New Mexico Legal Research: Primary and Secondary Resources

This lesson will familiarize you with primary and secondary sources available in New Mexico. It covers New Mexico primary law including the New Mexico Constitution, statutes, legislative history, municipal codes, administrative law, and court decisions. The secondary sources section of the lesson provides a general overview of secondary sources and how you can use them in your research as well as coverage of New Mexico specific secondary sources.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Identify the difference between a primary legal source and a secondary source.
2. Identify the different types of primary and secondary legal sources in New Mexico.
3. Identify when it is appropriate to use a specific primary or secondary legal source.
4. Choose the appropriate New Mexico primary and secondary legal source(s) for the legal issue(s) you are trying to address.