Click to edit Master title style,*,Click to edit Master text styles,Second level,Third level,Fourth level,Fifth level,Legal Research Review,Legal Research,March 2005,Leah Sandwell-Weiss,Reference Librarian,Legal Research ReviewLegal Res,1,Primary Authority,“The Law”generated by the three branches of government,Cases,Statutes,Administrative Regulations,Accessing primary authorities is the ultimate goal of nearly all legal research,Primary Authority“The Law”gen,2,Secondary Authority,NOT,“the law”,Provides citations to primary authority,Provides background information that can aid in understanding primary authority(“the law”),May present novel theories that later find their way into primary authority,Often provides the best starting point for research,especially when legal issues are unclear,Secondary AuthorityNOT“the la,3,Mandatory Authority,“The law”of your jurisdiction,Your states highest court,Your states statutes,Your states regulations,Your federal district court,Your federal court of appeals,The United States Supreme Court,Have to follow,Mandatory Authority“The law”o,4,Persuasive Authority,“The law”from somewhere else,Another states supreme court,Another federal court of appeals,Some secondary sources,Dont“have to”follow,but use to persuade,Persuasive Authority“The law”,5,Secondary Sources,Provide commentary on law&references to primary law&other secondary sources,Persuasive Authority,Law Reviews,Treatises(but not hornbooks or nutshells),Restatements,Not Persuasive Authority,Legal Encyclopedias,American Law Reports(ALRs),Secondary SourcesProvide comme,6,Organization of Federal&State Courts,Organization of Federal&Sta,7,Reading a Case,Parallel Citation(editorial enhancement),Title(editorial enhancement),Docket#(editorial enhancement),Case Summary(editorial enhancement),Headnotes(editorial enhancement),Opinion(official),Reading a CaseParallel Citatio,8,Case Reporters,Organized by jurisdiction,Cases in chronological order,Arizona Cases,Arizona Supreme Court=,Arizona Reports,P.,P.2d,Arizona Court of Appeals=,Arizona Appellate Reports(1965 1976),Arizona Reports,P.,P.2d,Case ReportersOrganized by jur,9,Federal Courts&Reporters,Supreme Court=,U.S.Reports(U.S.)(official),Supreme Court Reporter(S.Ct.),U.S.Supreme Court Reports,Lawyers Edition(L.Ed.,L.Ed.2d),Courts of Appeals=,Federal Reporter(F.,F.2d,F.3d),District Courts=,Federal Supplement(F.Supp.,F.Supp.2d),Federal Courts&ReportersSupr,10,Finding cases,Annotated Codes,Secondary Sources,Digest Topic Name and Key Number(subject index to all case law),If have case name but no citation:Digest Table of Cases,Database search on Westlaw or Lexis(pick the most narrow database),Finding casesAnnotated Codes,11,Digests,All cases on a given legal point collected under the same digest topic&key number,Digest topics&key numbers consistent through all West digests,Select the appropriate Digest,Most jurisdictional,DigestsAll cases on a given le,12,Using Digests to Find Cases,From a case on point,Use the headnotes to identify relevant topics&key numbers,From the Descriptive Word Index,Look up relevant subjects,Check for new entries in pocket part,From a topic entry,Check out the outline of key numbers,Using Digests to Find CasesFro,13,Using Digests,contd,Find topic&key number in right volume,Check court&dates to target appropriate cases to read,Read summaries,Update with pocket parts or interim pamphlets,Using Digests,contdFind topi,14,Finding Cases Online,Use Annotated Codes online,Find known case online&use headnotes(Westlaw)or core terms/core concepts(Lexis),If already have a topic&key number,use them to find more cases on Westlaw,Use Shepards/KeyCite,Terms&Connectors/Natural Language Searches,Pay attention to database selection,Finding Cases OnlineUse Annota,15,Case Law Tips,Look for mandatory authority first,Note:case law always primary authority,If there is insufficient mandatory authority,look for primary persuasive,Read opinions in full and cite only to the opinion itself,Case Law TipsLook for mandator,16,Statutory Publication,Slip laws,Separately issued versions of each law as passed,Session laws,Chronological arrangement of statutes,Law as passed by legislature-No amendments,Codes,Organized by subject,often called“Titles”,“Current”version of law,with amendments,Statutory PublicationSlip laws,17,Annotated Codes,Can be official or unofficial,Contain references to:,Cases(Notes of Decisions),Administrative code sections(CFRs),Legal encyclopedias,Legislative history,Law reviews&Treatises,West Codes Headnotes&Key Numbers,Annotated CodesCan be official,18,Finding Statutes,In Print,Subject indexes,Secondary Sources,References in cases,Popular Names Table to find specific act,Online,References in cases,Shepards/KeyCite,Terms&Connectors/Natural Language Searches,Finding StatutesIn Print,19,Updating Primary Law,Pocket Parts in Print,Citators(Shepards/KeyCite)Online,Validating-is it still“good law?”,History of the case Was your case overruled/revised on appeal?,Citing Reference