Full Description
This complete guide to modern legal research offers a unique balance of traditional print research techniques with newer online methods. Throughout, LEGAL RESEARCH helps students fully understand the issues they are researching, so they can apply analytical thinking to achieve superior results. Students discover how laws are made, how to decide which law is applicable, how to read the law, how to search modern legal databases, and how to apply the law in a client's unique situation. The text offers insights for overcoming research obstacles, and provides many examples, figures, and reference checklists. Extensive pedagogical features include opening scenarios, lists of key terms, case excerpts, media and web resources, and many forms of practice, from Quick Check quizzes to detailed Research Assignments. The text also helps students link research to effective legal writing by presenting a full chapter on the writing process, from prewriting through proofreading.
Contents
PrefaceChapter 1 Introduction to Legal ResearchChapter 2 The Structure of Government and the Court SystemChapter 3 Understanding the Origins and Organizations of the LawChapter 4 Types of LawChapter 5 Legal Citation FormChapter 6 Citing Sources: The Bluebook and ALWDChapter 7 Tools for Manual and Online Research Chapter 8 Main Secondary AuthoritiesChapter 9 Finding Aids, Drafting Aids, and Miscellaneous Secondary AuthoritiesChapter 10 Researching Enacted Law and Related MaterialsChapter 11 Researching the Common Law (Case Laws)Chapter 12 The Administrative Agencies and Special Laws Chapter 13 Updating and Validating ResearchChapter 14 The Foundation of WritingAppendicesAppendix 1 Form documents, briefs, memorandaAppendix 2 Non-legal citationsAppendix 3 Internet resourcesAppendix 4 Glossary
