You need to find out what terms are used, how the topic is generally dealt with (in statutes or in regulations, or in both?). The best way to do this is to look for some laws to use as starting points for your research.
Look for a pre-compiled survey on the topic.
There are several reasons why you'll want to start with a survey that is already compiled. First, and most obviously, it will cut down on the amount of time you'll spend because it will give you some (or most) of the laws that you're looking for. Second, you can use the laws as a guide to see how laws or regulations on your topic are constructed, which will help you create a search. Third, you can use the pre-compiled survey as a way of checking your search results. If your search includes the laws from the pre-compiled survey, then you're on the right track. If it doesn't, then you need to adjust your search.
Determine what you're comparing.
By this point you should have an overview of the types of laws and regulations that you're looking for, and you can start thinking about the features of the laws that you want to compare. Each column in your table should be a different aspect of the laws or regulations you're comparing. You may also want to include dates of enactment in your comparisons.
Create your table.
Most of the time you'll want to use a spreadsheet program like Excel, although Word tables work as well. The fields you're comparing should be the columns, and the states should be the rows.
Determine which database you're searching and create your search.
You'll want to use a database that contains all 50 states' laws and regulations, so it's preferable to use Bloomberg Law, LexisNexis, or Westlaw. Keeping in mind the research that you have already done on your topic and the laws, create an inclusive search that will include all of the types of statutes you can envision. You'll need to use terms and connectors for this, so you may want to review the terms and connectors used in your database.
Run the search and check it against the laws you already have.
Check the search to see if it includes all of the laws you already know about; if it doesn't, you'll need to make some adjustments to your search in order to include those.
Work through your list of results and fill in the table.
50-State Surveys
A 50-State Survey is, at minimum, a listing of the laws on a particular topic in all states. Some surveys are only a list of the different state code sections, while others can contain detailed information on the content of the law, sometimes organized into charts that allow you to compare the laws of different states easily.
The Issues and Research section contains many surveys of state laws; how much information about each law is given varies widely. The NCSL website also contains a bill tracking information and reports for a number of areas.
This country-by-country guide will help get you started on your foreign law research by connecting you to the best research guides and databases for each country.
GlobaLex contains guides on conducting research on many international and comparative law topics. GlobaLex also contains country-specific research guides, which are frequently updated.
Source for information on foreign law, current sources of codes, and basic legislation in jurisdictions of the world. Approximately 190 jurisdictions are covered. Includes complete bibliographic citations to legislation, English translations, and selected references to secondary sources.
Licensing note: if a copy is downloaded for collaboration, the authorized user may download a copy of Documents and share the same with Authorized Users or other individual scholars collaborating in a specific research project with such Authorized Users provided that it is held and accessibly within a closed network that is not accessible to any person not directly involved in such collaboration and provided that it is deleted from such network immediately upon completion of the collaboration.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the State of Georgia, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Georgia State University College of Law and the authors of the works contained on this website do not assume or accept any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, currentness, or comprehensiveness of the content on this website. The content on this website does not in any manner constitute the issuance of legal advice or counsel. The information on this website is intended to provide resources that may aid the research of the topics presented, and are in no way a comprehensive list of sources one should consult on the topics presented. Please note that case law, statutory law, and administrative law may be modified and/or overturned. Additionally, because the laws vary between jurisdictions, the laws referred to herein may or may not be applicable to the law within the reader’s jurisdiction.
