In addition to regulations, agencies publish lots of good research materials. While anything outside of regulations (and sometimes authorized adjudication,) is not the law itself, agency materials have a high persuasive value. The type of materials, depth of materials, and ease of access of materials can vary greatly among agencies. Once you have identified a topic it is a good idea to spend a little time perusing the websites of relevant agencies.
For federal agencies you might try:
Searching the UIUC online catalog:
There are three different library catalogs to search, try them in this order:
If you want a specific item search by title or author. If your not sure what you want try a keyword search. Both the UIUC catalog and I-Share use the same interface. For those, on the right side of the results page there will be column you can use to narrow your search results. For example if you go under the 'location' heading and select 'law' you will limit the search results to "LAW" in order to locate only those items in the law library.
If you can't find what you need in the UIUC or I-Share catalogs, try WorldCat. We can request books from non-I-Share libraries, but plan ahead because these request need more time to process.
For more information on how to use the library catalog ask at the law library reference desk or if you're shy try this LibGuide.
Law Reviews & Journals are also a good way to start familiarizing yourself with a topic area. Below is a list of some topical law and non-law journals which may assist you. If you need help locating an article try using the catalog instructions above or ask for help at the reference desk.
Blogs are a great place to get started with topic selection or to get a pulse on the current conversation.
Below is a list of some blogs to get you started.
If you want to track relevant news stories then check out these links as a good starting point.
