Basic Legal Research by A 50-state survey is a specialized secondary source that compares laws on a particular topic across all 50 states. They might be as lengthy as a book treatment or as slim as a list of states with simple citations to relevant cases, statutes, or regulations.
Lexis and Westlaw offer 50 state statutory and regulatory surveys. You can find them on both services by clicking on the Statutes link on the home page and then looking in the Resources box on the right side of the screen. Alternatively, start typing 50 state survey… and select the suggested source from the dropdown list. Be sure to note the date of the survey and update your research.
Now in its 8th edition, Rich Leiter's comprehensive resource is available in HeinOnline. Side-by-side comparisons in chart form of noteworthy state laws as well as those of popular interest.
search by topic, year, status (e.g., pending, enacted, to governor, etc.) or browse list of topics. Updated weekly.
Use the library’s discovery tool to find surveys published by the American Bar Association, Bloomberg BNA and more. Suggested searches include “50 state survey” or “fifty state survey” or “state by state survey.”
Bibliography of thousands of citations to surveys published in books, articles, legal loose-leafs, and government publications. Referenced articles often contain surveys in a footnote or appendix and the text of the article can provide additional context. Biennial publication that dates back to 1960; available on HeinOnline.