Legal News Sources

Legal News Resources

This guide provides a list of legal news outlets, legal technology updates and general news sources online.

I. Legal News

  • DCBA Brief - The online edition of the DCBA Brief comprises lead articles for the issues from May 1997 through current issue. Links to judicial practice tips, judicial profiles and professional responsibility articles. From the DuPage County Bar Association.
  • ABAJournal.com - Select Magazine tab for full text issues back to October 2004. Provides access to a Blawg Directory arranged by legal topic. Searchable.
  • FindLaw Legal News and Commentary - Top legal headlines from the past week. Includes front page news in the areas of business, civil rights, crime, environment, immigration, labor, personal injury, politics, product liability, supreme court, tech & IP.
  • Law.com - Focused news for in-house counsel, small firm business, large law firm, international news and supreme court monitor. From ALM.
  • American Lawyer - Significant legal business stories.
  • Jurist-Legal News and Research - JURIST is a legal news and real-time legal research website that tracks important legal news. Provides US and international versions. Supported by the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
  • Business Law Today - News magazine for business lawyers from the ABA. Full-text available.
  • Legal News Center - Collection of links to legal news sources online. From Hieros Gamos Legal News Center.
  • Lyle Denniston Law News - Legal news from Lyle Denniston, formerly of Scotusblog (see below)

 

II. Illinois Email Alerts

  • Subscribe to IPI Civil Jury Instructions - Free service. Subscribe to receive e-mail notification or Twitter alert when new IPI Civil Jury Instruction information is posted to the Illinois Courts website.
  • Subscribe to IPI Criminal Jury Instructions - Free service. Subscribe to receive e-mail notification or Twitter alert when new IPI Criminal Jury Instruction information is posted to the Illinois Courts website.
  • Subscribe to Illinois Supreme Court Rules - Free service. Subscribe to receive e-mail notification when new/updated Illinois Supreme Court Rules are posted to the Illinois Courts website.
  • Flash Points - Flashpoints is a free monthly email service from the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) that provides practice updates on the following topics: business law, civil litigation, criminal law, employment, estate & probate law, ethics, family law, financial services, law office technology, law practice management, real estate law practice, and workers' compensation.

 

III. Technology News

  • beSpacific - Daily law and technology news with links to reliable primary and secondary sources on e-government, copyright, privacy, government documents, cybercrime and ID theft, the Patriot Act, freedom of information, and other topics. Archives cover entries back to September 2002. Created by Sabrina I. Pacifici, Washington DC based law librarian.
  • LLRX.com - LLRX.com is a free Web journal providing legal, library, IT/IS, marketing and administrative professionals with current information on a wide range of Internet research and technology-related issues, applications, resources and tools, since 1996. Sabrina I. Pacifici, Founder, Editor, Publisher, Web Manager.
  • Law Technology News - Full-text articles focusing on the technology needs of lawyers: software, hardware, computer security, networking, IT management, and electronic data discovery (EDD).

 

IV. Legal Blogs, or Blawgs

Web logs, also commonly referred to as blogs, are an online collection of websites and commentary that are frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Law blogs or "blawgs" are blogs written by lawyers or law students discussing law and legal affairs. Many law blogs contain links to other law-related blogs on their sites.

 

V. International Legal News

  • ASIL Insights - Provides concise and substantive background information focusing on developments of interest to the international legal community. 1996-present. Free email subscription available.
  • International Law in Brief - Developments in international law, prepared by the Attorney-Editors of the International Legal Materials, a publication of the American Society of International Law (ASIL). Bi-weekly. August 1998-present. Free email subscription available.
  • International Judicial Monitor - News items focusing on significant judicial developments, international resources, and international tribunals compiled by ASIL and International Judicial Academy. RSS feed available.
  • Global Legal Monitor (GLM) - Online publication from the Law Library of Congress summarizing global legal developments. Subscribe for email updates.
  • Legal Week - A publisher of news and analysis for lawyers in the UK. Selected full-text stories.

 

VI. Newspapers

  • Access World News* - Find information on topics related to business, health, education, jobs and careers, political and social issues, STEM and more from a variety of news media featuring newspapers, image editions, videos and web-only content including the Chicago Sun-Times, Daily Southtown, USA Today and international sources. Available on site. 
  • America's Historical Newspapers* -  Search and browse centuries of the American past in wide-ranging newspapers from all 50 states.
  • Chicago Sun-Times* -  Search more than 30 years of Chicago history with the Chicago Sun-Times Collection.  Coverage from 1986 through today, including full-text, web-only content and full-color image edition. 
  • Daily Southtown* - Search more than 15 years of Chicago area history with the Daily Southtown Collection.  Coverage from 2004 through today, including full-text, web-only content and full-color image edition.  
  • US Newspaper List - Select a state to access local newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations. Includes links for Twitter feeds.

 

* Cook County Law Library barcode required for this link. Please contact Law.LawLibrary@cookcountyil.gov for information on how to access this resource remotely.

PLEASE NOTE: The websites listed in this guide are for information only and are not endorsed or supported by the Cook County Law Library. Please independently verify the accuracy and currency of all information. Consult an attorney for legal advice.

 

Revised June 2024