Law Commons^™

Librarians Take Cautious Stance On Google Scholar, Olivia Weeks

Olivia L. Weeks

Interview with NC Lawyer's Weekly

The Dog That Didn't Bark: Stealth Procedures And The Erosion Of Stare Decisis In The Federal Courts Of Appeals, Amy E. Sloan

All Faculty Scholarship

Informal en banc review is a procedural expedient that nine of the thirteen federal circuits use to circumvent the requirements of formal en banc review. Panels invoke informal en banc review to take actions normally reserved for the full court sitting en banc. The circuits that use informal en banc review say the procedure is to be used rarely. In practice, however, the frequency of informal en banc review is significant when compared with formal en banc review. Informal en banc review is more efficient than formal en banc review, but the efficiency benefits come at a price. Informal en …

On-Line Legal Research Workshops, Frederick B. Jonassen

Frederick B. Jonassen

Like riding a bicycle, playing tennis, or driving a car, legal research is a skill, and like any other skill it is learned by doing and not by listening to a lecture, though lectures are indispensable for introducing the skill. The mental processes applied in electronic legal research may differ from those applied to book legal research, but because both electronic and book research are skills, a guided workshop in electronic legal research may be based on similar principles to that underlying a workshop in book legal research with appropriate modifications.

The aspects of the electronic legal workshop proposed here …

Law Library Newsletter, Volume 1, Issue 1 - May/June 2009, Kresge Law Library

Law Library Newsletter

You either have in your hands a printed page or are reading from a screen a copy of volume 1, number 1, of Law Library News and that is entirely appropriate. As the Kresge Law Library continues its physical transformation into the wonderful space that will become its home in Biolchini Hall, those of us who toil here and those of you who benefit from our work on your behalf are also continuing to experience a dramatic transformation in the delivery of legal information. During the 18 months of renovation, two-thirds of the library’s physical collection is located offsite. Yet, …

Find It Fast And Free: An Update On Florida And Federal Research On The Internet, Patricia Morgan

UF Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Just The Facts, Ma’Am: Make The Web Your Investigative Partner, Anne Burnett

Presentations

The web is a handy investigative tool, allowing a researcher to obtain information about persons, property and things. One can find email addresses, home addresses, telephone numbers, criminal records, military service information, property records, vital statistics information, photographs and more. This information may help locate a missing heir, reveal useful information about a potential expert witness, confirm the legitimacy of a business, determine who owns a piece of property or expose the litigious nature of a potential client. The focus in these program materials is on free resources, but I also cover a few fee-based services that can be accessed …

Not Just Key Numbers And Keywords Anymore: How User Interface Design Affects Legal Research, Julie M. Jones

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Legal research is one of the foundational skills for the practice of law. Yet law school graduates are frequently admitted to the bar without adequate competence in this area. Applying both information-foraging theory and current standards for optimal web design, Ms. Jones considers, through a heuristic analysis, whether the user interfaces of Westlaw and LexisNexis help or hinder the process of legal research and the development of effective research skills.

Legal Research Assessment, Simon Canick

Faculty Scholarship

Legal research instructors seek to provide their students with a working knowledge of important research tools, strategies with which to develop a rational research plan, and the skill to conduct research efficiently, among other things. A well-conceived legal research class may utilize short-answer assignments, quizzes, and scavenger hunt exercises as a means to establish a baseline of knowledge with critical sources; a series of research problems, with grading based upon students' ability to describe a coherent and logical progression; and a pathfinder or process-oriented final exam, all depending on the instructor's goals. Ultimately, the variety of available assessment tools suggests …

The State Of The States : Online Resources For State Legal Research, Sharon Bradley

Presentations

Finding state and local laws can be challenging. Here are some best-bet websites to help find state and local law online.

Helpful Resources For Handling A Domestic Relations Case, Emily M. Janoski-Haehlen

Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Statistical And Social Science Research Resources, John Smith

Way2Search! Topical Instruction Series

No abstract provided.

Federal Tax Law Resources, Susan Lewis-Somers

Way2Search! Topical Instruction Series

No abstract provided.

Federal Tax Research, Susan Lewis-Somers

Way2Search! Topical Instruction Series

No abstract provided.

Immigration Legal Research, Billie Jo Kaufman

Way2Search! Topical Instruction Series

No abstract provided.

Environmental Law Research Guide, Ripple Weistling

Way2Search! Topical Instruction Series

No abstract provided.

Environmental Legal Research, Ripple Weistling

Way2Search! Topical Instruction Series

No abstract provided.

Securities And Commerical Law Research, Adeen Postar

Way2Search! Topical Instruction Series

No abstract provided.

Thinking Like A Research Expert: Schemata For Teaching Complex Problem-Solving Skills, Paul D. Callister

Paul D. Callister

The difference between expert and novice problem-solvers is that experts have organized their thinking into schemata or mental constructs to both see and solve problems. This article demonstrates why schemata are important, arguing that schemata need to be made explicit in the classroom. It illustrates the use of schemata to understand and categorize complex research problems, map the terrain of legal research resources, match appropriate resources to types of problems, and work through the legal research process. The article concludes by calling upon librarians and research instructors to produce additional schemata and develop a common hierarchical taxonomy of skills, a …

Research Stories: Video Tales From The Summer Associate Workplace, Susan Herrick

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Legal, Factual And Other Internet Sites For Attorneys And Legal Professionals, Timothy L. Coggins

Law Faculty Publications

This listing of Internet sites for legal, factual, and other research presents a variety of sources for attorneys, law students, law librarians, and others who use the Web. Initially developed for an Advanced Legal Research course and a continuing education session for legal assistants and paralegals, the listing includes sites for primary authorities, both federal and state, as well as URLs for other types of information such as names of possible expert witnesses and biographical and background information about individuals.1

The Dog That Didn't Bark: Stealth Procedures And The Erosion Of Stare Decisis In The Federal Courts Of Appeal, Amy E. Sloan

Fordham Law Review

Informal en banc review is a procedural expedient that nine of the the thirteen federal circuits use to circumvent the requirements of formal en banc review. Panels invoke informal en banc review to overrule prior panel precdent in contravention of the law of the circuit rule, as well as to take other actions normally reserved for the full court sitting en banc. The circuits taht use informal en banc review say the procedure is to be used rarely. In practice, however, the frequency of informal in banc review is significant when compared with formal en banc review. Informal en banc …

Researching Colorado Local Government Law, Robert M. Linz

Publications

No abstract provided.

The Traveling Librarian: Extending Library Services To A Statewide Judiciary, Robert M. Linz

Publications

When patrons can't come to the library, sometimes the librarian must go to the patrons. That is exactly what happened this past year in the state of Colorado.

Law Firm Legal Research Requirements Of New Attorneys, Patrick Meyer

Patrick Meyer

This article collects in one place the results of previously published and unpublished surveys as they pertain to law firm research requirements of new hires. The article also summarizes results from the author's recent law firm legal research survey, which determined what research functions, and in what formats, law firms require new hires to be proficient.

The article concludes that there is a need to integrate the teaching of online and print-based research resources for the following tasks: federal and state-specific legislative codes, secondary source materials, reporters, administrative codes and digests. There must also be a strong emphasis on the …