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Self-Help Legal Research Guide: Home

This guide is designed to help non-lawyers navigate the Missouri legal system & offers tips on how to conduct legal research, and offers resources on how to find an attorney / Last updated by Jacob Wood, JD '25

Introduction

This guide is intended as an aid for non-lawyers and self-represented litigants in finding and decoding legal information.  Please browse the tabs on the top of this page to get started.

The MU Law Library has several computers that are freely available to the public with limited access to Westlaw.  Additionally, we have a multitude of print resources designed to assist Missourians with understanding their legal rights.  Please browse this guide and contact us (see "Need Help?" tab), or stop in if you have any questions.

Free Research Tools

Westlaw Public

Computers for public Westlaw access are located in the reference alcove in the Mizzou Law Library.  To utilize this service, please contact shearrerc@missouri.edu to set up an appointment for use. 

Temporary Remote Access

During the COVID-19 crisis, Lexis and Westlaw are providing temporary free remote public access to their legal research platforms. Under the arrangement, many state and federal legal resources are available, including cases, statutes, regulations, treatises, and more. Contact umclawreference@missouri.edu or shearrerc@missouri.edu for more information regarding this service. 

Google

Google Web Search

Research Overviews

Articles About Self-Representation