Basic Legal Research : Tools and Strategies

by Sloan, Amy E.

• ISBN13: 9781454808473
• ISBN10: 1454808470
• Additional ISBN(s): 9781543804584
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-06-01
• Publisher: Wolters Kluwer Law and Business
• More Book Details

Summary

A leader in its field, Basic Legal Research: Tools and Strategies, Fifth Edition, offers consistently clear instruction and a building-block approach. Amy E. Sloan presents her subject in manageable parts that gradually build in complexity. Ideal as a course book or reference, this text offers flexibility and supports instruction in print and electronic research. A wealth of learning aids includes sample pages, examples, checklists, and summary charts. Exercises in the accompanying workbook provide more opportunities to test and apply legal research tools and strategies.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xv
Acknowledgments	p. xix
Introduction to Legal Research	p. 1
Introduction to the legal system	p. 2
Introduction to the process of legal research	p. 9
Introduction to research planning	p. 13
Introduction to legal citation	p. 17
Overview of this text	p. 24
Generating Search Terms	p. 27
Generating search terms based on categories of information	p. 27
Expanding the initial search	p. 30
Prioritizing search terms	p. 31
Evaluating Search Options	p. 33
Introduction to search approaches	p. 33
Source-driven search process	p. 34
Content-driven search process	p. 37
Evaluating search options	p. 38
Secondary Source Research	p. 43
Introduction to secondary sources	p. 43
Researching secondary sources in print	p. 51
Researching secondary sources electronically	p. 61
Citing secondary sources	p. 68
Sample pages for secondary source research	p. 74
Checklist for secondary source research	p. 89
Case Research	p. 93
Introduction to cases	p. 93
Researching cases in print	p. 100
Researching cases electronically	p. 112
Citing cases	p. 124
Sample pages for case research	p. 126
Checklist for case research	p. 141
Research with Citators	p. 143
Introduction to citators	p. 143
Using Shepard's in Lexis for case research	p. 145
Using KeyCite in Westlaw for case research	p. 155
Choosing among citators	p. 164
Sample pages for case research with Shepard's and KeyCite	p. 166
Checklist for case research with citators	p. 170
Statutory Research	p. 173
Introduction to statutory law	p. 173
Researching statutes in print	p. 180
Researching statutes electronically	p. 191
Citing statutes	p. 204
Sample pages for statutory research	p. 206
Checklist for statutory research	p. 217
Federal Legislative History Research	p. 219
Introduction to federal legislative history	p. 219
Researching federal legislative history in print	p. 225
Researching federal legislative history electronically	p. 229
Citing federal legislative history	p. 236
Sample pages for federal legislative history research	p. 239
Checklist for federal legislative history research	p. 244
Federal Administrative Law Research	p. 247
Introduction to federal administrative law	p. 247
Researching federal regulations in print	p. 251
Researching federal regulations electronically	p. 253
Citing federal regulations	p. 261
Sample pages for federal administrative law research	p. 262
Checklist for federal administrative law research	p. 268
Electronic Legal Research	p. 271
Introduction to electronic legal research	p. 272
Effective word searching	p. 279
Additional electronic research resources	p. 291
Citing authority obtained from electronic legal research services	p. 293
Checklist for electronic legal research	p. 297
Developing a Research Plan	p. 299
Introduction to research planning	p. 299
Creating a research plan	p. 299
Finding help	p. 312
Sample research plans	p. 314
Research checklists	p. 319
Selected Internet Research Resources	p. 327
Index	p. 333
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