Legal Researchin the Real World

Mary Whisner

Helane Davis

Cheryl Nyberg

On

• Managing research assignments

• Developing research strategies

• Learning tips to make legal research easier

Project Log

• Date assigned• Supervisor• Project• Due• When you’ll work on it• Done!

Calendar

• Due dates• Chunks of time for

working on projects (before their due dates!)

• Meetings• “Extras”

Getting the Assignment

• School assignments– What topic– How long (pages,

margins, font size)– What sources to use– When due

• Work assignments– ????

Asking Questions Is Good!

• Requester? – Contact info? – Others who know project?

• When is it due?• Format?• Time?• Billing?• Background? Suggestions?

Notes

• Prepare to cite– Write down the

information you’ll need now rather than waiting until you’re ready to write.

Notes

♪ What’s the question?

♪ Where’d you look?

♪ How’d you look?

♪ What’d you find?

♪ What’s the date?

♪ Why’d you copy that?

Developing Research Strategies

Think Framework

Rombauer• Preliminary analysis• Search for statutes• Mandatory precedent• Persuasive precedent• Refine, double-check

& update

Preliminary Analysis

• Issue• Jurisdiction• Key facts• Relevant search

terms• Knowledge

assessment

Search for Statutes

• If there’s an applicable statute, you want to see it first

• Don’t forget to look for applicable regulations

Search for Cases - Mandatory

• Cases that matter for your issue and jurisdiction

• How to find:– Have an applicable

statute?– Digest– Secondary sources

are your friend

Search for Cases - Persuasive

• When there’s no mandatory precedent

• Choose your jurisdiction

• Here, secondary sources can be your favorite finding tool

Refine, Double-check & Update

• All along or at the end: just make sure you do it!

• Shepardize/Keycite cases and statutes

So…Scenarios

The Wild Goose Chase

"We think our matter is a case of first impression."

source: Callinan, Ellen, How to Survive Summer Associate Research ... and Thrive!--Advice from the Law Firm, 7 Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing (Spring 1999) 113-115 (1999), reprinted in Best of Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research & Writing at 81-83.

So…Scenarios

The Survey

"For a large national client, we need to know how all

50 states handle a particular legal issue.“

source: Callinan, Ellen, How to Survive Summer Associate Research ... and Thrive!--Advice from the

Law Firm, 7 Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing (Spring 1999) 113-115

(1999), reprinted in Best of Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research & Writing at 81-83.

So…Scenarios

Update My...

“Course materials, seminars, articles or

books.”

source: Callinan, Ellen, How to Survive Summer Associate Research ... and Thrive!--Advice from the

Law Firm, 7 Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing (Spring 1999) 113-115

(1999), reprinted in Best of Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research & Writing at 81-83.

When Do I Stop?

Lots of factors and no easy answers...but...

• When the costs outweigh the benefits

• When you keep finding the same sources

• When you find the answer

• When you run out of time

Missile - any

Tips

Effective Dates

• WA: 90 days after adjournment– Laws of Wash.– RCWA tables & pocket

parts

• US: Presidential signature OR as stated in the act– Statutes at Large

– USC, USCA & USCS

50 State Surveys

• M-H Law Digest• National Survey of

State Laws• Subject Compilations

of State Laws• Uniform Laws

Annotated

Fact Pattern

• American Law Reports

• Causes of Action (tort-based)

Leave It to Bieber’s

• Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations

• Dictionary of Legal Citations

The Bluebook

• Blue pages• Tables &

abbreviations• Jurisdiction-

specific• Courts,

documents, states, periodicals, services

Words and Phrases

• Judicially defined• Nationwide• Annual pocket parts• Westlaw: search

cases or statutes, field WP (term)

Unfamiliar Topic

• Find a research guide

• Consult a treatise

• Check ALR or Causes of Action

• Read a law review article

Treat-ises

►Scholarly

► Comprehensive

► Authoritative

• Corbin on Contracts• Nimmer on Copyright• LaFave on Search &

Seizure

Forms

• Formbook collections

• LexisNexis & Westlaw databases

• Office boilerplate

Facts

• Public libraries–Seattle Public–Internet Public

Library• Almanacs

Bag ‘O Tricks

• How to use a new source

• Smaller, targeted databases

• System as a citator

Paper Trail

• CALR searches

• Internet finds• Citator checks• Dead ends

Kindness of Strangers