UVA Library Services for Distance Learners - Library Staff . The White House U.S. Supreme Court Government Site for Virginia Brief Guide to Legal Research Legal research includes using primary and secondary sources, along with other supplemental materials. Legal materials differ enough from those of other fields that it is useful to spell out exactly what the relevant materials are, their weight and persuasiveness, and jurisdiction.
Primary materials are the constitution and the laws produced by the three branches of government.
They form the structure upon which the legal system functions and therefore carry more weight in American law than any other source. The constitution outlines the principles for the organization of government, specifically, by establishing the responsibilities of each branch. First, it authorizes Congress to pass statutes. Congress can create executive agencies and authorize them to establish their own laws, which are called regulations. If any of these laws are challenged, the constitution established the court system to decide how laws should be interpreted in a given set of circumstances.