narrative to help with your search.
  • Great keywords here are income tax and freelance to start. 
  • You may find as you get into your research that other terms become important. 

Then you are ready to begin searching.

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

Boolean operators are simple words—AND, OR, and NOT—used to combine or exclude search terms to produce more effective results. Common ones 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

 

 

When doing legal research online, it’s helpful to understand the difference between primary and secondary sources.

Primary sources are the actual law—they include constitutions, statutes, regulations, and court opinions. These are the official rules created by legislatures, government agencies, and courts. When you’re looking for what the law says, you’re looking for a primary source.

Secondary sources, on the other hand, explain or comment on the law. These can be difficult to find online, but you can find ones that include legal encyclopedias, guides, articles, and things like blogs written by legal experts or government agencies. They don’t carry legal authority, but they are a great place to start if you’re new to a topic. Secondary sources help you understand the meaning and context of primary sources, and they often point you directly to the laws or cases that apply to your situation.

Evaluating your online legal research matters because relying on outdated, inaccurate, or misleading content can lead to serious mistakes—like missing a deadline, misunderstanding your rights, or following the wrong legal process. By using credible sources and verifying information when possible, you can better understand your legal issue and make more informed decisions.

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.