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Foundations Of Legal Research And Writing

by: Bast, Carol M.; Hawkins, Margie A.

Foundations Of Legal Research And Writing

by: Bast, Carol M.; Hawkins, Margie A.

ISBN 13:
9781418013950
ISBN 10:
1418013951
Edition: 3rd
Format: Paperback
Copyright: 08/22/2005
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Summary

This unique text presents a balanced approach to legal research and legal writing. Outstanding chapters on research are included and key topics such as legal reasoning and analysis and computer-assisted legal research are discussed. Chapter concepts are reinforced with end-of-chapter legal research assignments and cyber law exercises, which require students to perform computer-assisted legal research. The writing portion of the text devotes entire chapters to writing client opinion letters, pleadings, contracts, office memos, memoranda of law, and appellate briefs. The many writing tips, case excerpts, and numerous examples provided make this reader-friendly text appealing to students, instructors, and professionals alike.

Table of Cases

xiii

Preface

Acknowledgments

xix

Introduction

xxi

Law and Sources of Law

(18)

Introduction

(1)

The American System of Law

(6)

Our Tripartite System

(2)

Interplay Among the Three Branches of Government in Lawmaking

(4)

Sources of Law

(3)

Summary

(1)

Key Terms

(1)

Exercises

(1)

Cyberlaw Exercises

(1)

Discussion Points

(1)

Legal Reasoning and Analysis

(30)

Introduction

(1)

Doctrine of Stare Decisis

(4)

Judicial Opinions

(4)

Legal Analysis of Statutory Law

(8)

Legal Analysis of Constitutional Law

(4)

Reasoning by Analogy and Deductive Reasoning

(4)

Summary

(1)

Key Terms

(1)

Exercises

(1)

Cyberlaw Exercises

(1)

Discussion Points

(2)

Secondary Sources and Finding Tools

(58)

Introduction

(1)

Encyclopedias

(10)

American Law Reports

(10)

Attorney General Opinions

(2)

Restatements of the Law

(2)

Treatises

(1)

Legal Dictionaries

(5)

Legal Directories

(1)

Formbooks

(1)

Looseleaf Services

(1)

Legal Periodicals

(4)

Digests

(12)

Summary

(1)

Key Terms

(1)

Cyberlaw Exercises

(1)

Legal Research Assignment--Legal Encyclopedias

(3)

Legal Research Assignment---American Law Reports

100

(3)

Legal Research Assignment -- Digests

103

(3)

Discussion Points

106

(1)

The Judicial Branch and Cases

107

(36)

Introduction

107

(1)

The Judicial Branch

107

(8)

Reading Cases

115

(11)

Briefing a Case

126

(4)

Location of Cases

130

(2)

Case Citations

132

(4)

Summary

136

(1)

Key Terms

137

(1)

Cyberlaw Exercises

138

(1)

Legal Research Assignment---Reading Cases

138

(1)

Legal Research Assignment---Case Law

139

(3)

Discussion Points

142

(1)

Primary Sources: Constitutions, Statutes, Court Rules, and Administrative Law

143

(60)

Introduction

143

(1)

Constitutions

143

(3)

Statutes

146

(24)

Court Rules

170

(8)

Administrative Law

178

(14)

Summary

192

(1)

Key Terms

193

(1)

Cyberlaw Exercises

193

(1)

Legal Research Assignment---Constitutions

194

(1)

Legal Research Assignment---Statutes

195

(2)

Legal Research Assignment---Court Rules

197

(3)

Legal Research Assignment---Administrative Law

200

(2)

Discussion Points

202

(1)

Citators

203

(34)

Introduction

203

(1)

Citators

204

(2)

Shepardizing Procedure

206

(14)

Statutes

220

(3)

KeyCite

223

(11)

Summary

234

(1)

Key Terms

234

(1)

Cyberlaw Exercises

234

(1)

Legal Research Assignment---Citators

235

(1)

Discussion Points

236

(1)

Overview of the Research Process and Ethical Considerations

237

(26)

Introduction

237

(1)

George Peak Illustrative Fact Pattern

237

(1)

The Eight Steps of Legal Research

238

(1)

Preliminary Considerations

239

(3)

Three Basic Approaches to Legal Research

242

(1)

Step One: Gathering Information

243

(1)

Step Two: Identifying Key Terms

244

(4)

Step Three: Learn More About the Area of Law You Are Researching through Second Authority

248

(1)

Step Four: Locating Primary Authority

249

(1)

Step Five: Locating Other Primary Authority

250

(2)

Step Six: Reviewing Found Sources and Updating

252

(1)

Step Seven: Deciding Whether You Are Finished with Your Research

253

(1)

Step Eight: Evaluate What You Have Found and Determine the Answer to Your Research Question

254

(1)

Inadequate Legal Research As an Ethics Violation

254

(6)

Summary

260

(1)

Key Terms

260

(1)

Exercises

260

(1)

Cyberlaw Exercises

261

(1)

Discussion Points

261

(2)

Computer-Assisted Legal Research

263

(30)

Introduction

263

(1)

History of Computer-Assisted Legal Research

264

(1)

CALR: Pros and Cons

264

(1)

Evaluative Guidelines

265

(3)

268

(1)

Computer-Assisted Legal Research Tools

268

(1)

Legal Databases

268

(5)

Public Records Databases

273

(2)

Credit Reporting Laws

275

(1)

Company and Financial Information

276

(5)

Legal and Government Internet Resources

281

(1)

Administrative Law

282

(1)

Government Agencies

282

(1)

Intellectual Property Law

283

(1)

International Law

284

(1)

Law Reviews, Journals, and Legal Periodicals

284

(1)

Legislative Information

285

(1)

Case Law

286

(1)

Court Dockets and Case History

287

(1)

Limitations to Using the Internet as a Research Tool

288

(1)

Summary

289

(2)

Key Terms

291

(1)

Discussion Points

291

(1)

Exercises

291

(1)

CyberLaw Exercises

292

(1)

Introduction to Legal Writing

293

(24)

Introduction

293

(1)

Importance of Good Legal Writing to the Law

293

(18)

Types of Legal Writing

311

(4)

Summary

315

(1)

Key Terms

315

(1)

Cyberlaw Exercises

315

(1)

Exercises

316

(1)

Discussion Points

316

(1)

Fundamentals of Writing

317

(14)

Introduction

317

(1)

Writing Process

317

(2)

Structure

319

(5)

Mechanical Errors

324

(3)

Summary

327

(1)

Key Terms

328

(1)

Cyberlaw Exercises

328

(1)

Exercises

328

(1)

Discussion Points

329

(2)

Transmittal Letter and Client Opinion Letter

331

(14)

Introduction

331

(1)

Purpose of the Transmittal Letter

331

(1)

Style of Letters

332

(1)

Purpose of the Client Opinion Letter

332

(1)

Format of the Client Opinion Letter

333

(1)

Sample Client Opinion Letters

334

(8)

Summary

342

(1)

Cyber Examples

343

(1)

Exercises

343

(1)

Writing Exercise

343

(1)

Discussion Points

343

(2)

Writing Contracts

345

(18)

Introduction

345

(1)

The Substance of the Contract

346

(2)

Writing a Contract

348

(2)

Checklist of Matters To Be Considered When Writing a Contract for the Sale of Goods

350

(1)

The Perfect Contract

350

(2)

What's Wrong with the Computer Contract?

352

(3)

Checklist for an Employment Contract

355

(1)

Organization and Format

355

(3)

A Type of Employment Agreement---The Attorney-Client Retainer Agreement

358

(2)

Summary

360

(1)

Key Terms

361

(1)

Cyberlaw Exercises

361

(1)

Contract Exercises

361

(1)

Discussion Points

362

(1)

Pleadings

363

(24)

Introduction

363

(1)

Purpose and Use

363

(1)

Format

364

(1)

Format of the Complaint

365

(1)

Format of the Answer

366

(4)

Evidentiary Facts, Ultimate Facts, and Legal Conclusions

370

(4)

First Sample Set of Pleadings

374

(5)

Second Sample Set of Pleadings

379

(4)

Summary

383

(1)

Key Terms

384

(1)

Cyberlaw Exercises

384

(1)

Cyber Examples

384

(1)

Discussion Points

385

(2)

Law Office Memo

387

(26)

Introduction

387

(1)

Purpose and Use

387

(1)

Style

388

(1)

Format

389

(6)

First Sample Office Memo

395

(8)

Second Office Menu

403

(7)

Summary

410

(1)

Key Terms

411

(1)

Exercises

411

(1)

Cyber Examples

411

(1)

Discussion Points

411

(2)

Memorandum of Law

413

(22)

Introduction

413

(1)

Purpose and Use

413

(1)

Style

414

(1)

Organization

415

(1)

Format

416

(2)

First Sample Memorandum of Law

418

(8)

Second Sample Memorandum of Law

426

(6)

Summary

432

(1)

Exercises

432

(1)

Cyberlaw Exercises and Examples

433

(1)

Discussion Points

433

(2)

Appellate Brief

435

(32)

Introduction

435

(1)

Purpose and Use

435

(2)

Format

437

(5)

First Sample Appellate Brief

442

(10)

Second Sample Appellate Brief

452

(12)

Summary

464

(1)

Key Terms

464

(1)

Exercises

464

(1)

Cyber Examples

465

(1)

Discussion Points

465

(2)

APPENDICES

467

(96)

Appendix A Search and Seizure

467

(24)

Introduction

467

(1)

The George Peak Search and Seizure Problem

468

(1)

The Fourth Amendment

469

(9)

Federal Eavesdropping Statutes

478

(7)

Background Information on Search and Seizure

485

(4)

Writing Exercises

489

(2)

Appendix B Citation Rules

491

(6)

General Citation Tips

491

(1)

United States Supreme Court Cases

492

(1)

United States Courts of Appeals

492

(1)

United States District Courts

493

(1)

Citations for Constitutions

493

(1)

Citations for Statutes

493

(1)

Citations for Court Rules

494

(1)

Citations for Administrative Law

494

(1)

Citations to Legal Encyclopedias

495

(1)

Citations to American Law Reports

495

(1)

Citations to Attorneys General Opinions

495

(1)

Citations to Restatements

496

(1)

Citations to a Treatise

496

(1)

Citation to Legal Dictionary

496

(1)

Citation to a Law Review Article

496

(1)

Citation to Internet Material

496

(1)

Cyber Citations

496

(1)

Appendix C Rules for Quotations and Short-Form Citations

497

(10)

Introduction

497

(1)

Quotations

497

(6)

Short-Form Citations

503

(2)

Short-Form Citations for Statutes

505

(1)

Exercises on Short-Form Citations

505

(2)

Appendix D Mechanical Errors

507

(14)

Introduction

507

(1)

Excess Words

507

(2)

Use of Apostrophes

509

(2)

Sentence Fragments

511

(1)

Run-On Sentences

512

(1)

Parallel Construction

513

(2)

Antecedents

515

(1)

Active versus Passive Voice

516

(2)

Change in Tenses

518

(3)

Appendix E Problems

521

(6)

Was Swimming Pool an Attractive Nuisance?

521

(2)

Defamation

523

(1)

The Nightmare Property

524

(1)

Wonder What Is In the Package

525

(2)

Appendix F Electronic Information Formats

527

(1)

Introduction

527

(1)

Electronic Information Formats

527

(6)

Summary

533

(2)

Appendix G Internet Technology

535

(4)

Introduction

535

(1)

Internet Protocols

535

(1)

Internet Domain Names

536

(1)

Web Browsers

537

(1)

Browser Plug-Ins

537

(2)

Appendix H Internet Search Tools

539

(8)

Introduction

539

(1)

Search Engines

539

(1)

Web Directories

540

(1)

Meta-Search Engines

541

(1)

Specialized and Subject-Specific Search Engines

541

(1)

Legal Search Engines

542

(2)

Query Planner

544

(3)

Appendix I Legal Research Starting Points

547

(2)

Introduction

547

(2)

Appendix J Federal Law Web Resources

549

(4)

Introduction

549

(4)

Appendix K State and Local Web Resources

553

(2)

Introduction

553

(2)

Appendix L International Law Web Resources

555

(2)

Introduction

555

(2)

Appendix M The Paralegal's Role in Technology

557

(6)

Introduction

557

(1)

Case Management and Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF)

557

(1)

High-Tech Courtrooms

558

(2)

Videoconferencing

560

(1)

Litigation Support

560

(1)

Locating Experts

561

(2)

Glossary

563

(12)

Index

575

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Foundations Of Legal Research And Writing

Foundations Of Legal Research And Writing

9781418013950

1418013951

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Write a Review

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Foundations Of Legal Research And Writing

Foundations Of Legal Research And Writing

9781418013950

1418013951

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Write a Review

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