We've already discussed why research guides are important and we looked at some of the better sources for legal research guides. Sometimes, what you want is not on one of the websites that you know about. That means you will want to take a few minutes to search for a research guide. There are three basic ways to do that.
Research guide search engines. There are two. First, check out the ever popular University of Cornell Legal Research Engine located on the Cornell Library site. This allows you to do a subject specific search of quality legal research guides and resources. An added advantage is the ability to search not only for a research guide but the "legal internet." This latter tool is similar to a feature available from Westlaw - without having to sign on to your account. The other is the University of Akron Law Scout that provides the same kind of search engine. Unfortunately, Law Scout has not been updated in some time so its currency is in question.
Google Search. The basic Google search is always the same: in the search box type your specific subject in quotes and then "legal research guide" also in quotes. For example, if you are interested in finding a guide on family law you might try "family law" and "legal research guide." There are commercial guides out there so, at least at first, you probably shouldn't limit your to .edu searches. Don't be afraid to refine your search depending on the results you get.
Geographic relevancy. If you want a research guide about the resources from a particular jurisdiction you might want to try looking on the law school library website for that state. For example, if you wanted to find a research guide about criminal forms in Georgia, Georgia State has just such a guide. Here at UConn we have a research guide about finding Connecticut materials.
