There are many types of content writing. Sometimes a writer can spin content from personal knowledge, other times a simple web search suffices for research. However, when you are writing about a detail-oriented field, quoting an EHow article or personal blog simply won’t do. Legal content writing is one of those areas where it is important to get the facts straight—and attribute them properly. If you’re getting ready to tackle a complicated legal piece, consider the following sites as a launching pad for your research.
- ABA Journal – While this is a secondary resource, ABA Journal is well regarded in the legal field. All issues of the magazine from 2004 to present are available on the website. A search engine is in place that allows you to find exactly what you need.
- Law.com Dictionary – The Law.com Dictionary isn’t quite as extensive as Black’s Law Dictionary, but it does cover many of the definitions that you may find yourself searching for when writing a law-related piece.
- Public Library of Law – The Public Library of Law database is a fully searchable database of Supreme Court cases, state and federal cases and a many laws and codes. This is one of the biggest collections of law-related information online—much of it fully documented so you can easily attribute the information to its correct primary source.
- Legal Information Institute – Sponsored by Cornell Law School, the Legal Information Institute is a user-friendly selection of legal information. This is a great place to catch up on the newest cases as well as peruse documents such as the US Constitution and Amendments.
- Google Scholar – Google Scholar utilizes the Google search engine to search only scholarly articles and can help you find information you may not otherwise obtain. However, it does search both full articles and abstracts, so it may not take you to a full article every time.
While these websites are a great place to start, a local law library may be the right solution for your most complex research tasks. Call a nearby college and see what they recommend. You may be able to use their services for a fee, even if you aren’t a student. With legal content writing it is vital that go the extra mile with your research—it will pay off when you create that piece of content that wows your client!
Tracy S is a freelance writer and blogger who is writing her first book. When she’s not glued to the keyboard she has her eyes glued to a sci-fi book, her mind glued on her pool game or has glue on her hands while working on a home improvement project.
