This multi-volume set is the subject index to Maryland case law. Cases from 1650 to the present are included and organized by subject using West's key number topic system. The editors of West write a short paragraph summarizing each point of law they perceive in all reported appellate decisions. These paragraphs are then placed at the appropriate spots in the preexisting topical outline that forms the nucleus of the digest. This multi-volume set is the subject index for the West regional reporter which includes published cases from Maryland.
Legal encyclopedias can be useful as indexes and introductory guides to the law.
They are written in narrative form, arranged by subject and contain references to cases in the footnotes. Some states, including Maryland, have encyclopedias which discuss the law of that state. West's Maryland Law Encyclopedia contains summary discussions of all areas of Maryland law with citations to cases, statutes, Attorney General opinions and law review articles and is updated by pocket parts. It includes several volumes of procedural forms. Session Laws - Chronological collection of laws passed by the Legislature each session and arranged by chapter number.