The process of legal research

The proven-effective process approach makes this text a favorite among legal research professors. A wealth of learning aids and memory devices make The Process of Legal Research a favorite among students. Book jacket.

• Exhibits p. xvii
• Preface p. xxv
• Acknowledgments p. xxvii
• Unit I Overview p. 1
• Chapter 1 The Lay of the Land: The Importance of Legal Research, Legal Authorities, and Research Media p. 3
• A The Canoga Case p. 3
• B The Importance of Legal Research p. 5
• C Legal Authorities p. 6
• 1 The Law p. 7
• 2 Commentary p. 8
• 3 Finding Tools p. 21
• D Research Media p. 21
• E The Approach of This Book p. 24
• Chapter 2 From Curiosity to Closure: Eight Cognitive Tasks p. 26
• A Introduction p. 27
• B Curiosity p. 28
• 1 Learn and React to Your Client's Situation p. 28
• 2 Develop Research Terms and Research Issues p. 30
• a Understanding Legal Language p. 30
• b Generating Research Terms p. 31
• c Using Dictionaries and Thesauri p. 34
• d Formulating Legal Issues p. 35
• C Content and Context p. 39
• 3 List and Rank Potential Authorities p. 39
• 4 Assess Available Sources p. 40
• D Consultation p. 42
• 5 Use Your Terms and Issues to Locate Pertinent Passages p. 43
• 6 Study Pertinent Passages p. 55
• 7 Research Backward and Forward from Major Authorities p. 59
• E Closure p. 62
• 8 Stop Researching p. 62
• F Summary p. 63
• Interlude No. 1: Browsing the Internet p. 65
• Unit II Commentary p. 73
• Introduction p. 74
• Chapter 3 Encyclopedias p. 75
• A What Is an Encyclopedia, and Why Are They Useful? p. 75
• B How Do You Research in and Cite Encyclopedias? p. 76
• C What Else? p. 83
• Chapter 4 Treatises p. 84
• A What Is a Treatise, and Why Are They Useful? p. 84
• B How Do You Research in and Cite Treatises? p. 88
• 1 Researching in Treatises p. 88
• 2 Citing Treatises p. 94
• C What Else? p. 94
• Chapter 5 Legal Periodicals p. 97
• A What Is a Legal Periodical, and Why Are They Useful? p. 97
• B How Do You Research in and Cite Legal Periodicals? p. 99
• 1 Researching in Periodicals p. 99
• 2 Citing Periodical Articles p. 106
• C What Else? p. 106
• Chapter 6 A.L.R. Annotations p. 110
• A What Are American Law Reports Annotations (A.L.R.), and Why Are They Useful? p. 110
• B How Do You Research in and Cite A.L.R.s? p. 114
• 1 Researching in A.L.R. p. 114
• 2 Citing A.L.R.s p. 121
• C What Else? p. 121
• Chapter 7 Restatements p. 124
• A What Are the Restatements, and Why Are They Useful? p. 124
• B How Do You Research in and Cite Restatements? p. 127
• C What Else? p. 139
• Chapter 8 Additional Types of Commentary and Strategy p. 140
• A Additional Types of Commentary p. 140
• B Strategies for Commentary Research p. 141
• 1 Choosing Among Commentary Sources p. 141
• 2 Deciding Whether to Cite Commentary p. 143
• Interlude No. 2: Research in Commentary p. 144
• Unit III Case Law p. 147
• Introduction p. 148
• Chapter 9 Case Reporters, Digests, and Their Alternatives p. 149
• A What Is a Case? p. 150
• 1 How Does a Case Come to Be Decided? p. 150
• 2 How Are Court Systems Structured? p. 151
• 3 What Does a Published Case Look Like? p. 152
• B Why Would You Research Which cases? p. 157
• 1 The Common Law, Stare Decisis, and Precedent p. 157
• 2 Mandatory versus Persuasive Precedent: Federalism, Jurisdiction, and Level of Court p. 158
• 3 Good Law: History, Treatment, and Publication Status p. 159
• a Subsequent History p. 159
• b Treatment p. 161
• c Publication Status p. 161
• 4 Additional Factors p. 162
• C How Do You Research Cases? p. 163
• 1 Introduction p. 163
• 2 Paper Research p. 167
• 3 Online Resources p. 177
• 4 Summary p. 188
• D How Do You Cite Cases? p. 190
• E What Else? p. 191
• Chapter 10 Case Citators p. 193
• A What Are Case Citators, and Why Would You Use Them? p. 193
• B How Do You Use Case Citators? p. 195
• 1 Introduction p. 195
• 2 LexisNexis' Shepard's Citator p. 195
• 3 Westlaw's KeyCite p. 202
• 4 Citating Strategies p. 209
• C Why and How Should You Bolster Your Research in Case Citators? p. 211
• Interlude No. 3: Research in Case Law p. 213
• Unit IV Enacted Law p. 219
• Introduction p. 220
• Chapter 11 Constitutions and Statutes p. 221
• A What Are Constitutions and Statutes, and Why Would You Research Them? p. 222
• 1 What Is a Constitution, and Why Would You Research It? p. 222
• 2 What Is a Statute, and Why Would You Research It? p. 223
• 3 Whose Law Governs? p. 227
• 4 How Does Enacted Law Relate to Case Law? p. 230
• 5 When Do Sister Jurisdictions' Statutory Cases Matter? p. 230
• B How Do You Research Constitutions and Statutes? p. 231
• 1 Introduction p. 231
• 2 Statutory Codes p. 235
• 3 Statutory Cases and Updating p. 264
• 4 Session Laws p. 267
• 5 Local Ordinances p. 269
• 6 Summary p. 269
• C How Do You Cite Constitutions and Statutes? p. 271
• D What Else? p. 272
• Chapter 12 Legislative Process Materials p. 274
• A Introduction: The Legislative Process p. 275
• 1 Introduction p. 275
• 2 The Legislative Process p. 275
• B Legislative History p. 278
• 1 What Are Legislative History Materials? p. 278
• 2 Why Would You Research Legislative History Materials? p. 279
• 3 How Do You Research Legislative History? p. 289
• 4 How Do You Cite Legislative Materials? p. 307
• 5 What Else? p. 308
• C Pending Legislation p. 309
• D Concluding Points p. 313
• Interlude No. 4: Research in Enacted Law p. 314
• 1 New Mexico's Employee Privacy Act p. 314
• 2 The Federal Statute: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) p. 315
• 3 The Taos City Code p. 317
• Unit V Administrative Materials p. 319
• Introduction p. 320
• Chapter 13 Regulations p. 321
• A What Are Regulations, and Why Would You Research Them? p. 322
• B How Do You Research and Cite Regulations? p. 323
• 1 Researching Regulations p. 323
• 2 Citing Regulations p. 345
• C What Else? p. 347
• Chapter 14 Agency Decisions p. 348
• A What Is an Agency Decision, and Why Would You Research Agency Decisions? p. 348
• B How Do You Research and Cite Agency Decisions? p. 355
• 1 Researching Agency Decisions p. 355
• 2 Citing Agency Decisions p. 366
• C What Else? p. 366
• Chapter 15 Looseleaf Services p. 367
• A What Are Looseleaf Services? p. 367
• B How Do You Research in and Cite Looseleaf Services? p. 368
• 1 Researching in Looseleaf Services p. 368
• 2 Citing Looseleaf Services p. 374
• C What Else? p. 374
• Interlude No. 5: Research in Administrative Materials p. 376
• Unit VI Rules of Procedure and Legal Ethics p. 377
• Introduction p. 378
• Chapter 16 Rules of Procedure p. 379
• A What Are Rules of Procedure, and Why Would You Research Them? p. 379
• B How Do You Research and Cite Rules of Procedure? p. 382
• 1 Introduction p. 382
• 2 Commentary p. 391
• 3 The Rule and Comments p. 391
• 4 Cases Interpreting the Rule p. 394
• 5 Citing Rules of Procedure p. 396
• C What Else? p. 396
• D Interlude: The Canoga Case p. 398
• Chapter 17 Rules of Professional Responsibility p. 400
• A What Are Rules of Professional Responsibility, and Why Would You Research Them? p. 400
• B How Do You Research and Cite Rules of Professional Responsibility? p. 403
• 1 Introduction p. 403
• 2 Commentary p. 409
• 3 The Law of Your State p. 409
• 4 Persuasive Authorities p. 412
• 5 Citation p. 415
• C What Else? p. 415
• D Interlude: The Canoga Case p. 417
• Unit VII Conclusion p. 423
• Chapter 18 Developing an Integrated Research Strategy p. 425
• A Introduction: The Older Persons' Housing Dilemma p. 425
• B Four Research Journals p. 426
• 1 Adine Momoh, Representing Charles and Beca Swee p. 426
• 2 Marcus Ploeger, Representing Charles and Beca Swee p. 430
• 3 Karen Hazel, Representing Costa Brava Towers p. 432
• 4 Jesse J. Klick, Representing Costa Brava Towers p. 435
• C Our Observations p. 437
• Index p. 439