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Mark O. Hatfield Library


J.W. Long Law Library

 

AMERICAN LAW REPORTS (last updated 9/30/04)

 

Where can you find an analysis of state and federal court opinions relevant to your specific point of law or fact situation?     Try the American Law Report Series (ALR) consisting of ALR Federal and, in chronological order, ALR 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th and 5th located on the 3rd floor.

Each “annotation” focuses on a particular issue, such as grandparents’ visiting rights, and consists of an overview followed by a detailed analysis with citations to court opinions holding for or against a particular proposition.

Annotations can be found most easily by using the one volume index to the ALR 1st Series and the separate multi-volume index to the rest of the series.  Once you find an annotation, first check the Annotation History Table in the back of the last index volume and in the pocket part located in the back cover to determine if your annotation has been superseded or supplemented by a later annotation.  This will save you time.

ALR Digests arranged alphabetically by broad categories of subject matter with detailed outlines are available, but seldom used.

Law students can also search the ALR database on Westlaw and the combined ALR/Am.Jur.2d database on Lexis.  Neither of these databases includes ALR 1st annotations, most of which are obsolete or have been rewritten in the subsequent series.

Remember to update your print annotation as follows:

  • ALR 1st series
    Look for your particular ALR citation in each volume of the ALR Bluebook of Supplemental Decisions.
     

  • ALR 2d
    Look for your particular ALR 2d citation in the volume and its pocket part (located in the back cover) of the ALR 2d Later Case Service which corresponds to your citation.
     

  • ALR 3d, 4th, 5th and Federal
    Look for your citation in the pocket part located in the rear cover of the volume where you found your citation.

 

 

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