How Do You Conduct Effective Legal Research?

1. Gather critical information about your legal issue.
2. Learn and understand the precedent in your jurisdiction.
3. Determine the type of legal sources you need.
4. How can I improve my legal research skills?
5. Conduct more efficient research remotely.

Why do we conduct legal research?

In most instances, the purpose of legal research is

to find support for a specific legal issue or decision

. For example, attorneys must conduct legal research if they need court opinions (that is, case law) to back up a legal argument they are making in a motion or brief filed with the court.

What are the six basic steps of legal research?

• Introduction.
• Step 1: Preliminary Analysis.
• Step 2: Create a Research Plan.
• Step 3: Consult Secondary Sources.
• Step 4: Search for Authority – Statutes, Regulations, and Cases.
• Step 5: Evaluate Your Search Strategy and Results As You Go.
• Step 6: Update & Final Check.

What is the first step in legal research?

1. Introduction.
2. Step 1: Preliminary Analysis.
3. Step 2: Create a Research Plan.
4. Step 3: Consult Secondary Sources.
5. Step 4: Search for Authority – Statutes, Regulations, and Cases.
6. Step 5: Evaluate Your Search Strategy and Results As You Go.
7. Step 6: Update & Final Check.

What are the types of legal research?

Two main types of empirical legal research are

qualitative and quantitative

. Quantitative, or numerical, empirical legal research involves taking information about cases and courts, translating that information into numbers, and then analyzing those numbers with statistical tools.

What are the major steps involved in doing legal research?

• Formulate a Research Plan.
• Consult Secondary Sources.
• Consult Primary Sources.
• ( a) Expand Primary Law, and (b) Update Primary Law.
• Analyze & Organize Results.

What are the tools of legal research?

• 7 Free legal search engines and databases. …
• Fastcase: For an online law library. …
• CourtListener: For legal opinions. …
• Caselaw Access Project: For book-published case law. …
• FindLaw: For searchable Supreme Court decisions. …
• Legal Information Institute: For US law online and a legal encyclopedia. …
• Casetext and ROSS: For AI assistance.

What are the 14 steps of the research process?

1. Step 1: Identify the Problem. …
2. Step 2: Review the Literature. …
3. Step 3: Clarify the Problem. …
4. Step 4: Clearly Define Terms and Concepts. …
5. Step 5: Define the Population. …
6. Step 6: Develop the Instrumentation Plan. …
7. Step 7: Collect Data. …
8. Step 8: Analyze the Data.

What does legal research involve?

Essentially, it means that legal research is

the process you use to identify and find the laws—including statutes, regulations, and court opinions—that apply to the facts of your case

. In most instances, the purpose of legal research is to find support for a specific legal issue or decision.

What are the 4 types of research methods?

Data may be grouped into four main types based on methods for collection:

observational, experimental, simulation, and derived

.

What are the methods in research?

• Experiments. …
• Surveys. …
• Questionnaires. …
• Interviews. …
• Case studies. …
• Participant and non-participant observation. …
• Observational trials. …
• Studies using the Delphi method.

What are the tools of research?

• Experiments. …
• Surveys. …
• Questionnaires. …
• Interviews. …
• Case studies. …
• Participant and non-participant observation. …
• Observational trials. …
• Studies using the Delphi method.

What is data in legal method?

Data collection is

the middle compartment between formulation of research problem and results of research

. … Legal Research process is performed between two common methods i.e., doctrinal and empirical methods.

How can I do legal research for free?

1. 7 Free legal search engines and databases. …
2. Fastcase: For an online law library. …
3. CourtListener: For legal opinions. …
4. Caselaw Access Project: For book-published case law. …
5. FindLaw: For searchable Supreme Court decisions. …
6. Legal Information Institute: For US law online and a legal encyclopedia. …
7. Casetext and ROSS: For AI assistance.

What are the 7 steps of research process?

• Step 1: Identify and Develop Your Topic. …
• Step 2: Find Background Information. …
• Step 3: Use Catalogs to Find Books and Media. …
• Step 4: Use Databases to Find Journal Articles. …
• Step 5: Find Internet Resources. …
• Step 6: Evaluate What You Find. …
• Step 7: Cite What You Find Using a Standard Format.