Write down the question you need to answer
Describe the issue in ordinary language before searching for legal terms. Separate what happened from what you want to find out. For example, “Which rules govern a response in this court?” is a more useful research starting point than a broad search for everything about lawsuits.
Identify the jurisdiction and type of source
Find the court or agency involved and whether your question concerns a statute, rule, or court decision. The Law Library of Congress case-law guide explains how U.S. court decisions fit into legal research and points to resources for finding them.
Use explanations to find the underlying authority
A guide or dictionary can help you learn the vocabulary. Follow its citations to the actual rule, statute, or opinion. The Law Library of Congress guide to secondary legal resources is a starting point for finding explanatory material. Keep explanations and binding authority distinct in your notes.
Keep a research trail
For each useful source, record its title, court or publisher, date, link, and the passage relevant to your question. Note what it does not answer. If the source leaves an important condition unclear, keep that condition open rather than filling it in with an assumption.
Next: check a case citation or find the applicable court rules.