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Research Assistant Resources

This research guide is a survival guide for NYU Law research assistants (RAs), providing resources for all stages of their RA work.

Secondary Sources Pages

Below are links to the pages located under the tab, "Secondary Sources."

   * ALRs, Treatises, Encyclopedias, & Restatements

   * Books & eBooks

   * Interdisciplinary Resources

   * Journal Articles

Secondary Sources Overview

"Secondary sources" are resources that help explain and interpret the law. The "official" list of secondary sources includes resources like: encyclopedias, treatises, restatements, uniform and model codes, law review articles, and dictionaries, among others. However, in a broad sense, any resource about the law that is not a primary source can be a secondary source. This means that non-traditional sources like news and magazine articles, blogs, and even tweets could be considered secondary sources.

Secondary sources are useful for two related reasons. First, secondary sources can help provide necessary background information on a legal issue and help expand your analysis. Second, secondary sources can provide links to relevant primary authority on your legal issue. 

This guide will outline the more traditional secondary sources. Again, each reference librarian at NYU Law is teamed up with a faculty member to assist with their research. Should you run into questions or concerns with your research, feel free to reach out to the librarian assigned to your faculty member for specialized advice. Please check this list to determine which librarian you should contact.