Statutory Research

50 State Surveys are a compilation of the laws across jurisdictions (not always all 50 states) on a specific topic.  

Example: Imagine being asked to compare the different laws regarding marijuana from state to state. Before searching through each state individually, look for a survey! Someone may have already done a lot of the legwork. The researcher still has to pull the actual statutes, read them, and update them, but a survey can save a tremendous amount of time. 

A few tips as you look for surveys:

1. Many government agencies, non-profits, advocacy groups, law firms, and other organizations publish 50 state survey materials on topics of concern, so search for free resources. 
2. Some platforms like Lexis and Westlaw will have multiple places to check, namely their traditional 50 state survey tools and the newer tools on their practical guidance platforms.
3. Check multiple platforms to find the best option(s) for your statutory survey project, along with Googling for free materials; sometimes you'll need to combine different sources to get the info you need. 
4. Check how recently the survey was last updated. The more recent, the less updating you'll need to do to bring the information up to date.