Economics: Law

Law subject guide

Law comprises primary (legislation and case law) and secondary (books and journals) sources of information.

Legislation is the legal rules (Acts) created by Parliament, and case law is the decisions of the Judiciary (Courts and Tribunals). 

Other information published by parliaments or governments are collectively known as official publications.

Law databases are used by law students, academics and lawyers to conduct legal research. Lexis+ UK  and Westlaw UK are the main two law databases used in the UK.

Legal research skills are the information and digital literacy skills which enable you to find and use legal information. This includes using your reading list, finding law books and journal articles, finding legislation and case law, and evaluating information to ensure it is authoritative and up-to-date.

Law Database Certification

Law database providers offer their own online training and certification courses to law students. Training and certification is available for both the Lexis+ UK and Westlaw UK databases.

Learn how to use law databases for success in your academic studies and gain certificates to evidence your legal research skills to employers on your CV.

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Law Trove

A collection of 200+ e-textbooks published by Oxford University Press on law. Features key titles supporting the undergraduate law curriculum, with collections for business, company, commercial, competition and employment law, plus legal systems, legal skills, and revision and exam guides. Key titles include:

• Jones, Introduction to Business Law | Marson and Ferris, Business Law | Roach, Card & James' Business Law
• Baskind, Osborne and Roach, Commercial Law | Dignam and Lowry, Company Law | French, Mayson, French and Ryan on Company Law
• Chiu and Wilson, Banking Law and Regulation | Cranson, Principles of Banking Law

Lexis+ UK

A legal research and practical guidance databases from LexisNexis, including primary and secondary sources of legal information for the UK and EU, and selected foreign jurisdictions. Key features include:

• Dictionary (Words and Phrases Legally Defined) | Encyclopaedia (Halsbury's Laws of England)
• Legislation (Statutes and Statutory Instruments) | Case law (including The Law Reports and All England Law Reports)
• Journals index and selected full-text journal articles including New Law Journal
• Practice areas for Arbitration, Banking & Finance, Commercial, Corporate, Employment and Tax with specialist materials
• Legal practice guidance including overviews, practice notes, standard forms and checklists

First-time users may be required to register with their name and @warwick.ac.uk email address.

Westlaw UK

A legal research database from Thomson Reuters, including primary and secondary sources of legal information for the UK, EU and selected foreign jurisdictions, and current awareness services. Kay features include:

• Dictionaries (Index of Legal Terms - Osborn's, Jowitt's and Stroud's) | Encyclopaedia (Topics)
• Legislation (Statutes and Statutory Instruments) | Case law (including The Law Reports and Weekly Law Reports)
• Journals index and selected full-text journal articles including British Tax Review and Journal of Business Law
• Legal practitioner texts including Palmer's Company Law, Totty, Moss and Segal on Insolvency, Goode and Gullifer on Legal Problems of Credit and Security

First-time users may be required to register for a OnePass account with their name and @warwick.ac.uk email address.