AWR Research

Need to choose a topic for your AWR?  The resources below have been compiled by Law Library reference librarians to help you learn more about selecting and developing your topic.  For specific resources and strategies for choosing your topic see: Starting Resources; Circuit Split Resources; Current Awareness Resources; Public Policy, Legislative & Regulatory Development Resources; and Resources for Cases of First Impression.

These Starting Resources provide a general discussion on topic selection strategies.  This is a good place to start if you are trying to get a big picture understanding of the writing process.

Looking for newsworthy topics? Learn about news and get ideas from legal newspapers, general news sources, current awareness services and blogs.   

Helpful Resources

• NJ Law Journal
• Law 360 (Lexis+)
• Lexis+ Practice Centers
• Westlaw Practice Areas
• ABA Journal’s Blawg Directory 
• Law Library LibGuides by Topic  
• Law.com

​Podcasts

• Web 100: Best Law Podcasts
• 10 Podcasts about the Law to Listen to in 2018
• Radiolab Presents: More Perfect
• New York Public Radio Shows
• Gimlet Media Shows
• Revisionist History
• Wondery All Shows

Want to find topics in which states are divided or circuits are split?  Look in 50 state surveys or on blogs such as Circuit Splits. Every month BNA U.S. Law Week describes the issues in circuit court splits. You will also find new scholarship on such topics in recent working papers published in SSRN and Bepress.

Finding Circuit Splits via Search:

• Sample search: circuit /2 split or disagree /25 [topic]

Using Lexis+ Search to Find Circuit Splits:

• Under the Search Bar, select the Cases Category..
• Under the Search Bar, select your jurisdiction: Federal Court Cases, Combined or your jurisdiction.
• Type circuit w/2 split! and labor as your search.
• You can substitute labor with your own terms to find Circuit Splits on issues that interest you.

Searching Westlaw for Circuit Splits:

• Navigate to Secondary Sources
• Use the following search string: (circuit or court /s split) AND any keywords or phrases
• Sort by Date
• This returns news, blogs, and law reviews discussing circuit splits.

Other Helpful Resources

• 50 State Surveys (Westlaw)
• 50 State Surveys (Lexis+)
• Sunday Splits Blog

Want to discuss a subject in need of legislative change?  Access recent CRS Reports in ProQuest Congressional to examine legislative issues. These are the same reports that Congress members use to be current on legislative issues.

Helpful Resources

• GovTrack
• Legiscan
• NJ Legislature Bills
• Senate Active Legislation
• Congressional Record Daily Digest

Need to find topics in which the court is examining a question for the first time?  

Searches:

• Search using the phrase” first impression” 
• Search in  Lexis+ or Westlaw databases for  circuit courts of appeals using the sample search: [topic] /25  “first impression” novel.