South Carolina Legal Research: Primary Resources

In the process of legal research, primary authority is the law in your jurisdiction, which comes directly from a legislative body, court, or administrative agency.

This lesson on South Carolina primary source materials covers the South Carolina Constitution; South Carolina state and local laws (Legislative); South Carolina administrative agency regulations and other executive materials (Executive); and, South Carolina appellate court rules and decisions (Judicial).

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Explain why the South Carolina Constitution is a key component of South Carolina legal research.
2. Discuss how local ordinances can compliment but not conflict with state laws.
3. Review why all legal research materials must be consistently updated to ensure their continued validity and currency.
4. Create a research strategy using primary legal resources.