The reference collection is an excellent place to begin your research if you want a quick and easy way to find:
When using a reference book:
Below are some reference resources for this course. The links take you to the FRANCIS record with the full publication information.
Encyclopedias
Historic U.S. Court Cases: An Encyclopedia, 2 vols.
Sawyer Reference KF385 .A4 J64 2001
Arranged by broad areas of law and then chronologically. Use the index of cases to find specific cases. Essays are in-depth with a bibliography for further reading.
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution, 6 vols.
Sawyer Reference KF4548 .E53 2000
Arranged alphabetically by topics and cases. Use the case index to find main entry for case and other references to the case throughout the encyclopedia Length of entry for cases varies depending on the importance of the case. Longer entries have bibliographies. This source is good for getting background information on constitutional topics.
A Practical Companion to the Constitution: How the Supreme Court has Ruled in Issues from Abortion to Zoning
Sawyer Reference KF4548 .L54 1999
Arranged alphabetically by constitutional law topic. Use the table of cases to find references within the particular topics. This source puts the cases in the context of the constitutional question, for example, the Dred Scott case appears within the entry for Citizens and Citizenship among others.
The Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions
Sawyer Reference KF4548 .O97 1999
Arranged alphabetically by party names. All entries are about cases; not entries on law topics. The case index points mentions of the case within other cases. The topical index provides a list of cases related to a topic, for example the Fourteenth Amendment. Longer entries give more details about the implications of the case and have a bibliography.
Landmark Decisions of the United States Supreme Court
Sawyer Reference KF4549 .F56 2003
Organized chronologically. Use the cases index to find the particular case and mentions in other cases. Provides succinct overview of the case and a bibliography for further reading.
Encyclopedia of the U.S. Supreme Court, 3 vols.
Sawyer Reference KF8742.A35 E53 2001
Arranged alphabetically by topics and cases. Case index indicates main entry and additional references to the case. Entries are short overviews with brief information about the issue at stake, the significance of the case, and a list for further reading.
Dictionaries
Black's Law Dictionary
Sawyer Reference KF156 .B53 2004
The standard source for finding legal definitions.
For additional reference sources, browse the reference collection near these books, or search FRANCIS by subject United States. Supreme Court or Constitutional law and limit by location to Sawyer Reference.