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Seminar Topical Research Guides

Getting Started

Choosing a Paper Topic Research Guide
This research guide from the Ross-Blakley Law Library is designed for students who are writing a substantive legal research paper and are looking for guidance on how to begin. The guide details sources for help in selecting a paper topic and offers insight in how to check whether your paper will add new information to the field of law.

Conducting a Preemption Check Research Guide
This research guide details the recommended steps for conducting a preemption check, as well as provides information on and links to a variety of resources for conducting a thorough check.

Texts and Journals

Estate Planning Law and Taxation (David Westfall & George P. Mair, 2021)
This treatise discusses real estate issues such as joint tenancies, life estates, estates transferrable upon death, and trusts. (Westlaw password required.)

Federal Estate and Gift Taxation in a Nutshell (John K. McNulty, 2020)
This book provides a concise overview of estate planning issues including tex laws, donative intent, joint property, and life insurance. Also available on West Academic (login required).

Federal Income, Gift and Estate Taxation (Jacob Rabkin & Mark H. Johnson, 2021)
This treatise provides detailed information on taxation of estates, including individuals' and business entities' property. (Lexis password required.)

Federal Taxation of Income, Estates & Gifts (Boris I. Bittker & Lawrence Lokken, 2021)
This treatise includes sections on trusts and estates and well as taxes on estates and gifts. (Westlaw password required.) 

Introduction to Estate Planning in a Nutshell (Robert J. Lynn & Grayson M.P. McCouch, 2019)
Foundational issues in estate planning that this guide covers include wills and intestacy, survivorship interests, community property, future interests, trusts, and the rule against perpetuities. Also available on West Academic (login required).

Modern Estate Planning (J. Martin Burke et al., 2021)
This treatise covers topics including tax, planning based on life insurance, planning for clients with particular circumstances including terminal illness or business ownership, and guides to drafting documents. (Lexis password required.)

West's Tax Law Dictionary (Robert S. Smith, 2020)
This dictionary provides definitions of tax terms, words, and phrases, and has extensive cross-references.  Appendixes include Summaries of Free Federal Tax Publication, Sources for Free Federal Tax Forms and Publications, Listings of Federal Tax Return Forms and Related Forms, and Listings of Federal Tax Forms Instructions. This title is also available on Westlaw (Westlaw password required).

Tax Journals on Westlaw (Westlaw password required)
​Westlaw provides access to a number of tax-specific law reviews and journals (Westlaw password required).

Tax Journals on Lexis (Lexis password required)
Lexis also provides access to a number of tax-specific law reviews and journals (Lexis password required).

Web Resources

Bloomberg Law (Bloomberg Law password required)

  • Tax: Estates, Gifts, and Trusts Portfolios 
    Includes forms to calculate taxes in different scenarios, such as working with tax exempt organizations or decedents' estates.
  • Daily Tax Report 
    The Daily Tax Report covers significant tax developments and includes reports on legislation, legislative hearings, administrative actions, and regulatory proposals and rulings. 
  • The Exchange: Tax Insights & Commentary 
    Provides firsthand insights from practitioners in the tax law field about news and legal developments, as well as other commentary about emerging tax law issues.

Checkpoint Estate Planning (available on campus or remotely through ASURITE)
Includes journals dedicated to estate planning, such as Real Estate Taxation and Valuation Strategies

Checkpoint Tax (RIA) (available on campus or remotely through ASURITE)
Collection of full-text primary and secondary tax research materials. Contains tax documents and secondary analysis for the areas of federal, state and local, estate planning, pensions and benefits, international and payroll taxation.

Lexis (Lexis password required)

  • Estate Gift & Trust Law 
    Provides a general overview of estate planning along with more detailed explanations of gifts, trusts, wills, and estate administration. 
  • Practical Guidance: Tax 
    Includes sections on real estate transactions as well as practice and procedure of tax law. 
  • Real Property Law 
    Includes information on estates, including concurrent ownership, future interests, and transfers. 

Westlaw (Westlaw password required)

  • Estate Planning 
  • Gathers case law, trial court documents, jury verdicts & settlements, and other legal documents necessary for estate planning practice.
  • Practical Law: Trusts and Estates 
    Provides practice notes, checklists, standard forms, and other information and materials necessary to practice estate planning.
  • Real Property Law 
    Includes information on estates, including concurrent ownership, future interests, and transfers. 
  • Tax 
    This section includes standard law regarding estate taxes along with expert materials, jury verdicts and settlements, and proposed legislation. 

VitalLaw (formerly CHEETAH) (available on campus or remotely through ASURITE)
Full text of popular treatises and primary law in the areas of bankruptcy, business, employment, health care, securities, and tax law. This product replaces Cheetah/CCH Intelliconnect.