Because larger states have more courts and more litigation, they produce more cases to guide future disputes. In a smaller state, it is more often necessary to see how neighboring states have handled similar issues. For example, since 1945 the Nevada Supreme Court has cited California cases more than 1,000 times, while the California Supreme Court has such an extensive body of California case law with which to work that it only looks to its neighboring court once or twice a year. The amount of case law in the two states mandates different research approaches when confronted with new legal issues. Large states produce not only more case law but a more extensive body of legal literature generally.
Larger states have more law schools and therefore more law reviews.
Their substantial lawyer population can support the publication of state legal encyclopedias, such as California Jurisprudence 3d , and extensive sets of specialized treatises and practice guides. Less populous states may have few secondary sources available. For the most part, this chapter examines basic resources available for all states.