Introduction

Legal materials are documents that tell you what the law is, or which explain, discuss and comment on the law.

They fall into two broad categories:

• Primary legal materials, such as Acts of Parliament, represent the law itself.
• Secondary legal materials, such as journals and textbooks, are writings about the law.
• This tutorial will help you to find legal materials in the Library and in legal databases.

Two books which you may find useful are:

• Clinch, P. (2001) Using a law library: a student's guide to legal research skills, 2nd ed, London, Blackstone
• Thomas, P. (2001) Dane & Thomas: how to use a law library, 4th ed, London, Sweet & Maxwell
  

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