Sections & Course Pages
This LibGuide is a resource for all LAW 627 students. This guide is the best resource for answering questions about studying legal research.
For specific course information and additional resources posted by your professor, use the links below to access the individual course page assigned to your section. [You will be prompted to login to the College of Law intranet.]
Section1: Prof. Healey
Section 2: Prof. Simmons
Section 3: Prof. Healey
Section 4: Prof. Davidson
Section 5: Prof. Dewey
WELCOME TO LAW 627
Welcome to the LAW 627 LibGuide. This semester you will be introduced to and practice the skills needed to search for relevant legal authority, both in print and electronic forms. These skills and conventions include how to find, choose, and cite to appropriate authority; how to evaluate legal resources; the ethical use of information in the law; and the legal research process.
This guide will serve as the main resource for class preparation and exam review in your Legal Research course. Specific course information can be accessed through the College of Law course page for your professor. Links to individual faculty course pages for LAW 627 are located in the left-hand column of this page.
In addition to the information outlined within the LibGuide itself, you will find a variety of external links and resources. You may find other texts, websites, and resources will be helpful supplements to this guide and your coursework.
Importance of Legal Research
Legal research plays a primary and important role in a lawyer's job.
In fact, legal research provides the necessary grounding for almost all legal work. Effective legal research will directly affect the outcome of your client's legal problem. A lawyer cannot advance the strongest argument if they cannot find the strongest legal support for that argument. Lawyers have an ethical obligation to their clients to be thorough and efficient legal researchers. Efficiency in legal research can be defined as (1) the best possible result, (2) in the least possible time, (3) at the lowest possible cost. Efficiency is achieved through knowledge of research techniques and practice over time.
Ineffective or incompetent legal research can not only hurt your client, but can lead to discipline, civil liability, or even disbarment for you. For an example of how this could happen, read Deters v. Davis, 2011 WL 2417055 (E.D. Ky. June 13, 2011).
Legal Research Books & Study Aids
Academic Legal Writing by Call Number: KF250 .V65 2010ISBN: 9781599417509Publication Date: 2010-04-01Designed to help law students write and publish articles, this text provides detailed instructions for every aspect of the law school writing, research, and publication process.
If you want to read more or simply prefer a good old fashioned book, check out our library catalog.
Basic Legal Research by Call Number: KF240 .S66 2012ISBN: 9781454808473Publication Date: 2012-06-01Ideal as a course book or reference, this text offers flexibility and supports instruction in print and electronic research. A wealth of learning aids includes sample pages, examples, checklists, and summary charts.
Basic Legal Research by Call Number: KF240 .S662 2011ISBN: 9780735594548Publication Date: 2011-08-01Teaches students about the research process and the scope and organization of research materials available to them. With balanced coverage of traditional print and current electronic sources.
Cracking the Case Method by Call Number: KF280 .B47 2012ISBN: 9781600421594Publication Date: 2012-05-01Cracking the Case Method is a concise and down-to-earth guide to the intellectual content of law school instruction, particularly in the first year.
Essential Lawyering Skills by Call Number: KF300 .E84 2007ISBN: 0735564051Publication Date: 2007-02-28Authored by a team of experienced scholars, Essential Lawyering Skills: Interviewing, Counseling, Negotiation, and Persuasive Fact Analysis offers a readable and concise introduction to these indispensable legal skills.
Experiential Legal Research by Call Number: KF240 .D66 2011ISBN: 9780735598355Publication Date: 2011-08-10Covers 1L material including finding federal and state statutes and cases, using secondary sources, and strategies for effective and efficient research; also covers upper-class courses with materials on administrative law and legislative history.
Federal Legal Research by Call Number: KF240 .F48 2012ISBN: 9781611631227Publication Date: 2012-01-01The book begins with an overview of the sources of law and the research process. That chapter is followed with an in-depth discussion of American legal research strategies and techniques for both print and online sources.
Find Info Like a Pro by Call Number: KF242.A1 L48 2010ISBN: 9781604428902Publication Date: 2011-06-16This complete hands-on guide shares the secrets, shortcuts, and realities of conducting investigative and background research using the sources of publicly available information available on the Internet.- Finding & managing legal information on the Internet byCall Number: K87 .W54 2010ISBN: 9780888045065Chapters include The web browser, Browser search, Extensions, add-ons and plug-ins, Web search, Information sources, Monitors and current awareness, E-mail management, Research organization and retrieval, and Mobile research.
- Finding & managing legal information on the internet byCall Number: K87 .W54 2012ISBN: 9780888045652This text will help you stay on top of technological trends, monitor current awareness resources, and organize your research for quick retrieval in the future.
Finding the Answers to Legal Questions by Call Number: 9781555707187ISBN: 9781555707187Publication Date: 2010-10-01This is a comprehensive guide to help public librarians confidently assist users in finding the legal information they need whether for self-representation, to be an informed consumer of legal service, or to learn the workings of the courts.- Finding the Law 2005 byCall Number: KF240 .B45 2005ISBN: 0314145796Publication Date: 2008-03-18A marriage of the newest forms of legal research and the underlying principles of legal information, Finding the Law provides a comprehensive treatment of print and digital sources of legal information.
Illinois Legal Research by Call Number: KFI1275.W65 2009ISBN: 9781594606748Publication Date: 2009-08-01Shows how to find and stay current with Illinois cases, statutes, regulations, and local court rules. Focusing on state materials, it can be used as a supplement to national research texts or on its own to learn legal research.- International Legal Research byCall Number: KZ1234 .H64 2008ISBN: 0314163247Publication Date: 2008-04-30This Nutshell provides a basic introduction to international legal research for the non-specialist. It offers guidance through the unfamiliar pathways of research using international legal materials and demystifies the world of treaties.
Just Research by Call Number: KF240 .O18 2011ISBN: 9781454802945Publication Date: 2011-06-17Just Research uses a process approach to teach students how to use print and electronic sources to research issues governed by state and federal statutes, common law, and constitutional law.- The Lawyer's Craft byCall Number: KF240 .L374 2002ISBN: 1583607870Publication Date: 2002-01-01The authors of this innovative book take the specific skills required to write a memo or brief and divided them into discrete building blocks that can be more easily absorbed by students.
The Legal Assistant's Complete Desk Reference by Call Number: KF320.L4 L449 2011ISBN: 9781616328801Publication Date: 2012-04-16Examines the myriad responsibilities of legal assistants and paralegals. This authoritative compendium provides the scope and definition of the proficient and successful legal assistant in six easy-to-use sections.
Legal Guide to Cybersecurity Research by Call Number: KF1617.C65 W47 2013ISBN: 9781627221191Publication Date: 2014-06-10Contains tools to assist cybersecurity researchers, institutional review boards, and legal counsel in understanding the legal and policy considerations associated with researchers obtaining and using network communications data in cybersecurity research.- Legal Research and Writing Across the Curriculum byCall Number: KF240 .M87 2009ISBN: 1599413981Publication Date: 2009-05-15This book is 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 Illustrated by Call Number: KF240 .J322 2002ISBN: 1587780666Publication Date: 2002-07-30This book provides an in-depth discussion of the legal research process, current legal research sources, computer-assisted research, key Internet sources, and other research aids.
Legal Research in a Nutshell by Call Number: KF240 .C54 2010ISBN: 9780314264084Publication Date: 2010-05-28Designed as a teaching tool for use by individuals or in legal research courses, this pocket-size guide overviews print and electronic sources, presenting legal materials in the order in which they are often consulted by beginning researchers.
The Legal Writing by Call Number: KF250 .O18 2006ISBN: 0735555680Publication Date: 2006-05-12The book's distinctive features include: comprehensive coverage, state-of-the-art emphasis on electronic research, a process approach to lead writers from prewriting to drafting, editing, and the final draft, and basics on the legal system.- Mastering Statutory Interpretation byCall Number: KF425 .J455 2008ISBN: 9781594603143Publication Date: 2008-08-01Mastering Statutory Interpretation explains the methods of interpreting statutes, including a discussion of the various theories and canons of interpretation.
Off and Running by Call Number: KF250 .A74 2014ISBN: 9781454836155Publication Date: 2014-03-06Off and Running is a unique text for the first semester of the 1L legal writing and research course, designed to guide students through their development of the essential skills needed to practice law.
The Law Library
Legal Citation
Legal citation is the practice of crediting and referring to authoritative documents and sources. In this course, and in many legal contexts,the citation format will follow guidelines set in The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (20th ed.).
- LibGuide on using the Bluebook citation formatFull guidance and additional resources on using the Bluebook to create and understand legal citations.