Before you dive into cases interpreting your statute, try finding a secondary source that can provide a basic explanation of how the statute works. To find secondary sources that discuss your statute:
- look in the "Library References" section of the Context & Analysis tab (on Westlaw) or the "Research References & Practice Aids" section (on Lexis+) of the annotations to your statute (see "Annotated codes" description below)
- find a treatise or encyclopedia topic (see the Secondary Sources tab in this guide) that covers the general area that your statute falls into (e.g., for a statute about fair use, try a treatise on copyright or intellectual property)
- Use the Table of Statutes in a general legal encyclopedia such as Cal. Jur. 3d (see the Secondary Sources tab in this guide)