Further Enquiries:

Law Library
(Sir John Salmond Library)
The University of Adelaide
SA 5005
AUSTRALIA
Email

Telephone: +61 8 8303 5558
Facsimile: +61 8 8303 3659

Legal Research

Legal resources are often categorised into primary and secondary sources of law. Primary sources are the decisions of courts (case law) and the Acts of Parliament (legislation). Secondary sources of law comprise the indexes, digests and commentaries on the law, including texts, encyclopaedias, government reports and journals.

Primary	Secondary
Cases and Courts Legislation Treaties Other countries	Dictionaries Encyclopaedias Journals Commentary services Government publications and Law reform

Some brief tips! Legal citations and style guides | Legal abbreviations

Legal Citations and Style Guides

Australia

Other countries

The University of Adelaide Law School has adopted the Australian Guide to Legal Citation, 2nd ed published by Melbourne University Law Review Association as the citation standard for all written submissions within the Law School. The Guide aims to provide a uniform standard of legal citation.

Print copies are also available at: Law Reserve K114 A935g.2

Other sources:

Anita Stuhmcke, Legal Referencing, 3rd ed. (2005), Law Library Reference K114 S33l.3

Canada
Canadian guide to uniform legal citation, 5th ed. (2002)
Law Library Reference K114 C212.5

International law
American Journal of International Law Style Guide

United Kingdom
The Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) produced by the Oxford Law Faculty.

United States
The Bluebook : a uniform system of citation, 18th ed.(2005) Law Library Reference K114 U5.18
ALWD Citation Manual: A Professional System of Citation. 2d ed. (2003) Law Library Reference K114 A849c.2

Legal Abbreviations

For definitions of legal abbreviations (abbreviations of law journals, reports and treatises), the following guides are available.

Australian

Other Countries

Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary – Refer to Table of Abbreviations

Click Dictionaries Indexes and Tables
Click Bowse
Choose Legal dictionary -Tables and appendices
then Table of Abbreviations
OR Table of Law Reports

Monash University Library, Abbreviations of legal publications
A print copy is located at the Desk, and on the lower ground floor by the PC catalogue.

LexisNexis AU and Legal Online ( formerly LawBook Online). Both these platforms provide lists of abbreviations. Just check under the Help button on either platform. Within Legal Online, first choose The Laws of Australia, then look under Help for lists of abbreviations.

Or, some simple print methods include checking:

your law dictionary for a table of common legal abbreviations
Australian Guide to Legal Citation, 2nd ed. – Appendix (held in Law Reserve)
Butterworths Concise Australian Legal Dictionary, 3rd ed. (held in Law Reserve)

Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
Currently over 7,000 abbreviations for legal publications from the British Isles and the Commonwealth. United States publications, and international and comparative law material still to be added. Search by abbreviation or title.

Kavass, Igor. World dictionary of legal abbreviations (updated).
Law Library Reference K112 K21w

Prince, M. Dictionary of legal citations, 7th ed.(2006)
Law Library Reference K114 B586c.7

Raistrick, D. Index to legal citations and abbreviations (1993)
Law Library Reference K112 R159.2