Wikipedia for Legal Research?

You use Wikipedia as part of your legal research (gasp)? Yes.

There have been quite a number of studies that show that Wikipedia is reliable and a few that state that it isn’t. In my personal experience I find it to be useful and accurate. That being said the reader needs to keep in mind that as an encyclopedia Wikipedia is a secondary source. The researcher needs to assess and check the primary materials listed in the references for accuracy and usefulness. In my experience when given a popular name of a federal act I have used Wikipedia as a great starting point in getting needed information about the act. As an example I point the reader to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Wikipedia page.

Happy researching! As always remember your law library is here for assistance. Summer hours.