Overview

Research Guides orient users to particular areas of legal research and provide a list of specific research tools.  The sites below provide a wide array of research guides, from basic legal research to specific areas of law, that are excellent starting points for unfamiliar areas of legal research.

Recommended guides

Boston College Law Library
Helpful guides to basic legal research and United Nations, European Union, and Treaty research.  Also provides a guide to legal sources for non-law school students.

Georgetown Law Library
One of the largest collections of legal research guides.  Guides organized by Topic, Research Technique, Jurisdiction, Course, or through an alphabetical list.  Excellent resource for U.S., foreign, or international legal issues. 

Harvard Law School Library
Thorough coverage of research basics for U.S. law, with extended coverage of foreign and international law.  This site also features a Summer Associate Research Guides section that consolidates and summarizes skills learned in Legal Research and Writing and summarizes them; particularly helpful for those beginning a summer job, and for anyone who wants a refresher on research basics. 

New York University Law Library
Comprehensive guide series including U.S. and international law.  Includes specific guides for China, the European Union, and German Business and Commercial Laws. 

University of Washington School of Law Library
Expansive list of topical research guides.  Excellent source for guides on foreign and international law.  Includes Islamic Law Resources, and strong coverage of Asian law.