- Step 1: Gather and Understand the Facts of Your Case. The first step in legal research is to write a statement of facts. ...
- Step 2: Determine Your Legal Problem and Your Desired Outcome. ...
- Step 3: Finding Legal Information and Reading About the Law. ...
- Step 4: Legal Analysis/Legal Writing and beyond.
How do you write a legal research format?
- Times New Roman or similar, 12 pt font.
- Double spaced lines.
- One inch margins all around.
- Footnotes in academic Bluebook style (use the rules on the main white pages instead of the light blue pages at the front of the Bluebook).
- Footnotes in same font as text, 10 pt font.
What are the 5 stages 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 best way to do legal research?
Secondary sources : If you are researching a new legal principle or an unfamiliar area of the law, the best place to start is secondary sources, including law journals, practice guides, legal encyclopedias, and treatises. They are a good jumping-off point for legal research since they’ve already done the work for you.
What is legal research and writing?
The First-Year Legal Research and Writing Program (LRW) is a series of sequenced, interrelated exercises introducing students to the way lawyers conduct legal research, analyze and frame legal positions, and present their work in writing and in oral argument.
What are the elements of legal research?
- Introduction.
- Step 1: Gather and Understand the Facts of Your Case.
- Step 2: Determine Your Legal Problem and Your Desired Outcome.
- Step 3: Finding Legal Information and Reading About the Law.
- Step 4: Legal Analysis/Legal Writing and beyond.
- Conclusion.
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 is an example of legal research?
Some examples are legal encyclopedias, treatises, and the American Law Reports (ALR) . Law reviews and legal periodical articles provide interpretation of the law as well as detailed articles on particular legal topics. These interpretations may be found through indexes such as the Index to Legal Periodicals.
How can I do legal research for free?
- 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 is legal research notes?
Legal research is generally the process of finding an answer to a legal question or checking for legal precedent that can be cited in a brief or at trial . ... Secondary Sources: Not legally binding, this type of information explains primary law and legal theory; including legal digests, treatises, journals, etc.
What are the basic rules of legal writing?
- Keep paragraphs within 2 to 7 sentences. ...
- Keep sentences under 60 words. ...
- Avoid unnecessary detail. ...
- Banish passive voice. ...
- Use key words to signify your argument. ...
- Define your opponent’s argument. ...
- Edit as you go.
What kind of writing does a lawyer do?
Lawyers use forms documents when drafting documents such as contracts, wills, and judgments .
What makes good legal writing?
The Article then provides an analysis of the fundamental qualities that enable legal writing to do this, concluding that there are three such qualities: clarity, conciseness, and the ability to appropriately engage the reader .
What are the six components of a legal decision?
- Title and Citation.
- Facts of the Case.
- Issues.
- Decisions (Holdings)
- Reasoning (Rationale)
- Separate Opinions.
- Analysis.
How many types of legal research are there?
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 purposes of 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.
