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Researching a Seminar Paper: Getting Started

This guide is designed to help you research your seminar paper.

Research Guides


Thinking of a Topic

The hardest part of writing a seminar paper can be coming up with a topic. If you're stuck, check out these resources:

Circuit Splits

In Bloomberg Law, select "Law Review Resources" and then select "Circuit Splits Charts" to browse for current circuit splits.

Blogs/blawgs
Legal blogs (or Blawgs) can be a great resource for finding hot topics.  The ABA Blawg Directory contains a list of over 4,500 continually updated blawgs.

Legal News
  • Bloomberg Law: Select the "News and Analysis" tab underneath the search bar and then select Bloomberg Law News. 
  • Law.com: This resource contains legal news and analysis. You can sign into this resource using your Lexis Advance credentials.
  • Lexis+: Click on the cube in the upper left corner. Select "Law 360." 
  • Lexology: Lexology provides access to articles written by law practitioners and service providers. You can sign up to receive periodic emails on your areas of interest.
  • Westlaw Edge: On the main page, make sure you are using the "Content Types" tab and select "News" under "Specialty Areas."

Organizing Research

PowerNotes

PowerNotes is specifically designed to help organize legal research. The videos below will teach you how to access and use PowerNotes

Writing Seminar Papers