Law Library Research Guide:
Virginia Legal Materials

 

Virginia Reference Materials:

• A Guide to Legal Research in Virginia, John D. Eure and Gail F. Zwirner, eds. KFV2475 .G85 2005. REFERENCE.
• Legal Research in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, Leah F. Chanin, Pamela J. Gregory and Sarah K. Wiant. KF240 .C472 2000. REFERENCE.
• Michie's Jurisprudence of Virginia and West Virginia - Ranges 228 (Virginia Materials) and 121 (Virginia Quick Reference Materials). Michie's Jurisprudence is the legal encyclopedia for Virginia (and West Virginia). It includes an Index, Table of Cases and other supplementary materials at the end of the set and an outline at the beginning of each volume. The text analyzes and explains the law on a specific topic, and footnotes refer to specific cases, statutes, and other legal resources.

 

Virginia Judicial Materials:

An overview of the Virginia Judicial System is available at Virginia's Judicial System.

• Virginia Reports - Range 229 (Virginia Materials). Reports of cases decided in the Supreme Court of Virginia, Virginia's highest court. Supreme Court decisions are also available online from 1995 forward on Supreme Court of Virginia Opinions.
• Virginia Court of Appeals Reports - Range 229 (Virginia Materials). Reports of cases decided in the Court of Appeals of Virginia, beginning in 1986. Published decisions of the Court of Appeals are also available online from 1995 forward on Court of Appeals of Virginia Published Opinions, and unpublished decisions are available, also from 1995 forward, on Court of Appeals of Virginia Unpublished Opinions.
• South Eastern Reporter - Range 205. Unofficial reporter for supreme court and courts of appeals decisions from Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
• Virginia Circuit Court Opinions - Range 229 (Virginia Materials). Selected opinions from circuit courts.
• Federal Reporter - Decisions of federal courts applying Virginia state law are contained in the Federal Reporter (U.S. Courts of Appeals opinions), Federal Supplement (U.S. District Court opinions) and Federal Appendix (opinions from 2001 to date from the U. S. Courts of Appeals that are not selected for publication in the Federal Reporter; opinions are included from all circuits except for the 5th and 11th, which do not provide their "unpublished" opinions to any publisher). These reporters are located in the Federal Materials on Ranges 104-105 and 117-118.
• Virginia and West Virginia Digest - Ranges 228 (Virginia Materials) and 121 (Virginia Quick Reference Materials). Alphabetical arrangement of the law of Virginia (and West Virginia) into more than 400 major topics and approximately 100,000 subtopics (keynumbers), each keynumber focusing on a specific point of law with digest paragraphs of cases pertaining thereto. Preceded by a Descriptive Word Index and followed by a Table of Cases.
• Virginia Supreme Court Records and Briefs - Range 229 (Virginia Materials) for Supreme Court opinions issued 1999 forward. Opinions from 1978-1998 are located in the Archives.
• Virginia Supreme Court Briefs are available on HeinOnline. This fast-growing collection of briefs will eventually include all available briefs from the 1860's through the present.
• Shepard's and KeyCite - These two citator services are used to find prior and subsequent history of cases, ascertain whether cases are still "good law" and find citing cases and other sources. They are available to law students and faculty through Lexis and Westlaw. Public patrons can Shepardize or Keycite their cases via two dedicated terminals, one each on the first and second floors.

 

Virginia Legislative Materials:

The following legislative materials are all shelved on Range 228 (Virginia Materials) and duplicate copies of some maerials are also shelved on Range 121 (Virginia Quick Reference Materials):

• Code of Virginia, 1950 (Michie) and West's Annotated Code of Virginia - Ranges 228 (Virginia Materials) and 121 (Virginia Quick Reference Materials) (Michie version only). Two annotated codes of Virginia, with statutes organized by subject into titles and sections, containing the text of the law, followed by a brief legislative history and annotations to cases, other statutes and secondary materials. Kept up-to-date via pocket parts and supplements. The text of the statutes is the same in either version; the difference lies in the way the code is indexed, and in the annotations each publisher adds on. Both versions have an index, rules of the Virginia Supreme Court and other supplementary materials.
• A searchable version of the Code of Virginia is also available online through the Virginia General Assembly Legislative Information System at Code of Virginia. The Constitution of Virginia is available through the same web site at Constitution of Virginia.
• Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia - Compilation of the laws enacted during each session of the General Assembly, arranged by Chapter number, prior to codification into the Code of Virginia. Virginia's equivalent of the U.S. Statutes at Large.
• Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia (Commonly referred to as House Journal) - Journal of the daily proceedings of the Virginia House of Delegates, primarily bill tracking, debates, etc. Library has 1936 to present.
• Journal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Virginia (Commonly referred to as Senate Journal) - Journal of the daily proceedings of the Virginia Senate, primarily bill tracking, debates, etc. Library has 1940 to present.
• House and Senate Documents - Reports prepared for the Governor and the General Assembly. Library has 1954 to present. Also available online at Reports to the General Assembly from 1897 to present.

 

Virginia Executive Materials:

The following executive branch materials are all shelved on Range 228 in the Virginia Materials:

• Virginia Register of Regulations - Bi-weekly publication containing text of proposed and final regulations. Virginia's equivalent of the Federal Register. Also available online (September, 1996 to present) at the Virginia Register of Regulations.
• Virginia Administrative Code - Official compilation of the rules and regulations promulgated by the various state agencies. Virginia's equivalent of the Code of Federal Regulations. Also available online at the Virginia Administrative Code Searchable Database.
• Opinions of the Attorney General and Report to the Governor of Virginia, KFV2827.5.A8 A833 - Annual report plus advisory legal opinions to the governor, members of the General Assembly and other designated government officials. Opinions are available online, from 1996 to the present, at Official Opinions.
• Annual Report of the State Corporation Commission of Virginia, HD2767.V8 A2. Also available online at State Corporation Commission Reports.
• Report of the Secretary of the Commonwealth to the Governor and General Assembly of Virginia, J87.V94 V37. The current year's report is available online at Report of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
• The Governor's Executive Orders are available online at Governor's Executive Orders.

 

Journals and Indexes:

 Bound journals are located on the 3rd floor in the compact shelving. recent unbound issues are on Ranges 110-111.

• Virginia Lawyers Weekly - Weekly newspaper of Virginia legal news, important court decisions, etc. Library keeps several months of recent editions at Circulation Desk. Also available online at Virginia Lawyers Weekly
  
• HeinOnline- Full text coverage in pdf of more than 1000 legal periodicals (most dating from the first issue), including more than 25 journals from Virginia law schools.
• Index to Legal Periodicals and Books - Electronic database indexes legal periodical literature for the period 1908-1981.

 

Virginia Formbooks and Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Materials:

These materials are located at the Circulation Desk (for Reserve items), or Range 228 (Virginia Materials) and/or Range 121 (Virginia Quick Reference Materials). Other Virginia materials can be found in the Catalog.

• Virginia Forms, KFV2468 .V57. (5 vols.) Ranges 228 (Virginia Materials) and 121 (Virginia Quick Reference Materials).
• Virginia Legal and Business Forms, KFV2468 .V58. (4 vols.) RESERVE.
• The Virginia Lawyer: A Deskbook for Practitioners, Virginia CLE. KFV2477 .V469. (3 vols.; Vol. 3 devoted exclusively to Virginia forms). RESERVE.
• Michie's Forms on Disc (Virginia Edition), KFV2930.A65 M53. RESERVE.
• Virginia CLE titles, (in white binders from the Virginia Law Foundation) contain material from CLE courses, on topics such as Community Associations, Employment, Family Law, Estate Planning, Landlord-Tenant, Motor Vehicle Accidents and many other practice areas. Forms included. Range 228 (Virginia Materials).

 

Virginia Procedure and Practice Materials:

These materials are located at the Circulation Desk (for Reserve items), or Range 228 (Virginia Materials). Other Virginia materials can be found in the Catalog.

• Bryson on Virginia Civil Procedure, by William Hamilton Bryson. KFV2930 .B74 2005. 
• Enforcement of Judgments and Liens in Virginia, by Doug Rendleman. KFV2951 .R46.
• Friend's Virginia Pleading and Practice, by Charles E. Friend. KFV2931 .F74 2007 RESERVE.
• The Law of Damages in Virginia, KFV2595 .Z9 L38 RESERVE.
• Virginia Criminal Law and Procedure, by John L. Costello. KFV2961 .C68 2002. RESERVE.
• Virginia Model Jury Instructions-Civil. KFV2983 .A65 M5 (2 vols.) RESERVE and Range 228 (Virginia Materials).
• Virginia Remedies, by John L. Costello. KFV2947 .C67 2005. RESERVE.

 

Virginia Ethics and Professional Responsibility:

• Ethics for Virginia Practitioners, CLE. KFV2476.5.A2 E84 1998. Range 228 (Virginia Materials).
• Ethics Opinions are available from the Virginia State Bar.
• Code of Virginia contains Unauthorized Practice Opinions, Legal Ethics Opinions and Lawyer Advertising Opinions. Ranges 228 (Virginia Materials) and 121 (Virginia Quick Reference Materials).
• Virginia State Ethics Opinions are available online on BNA-Lawyers' Manual on Professional Conduct (1986-present).

 

Virginia Online Resources:

• Municode.com provides viewing of the codes and ordinances of many of Virginia's counties and cities. Searching these codes requires payment of an annual subscription fee.
• Virginia Heritage is a database from the Library of Virginia providing information about archival and manuscript collections in twenty-one Virginia repositories.