Skip to Main Content
university logo

University Library

Chicana(o) & Latina(o) Studies: CLS 1300 -- Constitution, Law, & Chicanx/Latinx Communities

This research guide provides academic and archival resources to support CLS 1600 student research.

Legal Sources

There are two types of sources to look for in legal research:

  1. Secondary Sources — books and articles about the law. 
  2. Primary Sources — laws made by the government:
  • Constitutions — US Constitution and State Constitutions
  • Statues — US Congress and State Congresses pass statutes
  • Regulations — federal and state agencies pass regulations to add information to statues

To search for primary sources, use databases for legal research such as WestlawNext Campus Research, HeinOnline, or Legal Full Text. Federal and state government websites also upload statutes, regulations, and cases online. 

To research the legal process, begin with books and journal articles to gather information about legislation and its context. Then, move on to reading the laws and statutes. Westlaw Next Campus is an excellent database for reading case law. You can also find the text of laws on federal and state government websites. Then, read commentary about the legislation you are investigating. Finally, you may consider reading a newspaper article or opinion piece about the legislation to get a general understanding for cultural and political discussion about the legislation. 

Background Information

Reference Books, Anthologies, & Monographs

John F. Kennedy Memorial Library
California State University, Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90032-8300
323-343-3988