Legal Research Explained

Legal Research Explained
Author: Deborah E. Bouchoux
Publisher:
Total Pages: 436
Release: 2010
Genre: Law
ISBN:

Instructors who are looking for a clear and concise text introducing students to the basic methods of legal research will welcome Legal Research Explained . Based upon the legal research section of Bouchoux’s highly successful Legal Research and Writing for Paralegals, The material in this text has been modified, condensed and updated to fit courses covering only legal research. This engaging text helps students develop both knowledge and confidence: • using a building-block approach, which is instrumental in ensuring that students master the critical skills of legal research, Bouchoux discusses conventional print legal research sources before computer-assisted and electronic sources. Similarly, primary authorities are discussed before secondary authorities and statutes are covered before cases, because this is the order in which it happens in practice • divided into five sections : 1) conducting legal research using primary authorities; 2) conducting legal research using secondary authorities and other research aids; 3) computer-assisted legal research And The Internet; 4) legal citation form and validating authorities; and 5) “putting it all together” and providing a final overview of the legal research process • Text includes: o examples of citation form (in both ALWD and Bluebook format) o questions relating To The materials discussed in each chapter and requiring students to use pertinent sources to locate the answers to those questions o section at the end of each chapter requiring students to access the Internet to locate answers to questions so that students become proficient in quickly locating the types of information an employer will require them to retrieve, such as local court rules o Practice Tips in each chapter, offering realistic and helpful suggestions for workplace success • up-to-date sample pages in each chapter illustrate the features of various legal research authorities. the book is part of a comprehensive instructional package that includes PowerPoint slides and an extensive Instructor’s Manual featuring: • sample syllabi • information on teaching strategies • chapter-by-chapter resource information • answer keys for all discussion questions and Internet assignments • detailed suggestions for additional assignments • a Test Bank of exam questions Professors in search of a text that applies a building-block approach to developing a firm foundation for legal research are sure to be delighted with Bouchoux’s new book; Legal Research Explained . In addition to providing students with the skills and resources that they will need as they progress professionally, instructors are also provided with a comprehensive educational package to aid in the effort to impart a complete understanding of the fundamentals of legal research. An author website to support classroom instruction using this title is available at http://www.aspenlawschool.com/bouchoux_explained

Texas Legal Research

Texas Legal Research
Author: Spencer L. Simons
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016
Genre: Legal research
ISBN: 9781611635621

Texas Legal Research, Second Edition, is a practical, process-oriented guide to the skills and resources necessary to research Texas law. The book is designed for teaching first-year students, either as a stand-alone text or in conjunction with a research text focusing on federal law. The book is also suitable for use in advanced legal research courses. Others who will find the book useful include practitioners, paralegals, college students, laypersons, and anyone needing a concise handbook on how to find and use Texas legal materials. The book begins by explaining the nature and types of legal authority. The process of legal research and control of legal research projects are described in the first chapter, with an emphasis on the integral nature of legal research and legal analysis. These concepts are revisited and reinforced throughout the book. The second chapter explains basic principles underlying legal research, factors to consider in choosing whether to search online or in print, and techniques to add power and precision to legal research. Since students often use online research tools from the beginning of their studies, the second chapter also introduces online searching techniques and principles. Research using print and online resources is explained for each type of legal resource throughout the book. The order of coverage of types of legal authority has been substantially changed in the second edition, in order to track the author's recommended research process. Secondary materials are now addressed in chapter 3, followed by chapters devoted to the resources and techniques of constitutional research, statutory research, legislative history research, administrative agency law research, and case law research. The second edition adds an entirely new chapter on Texas local government law research. The historical and governmental roots of Texas legal resources are traced for each type of primary law. Updating techniques are explained in context for each type of legal material and a chapter is devoted to the use of online citators. An appendix explains the basics of legal citation, the use of the Greenbook and the Bluebook, special rules of Texas citation, and the ALWD Guide to Legal Citation. The second edition contains a new appendix discussing techniques for searching directly in the online case databases included in Westlaw, Lexis Advance, and Bloomberg Law. Most chapters contain tables with step-by-step guides to research in particular types of legal resources, as well as summaries of other critical information. Screenshots and images of research materials are included to illustrate the lessons of the text. For each type of resource, research in federal law is addressed following the discussion of research in Texas law. 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.

Legal Research and Writing for Paralegals

Legal Research and Writing for Paralegals
Author: Deborah E. Bouchoux
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2008-06-17
Genre: Legal assistants
ISBN: 9780735568013

* LOISLAW Packaged with 4 months free access to Loislaw's online legal research database. * BLACKBOARD Available in Blackboard online course format. * ECOLLEGE Available in eCollege online course format. * COMPANION WEBSITE www.aspenparalegaled.com/bouchoux_legalresearch5 ( Contact your Aspen Representative for more information about these resources.) Legal Research and Writing for Paralegals offers students a lucid, well-organized introduction to legal research and writing. Designed and written specifically for paralegal students, The fifth edition of this widely acclaimed text continues to be an exemplary teaching and learning tool. Among the attributes that have contributed To The success of this text: comprehensive overview of research and writing skills, reinforced by illustrations and exercises. integration of writing strategies into each research chapter to demonstrate the link between the two processes. thorough coverage of electronic research, including a chapter on Internet research as well as fee-based services such as Lexis and Westlaw. Tips throughout the text demonstrate how to most effectively use electronic resources. descriptive charts and diagrams that help students understand complex topics. Practice Tips in each chapter offer realistic and helpful suggestions for workplace success. Internet Assignments help students learn how to navigate through cyberspace. These questions, which can be made state specific, require students to access relevant Internet sites and locate information. thorough explanations of proper citation form for both ALWD and The Bluebook and updating and validating legal authorities. samples of legal writing, such as a case brief, letters, a court brief, and a legal memorandum. in-depth Instructor’s Manual that includes an overview of the text, sample syllabi, tips on teaching strategies, chapter-by-chapter resource information, answer keys for all assignments, and a test bank. Thoroughly updated to reflect changes in legal research sources and techniques, The Fifth Edition includes: updated information on legal writing . new sample pages. new discussion questions. new questions requiring readers to access pertinent Internet sites to locate information, mirroring what paralegals do in practice. ethics alerts now included in each chapter, providing a quick and concise ethics tip relating To The information in that chapter. Chapter 9 on Updating and Validating the Law is now more concise, reflecting the fact that updating is now done nearly exclusively electronically. Legal Research and Writing for Paralegals, Fifth Edition, designed to focus on issues paralegals face on the job, provides an excellent introduction to the science—and art—involved in legal research and writing.

A Practical Guide to Legal Research and Analysis for Paralegal and Legal Studies Students

A Practical Guide to Legal Research and Analysis for Paralegal and Legal Studies Students
Author: Margaret Phillips
Publisher: West Academic Publishing
Total Pages: 440
Release: 2019-10-28
Genre: Legal research
ISBN: 9781683289029

Phillips's A Practical Guide to Legal Research and Analysis for Paralegal and Legal Studies Students distills legal analysis and research to a series of concrete skills that can be acquired chapter-by-chapter. The approachable writing style invites students to engage in active thinking and questioning. The text introduces skills and patterns of legal analysis in small pieces so students can master them bit by bit, with ample opportunity to practice using the creative end-of-chapter exercises. Students are guided step-by-step through an analysis exercise so that they can replicate the process. Students then practice the process in an end-of-chapter exercise, and later use the skill in drafting a memo or a motion as explained in the last two chapters. The book's conversational style makes it easy to read and makes legal analysis easy to grasp.

Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing

Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing
Author: Joanne Banker Hames
Publisher: Pearson College Division
Total Pages: 574
Release: 2011
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9780135109441

LEGAL RESEARCH, ANALYSIS, AND WRITING, 4/e fully integrates the basics of legal research, analysis, and writing, bringing together all the basic knowledge and tools students need to research and analyze a legal problem and communicate the results in diverse forms of legal memoranda. It provides many highly realistic research and writing exercises, as well as new tools designed to help students become more effective writers. Throughout, it clarifies the interrelationships among legal research, analysis, and writing, enabling students to experience the total process as it is performed in practice. Reflecting today's new realities, this edition also contains extensive new coverage of Internet-based research on both free and fee-based sites.

An Introduction to Empirical Legal Research

An Introduction to Empirical Legal Research
Author: Lee Epstein
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 339
Release: 2014
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0199669058

An Introduction to Empirical Legal Research introduces empirical methodology in a legal context, explaining how empirical analysis can inform legal arguments; how lawyers can set about framing empirical questions, conducting empirical research, analysing data, and presenting or evaluating the results.

Basic Legal Research

Basic Legal Research
Author: Amy E. Sloan
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2021-01-31
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1543825281

This best-selling coursebook on legal research is known for its clear, step-by-step instruction in the basics. Using a building-block approach, Basic Legal Research: Tools and Strategies, Eighth Edition breaks material into discrete, readily comprehensible parts. Ideal as a course book or reference, this text emphasizes online research, with targeted coverage of print materials. Its comprehensive coverage and self-contained chapters offer flexibility to fit a variety of course structures. Useful pedagogy throughout the text includes end-of-chapter checklists, clear examples, and summary charts. Helpful sample pages and examples of research sources guide students through the presentation, and an accompanying workbook provides exercises to test comprehension and to apply legal research tools and strategies. New to the Eighth Edition: Completely revised material throughout, providing thorough instruction in the latest features and functions of the main research platforms. Updated coverage includes Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg Law. Instruction now fully oriented toward online research: Early chapters address online search strategies and use sample searches to illustrate how to draft a word search. Chapters on individual sources focus primarily on online search techniques while still incorporating targeted descriptions of print sources. Citation explanations cover both the ALWD Guide to Legal Citation (7th ed.) and the Bluebook (21st ed.). New material on citation literacy explains how citation formats communicate weight of authority. Professors and student will benefit from: Clear, step-by-step instruction covering the basics of legal research A building-block approach that breaks the material into discrete and comprehensible parts Self-contained chapters on research sources that make the book adaptable to any type of legal research course End-of-chapter checklists, numerous examples, and summary charts that aid in understanding, retention, and review Updated sample pages, screen shots, and references to research sources

Legal Research Methods

Legal Research Methods
Author: Michael D. Murray
Publisher: Foundation Press
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2009
Genre: Law
ISBN:

The Murray and DeSanctis titles are designed for the current generation of law students whose familiarity and comfort with on-line and computer-based learning create a demand for teaching resources that take advantage of that familiarity and comfort level. Legal Research Methods provides a process-based text covering all aspects of first year legal analysis and research. This book focuses on legal research tools and the theory and practice of legal research written from a practitioner's perspective. It discusses planning for research and performing research, and provides criteria for determining when you are finished with your research. It has sample research plans for tight budgets in terms of time or expense, and its process-oriented methodology is designed to maximize research results in the most economical ways. Paired with the book is an electronic, computer-based version of the text that adds links to on-line databases and internet-based resources and supplements the text with pop-up definitions from Black's Law Dictionary. The electronic version of the text is searchable and highly portable, with internal and external navigation links, making them more valuable for use in class and out. The interactive text employs a layout that departs from the traditional, all-text casebook format through use of callout text boxes, diagrams, and color/border segregated feature sections for hypotheticals, references to scholarly debates, or other useful information for law students. For more information and additional teaching materials, visit the companion site.

Impeccable Research, a Concise Guide to Mastering Legal Research Skills

Impeccable Research, a Concise Guide to Mastering Legal Research Skills
Author: Mark Osbeck
Publisher: West Academic Publishing
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2022
Genre:
ISBN: 9781642427967

Unlike conventional legal research books that limit their focus to teaching students how to find and use the various sources of law, this book stresses a systematic, practice-oriented approach to acquiring legal-research skills. It presents a simple yet highly effective research strategy that helps students efficiently solve the types of complex legal-research problems they can expect to encounter in the workplace. In addition, the book includes a section on the various primary and secondary sources of law, and how best to find and use them, as well as a section containing tips for summer interns and associates, and a Trouble-Shooting Guide to help students overcome the occasional obstacles that may crop up in their research projects. The book also includes a detailed Research Checklist for students to use before turning in their work. For these reasons, the book makes an ideal stand-alone text for the first-year legal-research class, as well as an excellent supplementary text for advanced legal-research classes.

Legal Research Explained

Legal Research Explained
Author: Deborah E. Bouchoux
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 552
Release: 2019-09-13
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1543817343

The Fifth Edition of Legal Research Explained offers accessible, complete, and timely coverage specifically created for Legal Research courses. Deborah E. Bouchoux’s popular building-block approach ensures that all students can master these essential skills. The text is divided into five sections: 1) conducting legal research using primary authorities; 2) conducting legal research using secondary authorities and other research aids; 3) electronic and computer resources; 4) legal citation form and validating authorities; and 5) “putting it all together,” providing a final overview of the legal research process. Research assignments in each chapter, completely updated for this edition, give students practice with both conventional print resources and online sources. Charts, diagrams, and sample pages from research resources help students understand complex topics. In addition, Practice Tips in each chapter offer realistic and helpful suggestions for workplace success, and Ethics Alerts are included throughout the book. New to the Fifth Edition: New “Sidebar” feature provides quick tips showing how the material in that chapter applies to computer-assisted legal research systems, such as Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law. Discussion of GovInfo, which provides free public access to official and authenticated publications from all three branches of the federal government. Coverage of new tools used for cite-checking, including EVA and Bestlaw. Discussion of Westlaw Edge, Westlaw’s new research platform. Extensive new coverage of artificial intelligence features that boost legal research. References to helpful YouTube videos for tips on Shepardizing, KeyCiting, and researching. New section on sources that provide free public access to the law, including Harvard’s Caselaw Access Project, CourtListener, and RECAP Project. New section on preparing informal or email memoranda, with a new assignment. All new Research Questions and Internet Legal Research Assignments included. Professors and students will benefit from: Pedagogy designed to enhance the accessibility of the material, including helpful charts and diagrams, annotated sample pages and screen shots that illustrate legal research authorities, updated Practice Tips offering realistic and helpful suggestions for workplace success, and Ethics Alerts in every chapter. Well-designed assignments help students learn how to use a wide range of research sources. Chapters that demonstrate citation form for the resources discussed. Conscientious revision that ensures that the book has the most up-to-date material, presented in a readable and accessible format.