Secondary Sources – Using the CED
Sometimes you will have a research topic that does not clearly fall under one of the established subject titles.
- In such a case, consult the index volume, which provides an alphabetical listing of a wide variety of legal issues and topics.
- The index entries will direct you to the subject title that deals with your particular topic.
STEP 1: Consult the Index or Contents Key
By this time, you should have an idea of the legal issues and topics involved in your research problem.
- Consult the Index or Key volumes to locate the topics that are relevant to the legal problem These will then direct you to the pertinent volume(s) of the main work covering these legal subjects. See Fig 1.1 – 1.2
Fig 1.1 The CED Index: List of Titles
Fig 1.2 The CED Index: Subject Titles, Paragraphs, and Sections
STEP 2: Consult the Main Work
- Consult the volume which covers your legal issue.
- Each volume has its own index and table of contents which will direct you to the headings, paragraphs, and sections that discuss your legal issue.
- Read the relevant sections and record the citations of any relevant cases, statutes, or regulations mentioned in the footnotes.
Fig 2.1 Volume 14 of the CED: Gifts
Fig 2.2 Gifts: The Main Text
STEP 3: Update using the Supplement Pages
- The supplement pages are located at the beginning of each subject title.
- Every page in the CED is dated to give you an idea of how current that information is.
- It is always possible that the law has changed since the last CED publication. It is essential that you update your information using the supplement pages!
Fig 3.1 Volume 14 of the CED: Supplement to Gifts
And that's it!