One of the trickiest concepts to grasp as a 1L is the mandatory vs. persuasive authority. Below are some helpful links!

Here are some resources to help you understand more about legal authority: 

UC Law Library Case Law Research Guide (US Court Systems) 

Taggart Law Library Research Guide: Research as a Process: Mandatory v. Persuasive 

Cornell Law School LII (Legal Information Institute) Persuasive Authority 

National Court Statistics Project-State Court Guides 

https://www.ncsc.org/scoLinks to an external site. 

https://cspbr.azurewebsites.net/Links to an external site. 

United States Courts Federal vs State Couts Guide  

https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/court-role-and-structure/comparing-federal-state-courtsLinks to an external site. 

Georgetown University Law Center-Binding Vs. Persuasive Cases Handout 

https://www.law.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Which-Court-is-Binding-HandoutFinal.pdf