Legal Encyclopedias

American Jurisprudence 2d

Corpus Juris Secundum®

• Legal encyclopedias– are arranged alphabetically by topic– divide topics into sections– have a fairly short non-analytical narrative in each

section– give a general, rather than in-depth, view of the law– cross-reference relevant primary law

• Legal encyclopedias are a good place– to start research in an unfamiliar area of the law– to get a quick, general, answer to a legal question.

American Jurisprudence 2d

• Provides a broad overview of a topic

• Identifies specialized vocabulary

• Provides citations to primary materials and ALR annotations

• Cross-references other secondary material

American Jurisprudence 2d (Am Jur 2d)• The print version of Am Jur 2d consists of

– 120 volumes1

– more than 430 titles

• Each volume contains a– Table of Contents– Table of Parallel References– Table of Statutes and Rules Cited – Index for articles in the volume

• Topics are preceded by a detailed scope note, general cross-references, and an outline of the topic.

1 The last volume is numbered 83 because more than one volume may have the same number, for example the volumes 45, 45A, 45B.

Am Jur 2d • The annual four-volume General Index contains

definitions of words and phrases.

• On Westlaw, the index can be retrieved in the AMJUR databases with a search, such as:

ci(index)ci(index) & dram-shop

• There is a separate volume titled Table of Statutes, Regulations, and Rules Cited.

Updating Am Jur 2d

• There are annual pocket supplements.• The Am Jur Index is issued each year.• The New Topic Service, in looseleaf format, introduces

new material before new volumes are issued:– new topics of the law– substantial changes in the law

• Bound volumes are periodically revised.

Other Am Jur Publications• American Jurisprudence Proof of Facts

– A multivolume set– a practical guide for lawyers – contains

• checklists and planning advice• preparation for trial materials• examination of witnesses materials

• American Jurisprudence Trials is a treatise on litigation practice.

• American Jurisprudence Legal Forms and American Jurisprudence Pleading and Practice Forms (Revised) contain the forms needed in the practice of law.

AmJur Databases on Westlaw

• AMJUR – Am Jur 2d

•  AMJUR-LF –  American Jurisprudence Legal Forms      

•  AMJUR-PP –  American Jurisprudence Pleading and Practice Forms Annotated 

• AMJUR-POF – American Jurisprudence Proof of  Facts  

• AMJUR-TRIALS –  American Jurisprudence Trials • AMJUR-POFTR – American Jurisprudence Proof of 

Facts and Trials Combination• AMJUR-ALL – includes all American Jurisprudence 

databases

Database: AMJUR-ALL

Query: ti(“social host”/s liab!)

This Am Jur Proof of Fact document was retrieved from the AMJUR-ALL database. Along with the text and references to cases and other legal documents, it contains sample interrogatories, checklists and other practical legal materials.

Click Document Outline on the Links for tab to display links to materials included in the document.

Corpus Juris Secundum(C.J.S.)

• C.J.S. contains 400 broad topics, each divided into subtopics, which are sub-divided into sections.

• There are 150 volumes.1

1 The last volume is numbered 101 because more than one volume may have the same number, such as 48A and 48B.

Corpus Juris Secundum(C.J.S.)

• Each section contains a brief, “blackletter” statement of the law, followed by a short section of text.

• Footnotes reference federal and state cases.

• C.J.S. cross references the titles and sections to West topics and key numbers and other secondary sources.

Corpus Juris Secundum

• There is an annual multivolume General Index.• Each volume has its own index.

• There are annual cumulative pocket supplements.• Replacement volumes are issued periodically.• Replacement volumes contain a Table of Corresponding

Sections that cross-references replacement volumes with older volumes.

• Definitions of words and phrases are included with appropriate sections and in the volume indexes.

• Corpus Juris Secundum is in the CJS database on Westlaw.

Portion of a CJS section under Intoxicating Liquor in the CJS database on westlaw.com