Good legal research skills are essential for law students and for practicing lawyers. This guide will help you develop your legal research skills and locate law resources available through Charles Sturt University Library.
This guide will cover:
You can work through the guide from beginning to end by using the 'next' links at the bottom of each page. As you progress through the guide, look out for the activity symbols.
Completing these exercises will help you develop your legal research skills. The answers are available with each task.
This guide focuses on research skills. Head over to our Law Library Guide to access key subscription and freely available legal resources.
Generative AI tools can be helpful study companions — they can support your thinking, help you explore new ideas, and guide you toward useful resources.
You might use Gen AI to:
Important: Always check your subject outline to see if using AI tools is permitted. Using AI without permission could breach academic integrity rules.
Think of AI as a starting point — a way to support your research, not replace your critical thinking or use of credible academic or legal sources.
Many legal research tools are also starting to include AI-powered features — like case summaries, suggested readings, or links between related documents. These can be helpful, but they’re still developing and may not always be accurate or comprehensive. Always cross-check with primary sources.
If you're planning to use AI tools in a professional or workplace context, it’s important to be aware of industry expectations. Legal practice has specific standards around accuracy, confidentiality, and ethical use of technology.
Read more on AI:
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