Lessons by Subject Outline - Legal Research and Writing
- 1. Cases
- Where Does Law Come From? (LCS04)
- 1.1. Anatomy of a case
- 1.2. Citation Format
- 1.2.1. ALWD
- ALWD Citation Form (Third Ed.)(LWR10)
- Note: The ALWD lesson exists in two formats: the full lesson, and in four smaller lessons, each covering part of the ALWD Manual. The four parts are linked here:
- ALWD Citation Form Part 1: Citation Basics (LWR10_01)
- ALWD Citation Form Part 2: Commonly Cited Sources (LWR10_02)
- ALWD Citation Form Part 3: Using Citations in Documents and Quotations (LWR10_03)
- ALWD Citation Form Part 4: Final Quiz
- 1.2.2. Citation Form For Briefs and Legal Memoranda
- 1.2.3. Vendor Neutral Citation Formats
- 1.2.1. ALWD
- 1.3. Finding Cases
- 1.3.1. How to Find Case Law Using Digests
- How to Find Case Law Using the Digests (LWR29)
- 1.3.1.1. Overview of Reporters
- 1.3.1.2. Anatomy of Case – parts of a case
- 1.3.1.3. Function of the Digest
- 1.3.1.4. West Key Number System
- 1.3.1.5. How to Find Case Law Using the Digests
- 1.3.1.6. Finding the Most Recent Case Law
- 1.3.1.7. Evolution of Digest System
- 1.3.2. Using Citators to find cases
- 1.3.1. How to Find Case Law Using Digests
- 1.4. Updating and Validating
- Updating/Validating Case Law Using Citators (LWR36)
- 1.4.1. Shepard's and KeyCite
- 2. Statutes
- Where Does Law Come From? (LCS04)
- 2.1. Introduction to State and Federal Statues
- Introduction to State and Federal Statutes (LWR15)
- 2.1.1. Anatomy of a statute – parts of a statute
- 2.1.2. Slip law
- 2.1.3. Session law
- 2.1.4. Code/Annotated Code
- 2.1.5. Codification
- 2.2. Forms of publications
- Forms of Federal Statutory Publication (LWR30)
- 2.2.1. Federal only
- 2.2.2. Slip laws
- 2.2.3. Session laws
- 2.2.4. Advance Session Laws
- 2.2.5. Code/Annotated Codes
- 2.2.6. Official v. Unofficial
- 2.3. Codification
- Codification (LWR16)
- 2.3.1. Organization of codes
- 2.3.2. Positive law
- 2.3.3. Federal
- 2.3.4. State
- 2.3.5. Official and unofficial
- 2.3.6. Session Laws and code numbering
- 2.3.7. Conversion tables
- 2.4. Finding Statutes
- Finding Statutes (LR23)
- 2.4.1. Index options
- 2.4.2. Computer search strategies
- 2.4.3. Conversion tables
- 2.4.4. Popular name
- 2.5. Updating Statutes
- Updating Federal and State Statutes (LWR24)
- 2.5.1. Federal paper supplements & advance legislative services
- 2.5.2. Legislative websites and Lexis and Westlaw
- 2.5.3. Updating state statutes in print and online
- 2.5.4. Shepard’s & Keycite
- 2.6. Constitutions - Federal and State
- 2.6.1. Text sources
- 2.6.2. Annotations and Interpretations
- 2.6.3. Drafting and ratification research
- 2.6.4. Researching Amendments
- 2.7. Uniform Laws
- Researching Uniform and Model Laws (LWR25)
- 2.7.1. Overview Drafting organizations
- 2.7.2. Documents to research
- 2.7.3. Citing Uniform and Model Laws
- 3. Legislative History
- Federal Legislative History Research - Compiled Legislative History (LR41)
- 3.1. Anatomy of a legislative history – documents
- Researching Federal Legislative History (LWR14)
- 3.1.1. Define legislative history
- 3.1.2. Legislative process
- 3.1.3. Committee documents: Bills, Hearings, Committee Reports, Debates, Pres signings, Laws
- 3.1.4. Legislative websites
- 4. Administrative Law
- 4.1. Introduction to Admin Law
- Introduction and Sources of Authority for Administrative Law (LWR33)
- 4.1.1. Overview Federal Agencies’ Power
- 4.1.2. Directories – official and commercial
- 4.1.3. Procedure and Policy
- 4.2. Quasi-legislative - regulations
- Rulemaking: Federal Register and CFR (LWR19)
- Researching Federal Administrative Regulations (LWR06)
- 4.2.1. Sources of Rulemaking Authority
- 4.2.2. Federal Register
- 4.2.3. Regulations
- 4.2.4. C.F.R.
- 4.2.5. LSA
- 4.2.5.1. Updating LSA
- 4.2.6. Updating with Shepard’s and e-CFR
- 4.3. Quasi judicial
- 4.3.1. Decisions and Orders
- 4.4. Executive Orders
- Researching Federal Executive Orders (LWR22)
- 4.4.1. Overview
- 4.4.2. Sources
- 4.4.3. Updating
- 4.5. Internal agency materials
- Internal Agency Materials (LR50)
- 4.5.1. Include agency websites
- 4.6. Attorney General materials
- 4.1. Introduction to Admin Law
- 5. Secondary Sources
- 5.1. Introduction: the role of secondary sources in legal research
- Introduction to Secondary Resources (LWR35)
- 5.1.1. Primary v. Secondary
- 5.1.2. Types of secondary resources
- 5.1.3. Choosing the best secondary resource
- 5.2. A.L.R.
- American Law Reports (LWR21)
- 5.2.1. Structure of A.L.R. Format
- 5.2.2. Updating
- 5.2.3. Use of A.L.R.
- 5.3. Subject Specific Treatises
- 5.3.1. Hornbooks
- 5.3.2. Nutshells
- 5.4. Encyclopedias
- 5.5. Trial Practice Materials
- 5.5.1. Civil Procedure
- 5.5.2. Trial Practices
- 5.5.3. Discovery
- 5.5.4. Jury Instructions
- 5.6. Periodicals
- Periodicals Indexes and Library Catalogs (LWR34)
- 5.6.1. Locating secondary sources
- 5.6.2. Per Indexes - Print and online
- 5.6.3. Legal Trac, Wilson Web, Lexis and Westlaw
- 5.6.4. OPACS
- 5.6.5. Specific instructions for use
- 5.7. Researching and Working with Forms
- 5.7.1. Procedural
- Forthcoming Spring 2011
- 5.7.2. Transactional
- Forthcoming Spring 2011
- 5.8. Restatements
- 5.9. Looseleaf Services
- Mastering Looseleaf Services (LWR37)
- 5.9.1. Format
- 5.9.2. Contents: Primary materials and secondary
- 5.9.3. Interfiled and Newsletter
- 5.9.4. Citator and Finding Aids
- 5.9.5. Electronic
- 5.10. Using Citators Beyond Case Verification
- 5.10.1. Using Citators to find secondary sources
- 5.1. Introduction: the role of secondary sources in legal research
- 6. Legal Research Strategies
- 6.1. Research Methodology
- Legal Research Methodology (LWR07)
- 6.1.1. Understanding the assignment (time issues, work product required).
- 6.1.2. Framing the Issue (Issue Statements, search terms)
- 6.1.3. Preparing Research Plan (identifying research sources)
- 6.1.4. Search Strategy
- 6.1.5. Evaluation of Search Strategy
- 6.1.6. When to Stop Researching
- 6.2. Choosing Appropriate Tools Research Tools in General
- Legal Research 101: The Tools of the Trade (LWR08)
- 6.2.1. Primary and Secondary Source Materials
- 6.2.2. Updating
- 6.2.3. Evaluation of Search Strategy
- 6.2.4. When to Stop Researching (See also, 6.4 "When to Stop Researching")
- 6.3. Choosing Appropriate Tools: What Jurisdiction?
- Decision Point: State or Federal? (LWR13)
- 6.3.1. Overview of state and federal jurisdiction
- 6.3.2. Steps for determining applicable jurisdiction
- 6.3.3. Research resources to help determine jurisdiction
- 6.4. When to Stop Researching
- Hold 'em, Fold 'em, Walk Away or Run: When to Stop the Search (LWR31)
- 6.4.1. Research resources including cost constraints
- 6.4.2. Forming research plan
- 6.4.3. Points for concluding research
- 6.5. Costs of Legal Research
- Cost of Legal Research (LR49)
- 6.5.1. Why cost efficient research is important
- 6.5.2. How to be a cost effective researcher
- 6.5.3. Alternative electronic resources to Westlaw and Lexis
- 6.5.4. Costs of Legal Research: print v. electronic resources
- 6.5.4.1. Why cost efficient research is important
- 6.5.4.2. How to be a cost effective researcher
- 6.5.4.3. Alternative electronic resources to Westlaw and Lexis
- 6.6. Current Awareness and Alerting Services
- Forthcoming Summer 2010
- 6.6.1. Blogs
- 6.6.2. SSRN and other current awareness networks
- 6.6.3. Listservs
- 6.6.4. Newsletters, including email newsletters
- 6.1. Research Methodology
- 7. Legal Research on the Internet
- 7.1. Evaluation of Internet Resources
- Evaluating Web Sites (LWR39)
- 7.1.1. Evaluation criteria
- 7.1.2. Criteria and web addresses
- 7.2. Free Resources
- 7.3. Efficient Online Search Techniques
- 7.3.1. Search techniques – Boolean, etc.
- 7.1. Evaluation of Internet Resources
- 8. Non-Legal Materials
- 8.1. Directories/Finding People
- 8.1.1. People and Association Directories
- 8.1.2. Print and online
- 8.2. “Edgar/SEC” like materials
- 8.3. Government Documents
- Government Documents (LR96)
- 8.3.1. SuDoc Classification
- 8.3.2. Federal Depository Print and electronic
- 8.3.3. Government statistics
- 8.4. Company Information
- Company Research (LWR17)
- 8.4.1. Information Sought
- 8.4.2. Uses of company research
- 8.4.3. Types of companies
- 8.4.4. Company research sources
- 8.4.5. Industry research
- 8.5. Medical Information
- Medical Research For Attorneys (LR68)
- 8.5.1. Medicine for Lawyers
- 8.5.2. Medical Dictionaries
- 8.5.3. Diagnostic tools
- 8.5.4. Drug type
- 8.6. News
- 8.1. Directories/Finding People
- 9. State Legal Research
- 9.1. Alabama
- 9.1.1. Primary resources
- 9.1.2. Secondary resources
- 9.2. Alaska
- 9.2.1. Primary resources
- 9.2.2. Secondary resources
- 9.3. Arizona
- 9.3.1. Primary resources
- 9.3.2. Secondary resources
- 9.4. Arkansas
- 9.4.1. Primary resources
- Arkansas Primary Law Research (LR98)
- 9.4.2. Secondary resources
- 9.5. California
- 9.5.1. Primary resources
- California Primary Sources (LR88)
- 9.5.2. Secondary resources
- California Secondary Sources (LR82)
- 9.5.3. California Style Manual
- Introduction to the California Style Manual (LR75)
- 9.5.4 California Ballot Measure
- Researching California Ballot Measures (LR99)
- 9.6. Colorado
- 9.6.1. Primary resources
- Colorado Legal Research - Primary Source Materials (LR81)
- 9.6.2. Secondary resources
- Colorado Legal Research - Secondary Source Materials (LR92)
- 9.7. Connecticut
- 9.7.1. Primary resources
- 9.7.2. Secondary resources
- 9.8. Delaware
- 9.8.1. Primary resources
- 9.8.2. Secondary resources
- 9.9. Florida
- 9.9.1. Primary resources
- Florida Legal Research: Primary Authority (LR86)
- 9.9.2. Secondary resources
- Florida Secondary Sources (LR85)
- 9.10. Georgia
- 9.10.1. Primary resources
- Georgia Legal Research -- Primary Source Material (LR42)
9.10.2. Secondary resources
- Georgia Legal Research -- Primary Source Material (LR42)
- Georgia Legal Research - Secondary Source Materials (LR64)
- 9.10.1. Primary resources
- 9.11. Hawaii
- 9.11.1. Primary resources
- 9.11.2. Secondary resources
- 9.12. Idaho
- 9.12.1. Primary resources
- 9.12.2. Secondary resources
- 9.13. Illinois
- 9.13.1. Primary resources
- Forthcoming Spring 2012
- 9.13.2. Secondary resources
- Forthcoming Fall 2011
- 9.14. Indiana
- 9.14.1. Primary resources
- Indiana Primary Resources (LR91)
- 9.14.2. Secondary resources
- Forthcoming Spring 2012
- 9.15. Iowa
- 9.15.1. Primary resources
- Iowa Legal Research - Primary Sources (LR108)
- 9.15.2. Secondary resources
- Iowa Legal Research - Secondary Sources (LR109)
- 9.16. Kansas
- 9.16.1. Primary resources
- 9.16.2. Secondary resources
- 9.17. Kentucky
- Kentucky Legal Research (LR93)
- 9.17.1. Primary resources
- 9.17.2. Secondary resources
- 9.18. Louisiana
- 9.18.1. Primary resources
- Louisiana Primary Legal Resources (LR84)
- 9.18.2. Secondary resources
- Louisiana Secondary Resources (LR95)
- 9.19. Maine
- 9.19.1. Primary resources
- Forthcoming Spring 2012
- 9.19.2. Secondary resources
- 9.20. Maryland
- 9.20.1. Primary resources
- 9.20.2. Secondary resources
- 9.21. Massachusetts
- 9.21.1. Primary resources
- Massachusetts Primary Legal Research (LR110)
- 9.21.2. Secondary resources
- 9.22. Michigan
- 9.22.1. Primary resources
- Michigan Primary Resources (LR106)
- 9.22.2. Secondary resources
- Forthcoming Spring 2012
- 9.23. Minnesota
- 9.23.1. Primary resources
- Minnesota Legal Research - Primary Sources (LR114)
- 9.23.2. Secondary resources
- 9.24. Mississippi
- 9.24.1. Primary resources
- 9.24.2. Secondary resources
- 9.25. Missouri
- 9.25.1. Primary resources
- 9.25.2. Secondary resources
- 9.26. Montana
- 9.26.1. Primary resources
- 9.26.2. Secondary resources
- 9.27. Nebraska
- 9.27.1. Primary resources
- 9.27.2. Secondary resources
- 9.28. Nevada
- Nevada Legal Research (LR61)
- 9.28.1. Primary resources
- 9.28.2. Secondary resources
- 9.29. New Hampshire
- 9.29.1. Primary resources
- 9.29.2. Secondary resources
- 9.30. New Jersey
- 9.30.1. Primary resources
- 9.30.2. Secondary resources
- Forthcoming Spring 2012
- 9.31. New Mexico
- 9.31.1. Primary resources
- 9.31.2. Secondary resources
- 9.32. New York
- 9.32.1. Primary resources
- 9.32.2. Secondary resources
- 9.33. North Carolina
- 9.33.1. Primary resources
- Forthcoming Fall 2012
- 9.33.2. Secondary resources
- Forthcoming Spring 2012
- 9.34. North Dakota
- 9.34.1. Primary resources
- 9.34.2. Secondary resources
- 9.35. Ohio
- 9.35.1. Primary resources
- Ohio Legal Materials: Primary Sources (LR78)
- 9.35.2. Secondary resources
- Ohio Secondary Resources (LR100)
- 9.36. Oklahoma
- 9.36.1. Primary resources
- Forthcoming Spring 2012
- 9.36.2. Secondary resources
- Forthcoming Spring 2012
- 9.37. Oregon
- 9.37.1. Primary resources
- 9.37.2. Secondary resources
- 9.38. Pennsylvania
- 9.38.1. Primary resources
- 9.38.2. Secondary resources
- 9.39. Rhode Island
- 9.39.1. Primary resources
- 9.39.2. Secondary resources
- 9.40. South Carolina
- 9.40.1. Primary resources
- South Carolina Legal Research: Primary Source Materials (LR97)
- 9.40.2. Secondary resources
- 9.41. South Dakota
- 9.41.1. Primary resources
- 9.41.2. Secondary resources
- 9.42. Tennessee
- 9.42.1. Primary resources
- Forthcoming Fall 2012
- 9.42.2. Secondary resources
- Forthcoming Fall 2012
- 9.43. Texas
- 9.43.1. Primary resources
- Forthcoming Fall 2011
- 9.43.2. Secondary resources
- 9.44. Utah
- Utah Legal Research (LR87)
- 9.44.1. Primary resources
- 9.44.2. Secondary resources
- 9.45. Vermont
- 9.45.1. Primary resources
- 9.45.2. Secondary resources
- 9.46. Virginia
- 9.46.1. Primary resources
- 9.46.2. Secondary resources
- 9.47. Washington
- 9.47.1. Primary resources
- 9.47.2. Secondary resources
- Forthcoming Fall 2011
- 9.48. West Virginia
- Forthcoming Spring 2012
- 9.48.1. Primary resources
- 9.48.2. Secondary resources
- 9.49. Wisconsin
- 9.49.1. Primary resources
- 9.49.2. Secondary resources
- 9.50. Wyoming
- Wyoming Legal Research (LR73)
- 9.50.1. Primary resources
- 9.50.2. Secondary resources
- 9.51. Washington, D.C.
- 9.51.1. Primary resources
- 9.51.2. Secondary resources
- 9.1. Alabama
- 10. Substantive Specific Areas of Legal Research
- 10.1. Administrative Law
- 10.2. Copyright and Trademark
- 10.3. Health Law
- 10.4. Legal Ethics
- 10.5. Tax Law
- 10.6. Labor and Employment Law
- 10.7. Immigration Law
- 10.8. Environmental Law
- 10.9. Telecommunications
- 10.10. Energy
- 10.11. Patent
- 10.12. Admiralty, maritime
- 10.13 Securities Law
- Forthcoming Spring 2011
- 11. Canadian Law
- 11.1. Statutes
- 11.2. Administrative Law
- 11.3. Cases
- 11.4. Secondary Materials
- 12. International and Foreign Legal Research
- 12.1. Introduction
- Introduction to Foreign Legal Research (LWR32)
- 12.1.1. Basic Concepts
- 12.1.1.1. Defining public and private international law, foreign law, comparative law
- 12.1.1.2. Sources of law
- 12.1.2. Basic reference sources
- 12.1.2.1. Dictionaries
- 12.1.2.2. Encyclopedias
- 12.1.2.3. Periodical indexes
- 12.1.2.4. Research guides
- 12.1.2.5. Key sources (e.g., ILM, Modern Legal Systems Cyclopedia, Reynolds & Flores)
- 12.2. Public International Law
- 12.2.1. Researching treaties and other international agreements
- 12.2.1.1. Finding treaties, reservations, and declarations
- 12.2.1.2. Treaty status
- 12.2.1.3. Travaux preparatoires (treaty history)
- 12.2.1.4. Researching treaties: US is a party
- 12.2.1.5. Researching treaties: US not a party
- 12.2.2. Researching other PIL sources
- 12.2.2.1. Customary international law
- 12.2.2.2. General principles of int’l law
- 12.2.2.3. Judicial decisions
- 12.2.2.4. International tribunals
- 12.2.2.5. Teachings of publicists
- 12.2.3. US and international law
- 12.2.3.1. Treaties
- 12.2.3.2. US Practice
- 12.2.4. International Tribunals
- International and Foreign LegalResearch - Human Rights (LR76)
- 12.2.4.1. International Court of Justice
- 12.2.4.2. International Criminal Court & related tribunals
- 12.2.4.3. Other international tribunals
- Tribunals and Truth Commissions (LR83)
- 12.2.1. Researching treaties and other international agreements
- 12.3. Intergovernmental, Supranational, and Non-Governmental Organizations
- 12.3.1. United Nations
- 12.3.2. Regional organizations
- Regional International Organizations (LR90)
- 12.3.3. Other IGO's
- 12.3.4. European Union
- Supranational Organizations: The European Union (LR89)
- 12.3.5. Non-governmental organizations
- 12.4. Private International Law
- Private International Law Research (LR77)
- 12.4.1. Transnational business transactions
- 12.4.2. Transnational dispute resolution (arbitration and litigation)
- 12.5. Foreign and Comparative Law
- 12.5.1. Foreign Legal Systems
- 12.5.1.1. Common law systems
- 12.5.1.2. Civil law systems
- 12.5.1.3. Islamic law systems
- 12.5.1.4. Mixed systems
- 12.5.1.5. Customary law
- 12.5.2. Introduction to Foreign Legal Research
- Introduction to Foreign Legal Research (LWR32)
- 12.5.3. Comparative Law
- 12.5.3.1. Finding law in translation
- 12.5.3.2. Comparative law generally
- 12.5.1. Foreign Legal Systems
- 12.6. Topical International and Foreign Legal Research
- 12.6.1. International Trade
- 12.6.2. Human Rights
- Introduction to Human Rights Research (LR76)
- 12.6.3. Intellectual Property
- 12.6.4. Environmental Law
- 12.6.5. Tax Law
- 12.6.6. Law of the sea, maritime law
- 12.1. Introduction
- 13. Legal Writing & Analysis
- 13.1. Grammar
- 13.1.1. Punctuation and Grammar basics
- 13.1.2. Punctuation and Grammar advanced
- 13.2. Writing
- 13.2.1. IRAC
- 13.2.2. Conclusion, Rule, Analysis, Application, Conclusion
- 13.2.3. Writing Memoranda
- 13.2.3.1. Issue Statements
- 13.2.3.2. Fact Statements
- 13.2.3.3. Application of Facts to Rules
- 13.2.4. Writing a Brief
- 13.2.5. Persuasive Writing
- 13.2.6. Writing Exams
- 13.2.7. Drafting Contracts
- 13.1. Grammar
