Getting Started
When beginning a new research project, it is usually helpful to consult sources that can provide either some background or a comprehensive overview of the subject you will be studying. Consulting these types of resources can help you understand the issues involved in your research area and assist you in developing a list of search terms to use in your research. You may want to consult legal periodicals, legal encyclopedias, or ALR annotations at this early stage of your research.
Periodicals
While there are some legal periodicals that focus primarily on immigration law (e.g. Georgetown Immigration Law Journal and Immigration and Nationality Law Review), you are likely to find individual articles on United States immigration law in a great number of journals and law reviews. The MLIC has both print and electronic periodical indexes, and any of these can be used to look for journal articles on immigration.
The MLIC's collection contains both subject-specific encyclopedias and general legal encyclopedias. For an encyclopedia specific to immigration law, consult one of the following:
The MLIC's general legal encyclopedias are located on the third floor of the building in the Mark S. Skaggs West Reading Hall. Our collection includes both the first and second editions of American Jurisprudence and Corpus Juris, two major legal encyclopedias. You will find an index for each set at the end of the last main volume. Helpful search terms in either encyclopedia might include:
The Index to Legal Periodicals (1908 to date) and the Current Law Index (1980 to date) can be found on the main floor of the MLIC in the Main Reading Room. You may use either of these print indexes to look for journal articles by title, subject, and author. These indexes also provide both a Table of Cases and Table of Statutes which will allow you to find articles discussing a particular case or statute.
Here is a list of Law Reviews (accessed via HeinOnline) that address immigration issues directly:
Symposium issues of law reviews focused on immigration law and policy may also provide a wealth of information. Some symposium issues in the MLIC's collection include: