If you are trying to do legal research and are in the state of Massachusetts, you have a couple of options available to you. Just so we’re on the same page, when I say “legal research,” I mean real legal research, as in, the kind of research a real attorney would do. I do not mean scouring the web and reading general knowledge “legal” articles. General knowledge legal articles, such as this blog, are excellent first-stops, in your research, but they are no replacement for genuine legal research.

When might you need to do legal research? In general, this would happen when you have decide to represent yourself pro se (act as your own attorney). While this is almost never advisable, there are times when a person simply does not have the money to hire an attorney. Perhaps, due to a lack of funds, a person has been able to hire an attorney only on a “Limited Appearance Representation” basis.

 

(Click here to see our article on LAR – a option to still get an attorney when funds are limited)

Whatever the reason, even if it’s just that you want to know what your attorney will be doing, Massachusetts does have a number of quality options available to members of the public. Your best option is to find the Massachusetts’ Superior Courthouse that is located the closest to you. If you are unsure which one is closest to you, click on the “COURTHOUSE INFORMATION” tab under “RESOURCES,” above, where you can find links to all Massachusetts’ courts by county.

Most, if not all, Massachusetts’ Superior Courts have a law library, which is open to the public. Together these law libraries comprise the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Library System. These law libraries are an excellent resource for both members of the public and practicing attorneys. If you get a library card, you can check out and take home books, CDs, and treatises, just like you can at a regular library. Go to the counter, when you arrive, and ask to get a library card.

The Massachusetts Trial Court Law Library (“MTCLL”) has an online catalog, which means you can search it ahead of time, in order to make sure the libary closest to you will have the book(s) / CD(s) you want.

 

(Click here to go to the MTCLL ONLINE CATALOG)

Once you arrive at the Law Library, find the law librarian or his or her assistant. The law librarians posses a considerable amount of knowledge about the books and other resources available at the library. One of the most useful things you can do is simply tell the librarian exactly what you looking for information on. I can tell you, from personal experience, these librarians will almost always point out resources you would have never found on your own. Not only are they familiar with the items in the library, but they are also intimately familiar with many excellent online resources.

If, after looking for the needed information at the MTCLL, you are still in need of further information, you may require some very specialized legal information. This will usually need to be purchased in print form, usually from MCLE (Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education), Thomson Reuters, or Lexis Nexus, from one of their online bookstores.

If, after doing this, you still require additional information, in particular if you still require a review of current case law, it’s time to use one of the legal research online giants, meaning Westlaw or Lexis Nexis. Paying to use either of these tools is very expensive. Once again, your local MTCLL can be of help. This is – in fact – why I recommended going to the MTCLL at your nearest Superior Courthouse. Although some of these libraries at various district courthouses, it is my understanding that only the law libraries at the Superior Courthouses provide free access to both Lexis Nexis and Westlaw.

I would say that if you still don’t find what you need, it must not exist, but I know better, again, from personal experience. On the bright side, this is very unlikely; however, if you still don’t find what you need, it’s time to call an attorney.