Best Databases for Law and Criminal Justice
| Criminal Justice (ProQuest) |
Good coverage of the journals in law enforcement, police science, criminalistics, etc., as well as reports from the FBI and other agencies |
LexisNexis Academic
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LexisNexis provides searchable text of all federal and state law codes, court cases, and regulations; to search for South Carolina cases or laws, select SC from the drop-down menu
Law review articles: these provide the most important and in-depth analyses of virtually all legal topics; LexisNexis offers comprehensive coverage of these journals
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| LegalTrac |
Coverage of a wide variety of law reviews, legal newspapers, bar association journals, business journals and magazines, etc.; for law review articles not available full-text, go to LexisNexis |
Academic Search Premier
Academic OneFile |
These broad-based general databases provide extensive coverage of topics relating to legal and criminal justice issues |
Electronic Versions of Reference Sources
Law Criminal Justice
| Law |
Reference Sources |
| West's Encyclopedia of American Law |
Usually the best starting point when researching almost any legal topic, this 13-volume set provides comprehensive coverage of issues, people, cases, history, etc.; a vital resource |
| Encyclopedia of the American Constitution |
Comprehensive coverage of all aspects of constitutional law and supreme court decisions; in-depth analyses of issues relating to gun control, religion, race, etc.l |
Major Acts of Congress
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In-depth analyses of landmark pieces of legislation, including historical background, the adoption process, and long-range impact on American life; acts such as the Civil Rights Act, the Freedom of Information Act, the National Prohibition Act, etc. are covered |
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These excellent Oxford volumes provide quick, easy look-ups for almost any topic, issue, or case relating to American law or the Supreme Court |
| Criminal Justice |
Reference Sources |
| Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice |
An outstanding source that addresses issues from the point of view of law, sociology, psychology, history, and economics; includes such topics as abortion, rape, wiretapping, etc. |
| Encyclopedia of Sociology |
This classic reference source covers issues like race, poverty, deviancy, theories of crime, criminology, social control, etc. |
| Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement |
Examines all aspects of law enforcement on the state and local, federal and national, and international stages; practice and theory of policing in an historical and contemporary framework
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| Encyclopedia of Prisons and Correctional Facilities |
Coverage of all aspects of penal institutions within a historical and contemporary framework |
| World of Forensic Science |
Comprehensive guide to the scientific processes and the legal, social and ethical issues involved in the forensic sciences |
| Social Trends and Indicators USA |
In-depth statistics and analyses for all social issues, including work & leisure, family, education, health & sickness, crime & justice, etc.; a monumental work |
| Governments of the World: A Global Guide to Citizens' Rights and Responsibilities |
Wide-ranging set analyzes how the governments profiled affect citizens in the daily exercise of their rights and responsibilities |
Best Websites for Law and Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Law (Federal) Law (South Carolina) Legal Guides Legal Forms
| Criminal Justice |
Websites |
U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics
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Comprehensive statistical data in all categories: crimes & victims, offenders, courts & sentencing, corrections, etc. |
| Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics |
Brings together data from more than 100 sources about all aspects of criminal justice in the U.S.; tables on various kinds of crimes, arrests, victims, sentencing, parole, prisons, death penalty, etc. |
| National Criminal Justice Reference Service |
Maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice, this site gives advice about where to find information on thousands of criminal justice topics, grouped under headings like corrections, crime, crime prevention, drugs, victims, etc.; links to actual publications, not just to other websites |
| Crime in the United States (FBI UCR Data) |
Based on the FBI Uniform Crime Reports, this annual statistical publication compiles volume and rate of crime offenses for the nation, the states, and individual agencies; includes arrest and clearance data; useful breakdowns for all types of crimes |
| Criminal Justice Links (Forida State University) |
Comprehensive links arranged under all major areas of criminal justice, e.g. juvenile delinquency, drugs, police agencies, pornography, crime prevention, etc. |
| Forensics Links (Florida State University) |
Links to wide range of forensics sites and agencies, with specialties such as crime-sniffing, virtual autopsy, fingerprinting, knot analysis, crime scene photography, etc. |
| Law (Federal) |
Websites |
| Thomas: U.S. Congress Home Page |
Entry point for researching all aspects of congressional activity; search bills, resolutions, nominations, roll call votes, committee reports, etc. |
| Federal Register |
Official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents |
| Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) |
Codification of the general and permanent rules published by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government |
| U.S. Supreme Court |
The Court's official site: search the docket, oral arguments, rules, opinions, etc. |
| Law (South Carolina) |
Websites |
| South Carolina Legislature Online |
Entry point for all matters relating to the Legislature: quick links to calendars, journals, bills, codes, amendments, etc. |
| South Carolina Code Annotated |
The full text of the Code can be searched in its entirety or by Title, such as Title 16, Crimes and Offenses |
| South Carolina Current Legislation |
Activity for the current legislative session can be tracked here; search by bill, sponsor, subject, status, etc. |
| South Carolina Code of Regulations |
Table of contents and text provided for all 139 chapters of the Code governing all state agencies and units |
| South Carolina Legal Resources (USC Law School) |
Useful links to state agencies and departments, as well as other South Carolina resources that provide legal information |
| Legal Guides |
Websites |
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These sites all offer useful advice relating to the whole range of personal, business, and consumer legal issues, e.g. bankruptcy, lemon laws, credit cards, divorce, rights of defendants, etc.
LawLine, from the SC Bar, is especially good for South Carolina issues |
| Legal Forms |
Websites |
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Links to sites that provide sample forms for wide range of personal and business matters, e.g. contracts, wills, bankruptcy, business incorporation, etc. |
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