Researching Sexual Orientation and the Law

This guide provides a starting point for researching the intersection of sexual orientation and the law. You may use it to locate:

• secondary sources (law reviews and journals, treatises, A.L.R., legal encyclopedias);
• primary sources (statutes, case law, agency rules and decisions);
• additional research guides & bibliographies;
• links to bar and law student associations, and advocacy organizations.

Starting with secondary sources is recommended because doing so will help you build an understanding of the law and will effectively direct you to primary source material. You will want to be cautious, however, to ensure that any source you find is current. 

The legal landscape related to sexual orientation has continues to undergo change. Depending on your research area, you may need to take special care to ensure that you are: 

• accessing the most current versions of federal and/or state statutes,
• verifying whether the rulings in cases are still good law, and 
• noting the date of publication of secondary sources in relation to changes in the law.

​If you have questions about the currency of a source or need any other assistance during your research, please visit the reference desk or contact a member of the reference staff. You may also wish to review some of the other research guides available on the law library website.