A Layperson's Guide to Legal Research and Self-Help Law Books

A Layperson's Guide to Legal Research and Self-Help Law Books
Author: Kendall F. Svengalis
Publisher:
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2019-02-20
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9780996352499

An essential guide to legal self-help literature by a leading authority in the field.With no previous legal background, you will be able to find books to answer your most frequently asked legalquestions. Many matters can be handled without hiring a lawyer, and this book will lead you to sources of expert advice on doing just that, and save you money in the process. It also weighs the pros and cons of hiring an attorney vs. representing oneself.Nearly 800 substantive reviews of self-help books and secondary sources. Each of the more than 85 legal specialty bibliographies contained in this unique reference tool is preceded by an invaluable introduction which lays out the nature of the law in that field and the sources of that law, whether constitutional, statutory, common law based, or regulatory, or some combination of these. Links to relevant web sites and research sites are also included, as well as a complete directory of public law libraries around the country.

Win Your Case

Win Your Case
Author: Gerry Spence
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2007-04-01
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 1429909013

From renowned trial attorney and New York Times bestselling author Gerry Spence: a must own book for every lawyer and business professional seeking to make cutting-edge winning presentations--in court, at work, everywhere, any time. Gerry Spence is perhaps America's most renowned and successful trial lawyer, a man known for his deep convictions and his powerful courtroom presentations when he argues on behalf of ordinary people. Frequently pitted against teams of lawyers thrown against him by major corporate or government interests, he has never lost a criminal case and has not lost a civil jury trial since 1969. In Win Your Case, Spence shares a lifetime of experience teaching you how to win in any arena-the courtroom, the boardroom, the sales call, the salary review, the town council meeting-every venue where a case is to be made against adversaries who oppose the justice you seek. Relying on the successful courtroom methods he has developed over more than half a century, Spence shows both lawyers and laypersons how you can win your cases as he takes you step by step through the elements of a trial-from jury selection, the opening statement, the presentation of witnesses, their cross-examinations, and finally to the closing argument itself. Spence teaches you how to prepare yourselves for these wars. Then he leads you through the new, cutting-edge methods he uses in discovering the story in which you form the evidence into a compelling narrative, discover the point of view of the decision maker, anticipate and answer the counterarguments, and finally conclude the case with a winning final argument. To make a winning presentation, you are taught to prepare the power-person (the jury, the judge, the boss, the customer, the board) to hear your case. You are shown that your emotions, and theirs, are the source of your winning. You learn the power of your own fear, of honesty and caring and, yes, of love. You are instructed on how to role-play through the use of the psychodramatic technique, to both discover and tell the story of the case, and, at last, to pull it all together into the winning final argument. Whether you are presenting your case to a judge, a jury, a boss, a committee, or a customer, Win Your Case is an indispensable guide to success in every walk of life, in and out of the courtroom.

Legal Literacy

Legal Literacy
Author: Archie Zariski
Publisher: Athabasca University Press
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2014-10-01
Genre: Law
ISBN: 192735644X

To understand how the legal system works, students must consider the law in terms of its structures, processes, language, and modes of thought and argument—in short, they must become literate in the field. Legal Literacy fulfills this aim by providing a foundational understanding of key concepts such as legal personhood, jurisdiction, and precedent, and by introducing students to legal research and writing skills. Examples of cases, statutes, and other legal materials support these concepts. While Legal Literacy is an introductory text, it also challenges students to consider critically the system they are studying. Touching on significant socio-legal issues such as access to justice, legal jargon, and plain language, Zariski critiques common legal traditions and practices, and analyzes what it means “to think like a lawyer.” As such, the text provides a sound basis for those who wish to pursue further studies in law or legal studies as well as those seeking a better understanding of how the legal field relates to the society that it serves.

Louisiana Legal Research

Louisiana Legal Research
Author: Mary Garvey Algero
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2017
Genre: Legal research
ISBN: 9781531007935

This book is written to assist attorneys, law students, paralegals, librarians, and others in researching legal materials effectively and efficiently. While focused on Louisiana law, the book provides the reader with information necessary to research federal law as well as the law of other jurisdictions. The book is user-friendly, providing information about legal research in a straightforward, practical format. The book is a must for anyone conducting legal research in Louisiana and is an excellent guide for legal research novices. In addition to discussing research techniques, sources, and strategies, the book explains the primary legal traditions in the United States and the basic structure of court systems in the United States. Against this backdrop, the book highlights the unique characteristics of the Louisiana legal system, including the State's reliance on the Civil Code, statutory law, and the value of precedent in Louisiana. The book also provides specific information on both electronic and print sources for locating law and gives guidance to the researcher on which sources are most efficiently used to research various types of information. The book touches on strategies for presenting legal arguments and provides information on citing legal sources in accordance with Louisiana custom as well as The Bluebook and the ALWD Guide to Legal Citation. The book even provides its readers with a bit of lagniappe (lanyap), a word used in Louisiana to mean something extra or an unexpected gift. Louisiana lagniappe text boxes found throughout the book provide readers with interesting, historical facts relevant to the sources being discussed. This book is part of the Legal Research Series, edited by Suzanne E. Rowe, Director of Legal Research and Writing, University of Oregon School of Law.

Open Access

Open Access
Author: Peter Suber
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 255
Release: 2012-07-20
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0262517639

A concise introduction to the basics of open access, describing what it is (and isn't) and showing that it is easy, fast, inexpensive, legal, and beneficial. The Internet lets us share perfect copies of our work with a worldwide audience at virtually no cost. We take advantage of this revolutionary opportunity when we make our work “open access”: digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. Open access is made possible by the Internet and copyright-holder consent, and many authors, musicians, filmmakers, and other creators who depend on royalties are understandably unwilling to give their consent. But for 350 years, scholars have written peer-reviewed journal articles for impact, not for money, and are free to consent to open access without losing revenue. In this concise introduction, Peter Suber tells us what open access is and isn't, how it benefits authors and readers of research, how we pay for it, how it avoids copyright problems, how it has moved from the periphery to the mainstream, and what its future may hold. Distilling a decade of Suber's influential writing and thinking about open access, this is the indispensable book on the subject for researchers, librarians, administrators, funders, publishers, and policy makers.

Model Rules of Professional Conduct

Model Rules of Professional Conduct
Author: American Bar Association. House of Delegates
Publisher: American Bar Association
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2007
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9781590318737

The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.

Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States

Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2009-07-29
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0309142393

Scores of talented and dedicated people serve the forensic science community, performing vitally important work. However, they are often constrained by lack of adequate resources, sound policies, and national support. It is clear that change and advancements, both systematic and scientific, are needed in a number of forensic science disciplines to ensure the reliability of work, establish enforceable standards, and promote best practices with consistent application. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward provides a detailed plan for addressing these needs and suggests the creation of a new government entity, the National Institute of Forensic Science, to establish and enforce standards within the forensic science community. The benefits of improving and regulating the forensic science disciplines are clear: assisting law enforcement officials, enhancing homeland security, and reducing the risk of wrongful conviction and exoneration. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States gives a full account of what is needed to advance the forensic science disciplines, including upgrading of systems and organizational structures, better training, widespread adoption of uniform and enforceable best practices, and mandatory certification and accreditation programs. While this book provides an essential call-to-action for congress and policy makers, it also serves as a vital tool for law enforcement agencies, criminal prosecutors and attorneys, and forensic science educators.

Reference and Information Services

Reference and Information Services
Author: Melissa A. Wong
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 786
Release: 2024-08-22
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN:

Written as a textbook for LIS students taking reference courses, this fully updated and revised seventh edition of Reference and Information Services: An Introduction also serves as a helpful handbook for practitioners to refamiliarize themselves with particular types and formats of sources and to refresh their knowledge on specific service topics. The first section grounds the rest of the textbook with an overview of the foundations of reference and an introduction to the theories, values, and standards that guide reference service. The second section provides an overview of reference services and techniques for service provision, establishing a foundation of knowledge on reference service and extending ethical and social justice perspectives. The third part offers an overview of the information life cycle and dissemination of information, followed by an in-depth examination of information sources by type as well as by broad subject areas. Finally, the concluding section guides the reader through the process of developing and maintaining their own vision of reference practice. This textbook is essential reading for all preservice and working librarians, particularly those concerned with ethical and social justice perspectives on reference work.

Legal Systems Very Different from Ours

Legal Systems Very Different from Ours
Author: Peter Leeson
Publisher: Independently Published
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2019-01-09
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9781793386724

This book looks at thirteen different legal systems, ranging from Imperial China to modern Amish: how they worked, what problems they faced, how they dealt with them. Some chapters deal with a single legal system, others with topics relevant to several, such as problems with law based on divine revelation or how systems work in which law enforcement is private and decentralized. The book's underlying assumption is that all human societies face the same problems, deal with them in an interesting variety of different ways, are all the work of grown-ups, hence should all be taken seriously. It ends with a chapter on features of past legal systems that a modern system might want to borrow.