bridge the gap research strategies 2012

8/2/2019 Bridge the Gap Research Strategies 2012

1/29

Research Refresher:

Summer Dos and Donts

Heather E. Casey

Suzanne B. CorriellMarch 29, 2012


2/29

Do Your Homework

Before you arrive

Review state court and legislative structure foryour jurisdiction

State Legislative Sourcebook Know what your jurisdiction has available online


3/29

Do Pack Your Bags

Take materials with you

Take your laptop (VPN)

Take your Bluebook

Style manuals

Blacks Law Dictionary

A thesaurus for search terms

List of nearby law schools and libraries


4/29

Do Ask Questions

Of the librarian

Online research availability

Library information

Of the assigning attorney

Suggested starting points

Brief bank


5/29

Do Develop a Plan

Review facts

Identify issues

Determine jurisdiction

Identify search terms


6/29

Do Stay Organized

Identify resources consulted Keep some sort of record of the searches you do

so you dont re-do a search

Keep track of time

Keep print-outs in order and maintain a filingsystem for research in case youre askedhow or where you found your sources

Use online organizers Research trail; history; WL/LX folders

Google Web History; IEs send to OneNote


7/29

Dont Start with Case Law!

Begin by looking at

Dictionaries

Legal encyclopedias

Secondary resources


8/29

Do Use Citators

Very important!

Shepards/KeyCite

Check for good law

Help locate other cases

Help locate other resources

Read!

Don't rely solely on the signals


9/29

Do Use Lexis and Westlaw Effectively

Use the info button

Plan ahead

Use smallest database

Start broadly and narrow your search based onthe results

If you have access to both, know the preferenceof the partner with whom youre working

Call for help

Lexis: 1-800-45LEXIS

Westlaw: 1-800-REFATTY


10/29

Do Extend Your Passwords for Lexis

and Westlaw Educational and Pro Bono Use Only

Lexis - Summer access includes Lexis Advanceonly. If you need access to something that is in

LexisNexis but not Lexis Advance, you can emailfor access at [email protected]

Westlaw - You will have access to bothWestlaw.com and WestlawNext if you extend

your password for the summer.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


11/29

Dont Use Your Law School Password

For corporate/paid jobs

LexisNexis Academic (VPN)

HeinOnline (VPN)

Bloomberg BNA

CCH Intelliconnect

Bloomberg Law

Law360 Use the law schools public terminal


12/29

Use What You Have

If its available in print in your firm library, usethe print its FREE!

If you are taking over a project someone else

started, get their research notes

Get examples of briefs from other associates

Find out your first day or shortly thereafter

what kinds of templates your firm has formotions and briefs


13/29

Do Know Your Current Events

Yahoo Finance: http://finance.yahoo.com/

Law.com: http://www.law.com

Above the Law: http://www.abovethelaw.com/

Jurist: http://jurist.org/

Virginia Lawyers Weekly:http://valawyersweekly.com and

http://valawyersweekly.com/vlwblog Law360: http://www.law360.com/
http://finance.yahoo.com/http://www.law.com/http://www.abovethelaw.com/http://jurist.org/http://valawyersweekly.com/http://valawyersweekly.com/vlwbloghttp://www.law360.com/http://www.law360.com/http://valawyersweekly.com/vlwbloghttp://valawyersweekly.com/http://jurist.org/http://www.abovethelaw.com/http://www.law.com/http://finance.yahoo.com/


14/29

Do Every Project

50 State Surveys

ALRs, Uniform Laws Annotated, Shepards Actsand Cases by Popular Name, Subject

Compilations of State Laws, loose-leaf services http://www.tc.umn.edu/~g-jack/ALR/50states.htm

Legislative histories

Compiled legislative histories Search: [state] +legislative history

http://www.law.indiana.edu/library/services/sta_leg.shtml
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~g-jack/ALR/50states.htmhttp://www.law.indiana.edu/library/services/sta_leg.shtmlhttp://www.law.indiana.edu/library/services/sta_leg.shtmlhttp://www.tc.umn.edu/~g-jack/ALR/50states.htmhttp://www.tc.umn.edu/~g-jack/ALR/50states.htmhttp://www.tc.umn.edu/~g-jack/ALR/50states.htm


15/29

Do Google It*

Many free resources

Search: [jurisdiction] +legal research

Search: [topic] +legal research

Look for search tips, advanced search

Topic specific searches

File extensions

Evaluate site (.gov, .edu, .com)

* Dont cite to Wikipedia (but do use it)


16/29

Do Fix Whats Broken

Broken links on Google?

Deconstruct bad URL

Remove /parts/ of URL starting at right

http://law.slu.edu/library/reference/missouri http://law.slu.edu/library/reference

http://law.slu.edu/library/

http://law.slu.edu/

Browse for information

Use cached page

Use the Wayback Machine: www.archive.org
http://law.slu.edu/library/reference/missourihttp://law.slu.edu/library/referencehttp://law.slu.edu/library/http://law.slu.edu/http://www.archive.org/http://www.archive.org/http://law.slu.edu/http://law.slu.edu/library/http://law.slu.edu/library/referencehttp://law.slu.edu/library/reference/missouri


17/29

Do Use Spell Check

(and some common sense)


18/29

Dont Pay!

FindLaw (http://findlaw.com/)

LexisOne (http://www.lexisone.com/)

Federal resources

THOMAS (http://thomas.loc.gov/)

FDsys (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/)

Justia (http://www.justia.com)
http://findlaw.com/http://www.lexisone.com/http://thomas.loc.gov/http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/http://www.justia.com/http://www.justia.com/http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/http://thomas.loc.gov/http://www.lexisone.com/http://findlaw.com/


19/29

Dont Pay (continued)* http://www.brbpub.com/default.asp

http://www.municode.com/

http://www.forms.gov

http://www.uscourtforms.com/

http://www.lectlaw.com

http://www.americanbar.org/groups/departments_offices/legal_technology_resources/resources/l

awlink.html http://www.rand.org/research_areas/

* Remember to authenticate your research!
http://www.brbpub.com/default.asphttp://www.municode.com/http://www.forms.gov/http://www.uscourtforms.com/http://www.lectlaw.com/http://www.americanbar.org/groups/departments_offices/legal_technology_resources/resources/lawlink.htmlhttp://www.americanbar.org/groups/departments_offices/legal_technology_resources/resources/lawlink.htmlhttp://www.americanbar.org/groups/departments_offices/legal_technology_resources/resources/lawlink.htmlhttp://www.rand.org/research_areas/http://www.rand.org/research_areas/http://www.americanbar.org/groups/departments_offices/legal_technology_resources/resources/lawlink.htmlhttp://www.americanbar.org/groups/departments_offices/legal_technology_resources/resources/lawlink.htmlhttp://www.americanbar.org/groups/departments_offices/legal_technology_resources/resources/lawlink.htmlhttp://www.lectlaw.com/http://www.uscourtforms.com/http://www.forms.gov/http://www.municode.com/http://www.brbpub.com/default.asp


20/29

Do Use Flat-Rate Resources

Bloomberg BNA

Bloomberg Law

(http://www.bloomberglaw.com/start)

CCH Intelliconnect
http://www.bloomberglaw.com/starthttp://www.bloomberglaw.com/start


21/29

Do Use UR

LexisNexis Academic

HeinOnline

Bloomberg BNA

CCH

PACER (ask Reference Librarian)

http://law.richmond.edu/library/databases.html
http://law.richmond.edu/library/databases.htmlhttp://law.richmond.edu/library/databases.html


22/29

Do Explore Other Sites

http://library.law.emory.edu/electronic-resources/free-legal-web-resources/

http://www.whois.net/

http://ranking.thumbshots.com

http://www.zabasearch.com

http://www.martindale.com
http://library.law.emory.edu/electronic-resources/free-legal-web-resources/http://library.law.emory.edu/electronic-resources/free-legal-web-resources/http://www.whois.net/http://ranking.thumbshots.com/http://www.zabasearch.com/http://www.martindale.com/http://www.martindale.com/http://www.zabasearch.com/http://ranking.thumbshots.com/http://www.whois.net/http://library.law.emory.edu/electronic-resources/free-legal-web-resources/http://library.law.emory.edu/electronic-resources/free-legal-web-resources/http://library.law.emory.edu/electronic-resources/free-legal-web-resources/http://library.law.emory.edu/electronic-resources/free-legal-web-resources/http://library.law.emory.edu/electronic-resources/free-legal-web-resources/http://library.law.emory.edu/electronic-resources/free-legal-web-resources/http://library.law.emory.edu/electronic-resources/free-legal-web-resources/http://library.law.emory.edu/electronic-resources/free-legal-web-resources/http://library.law.emory.edu/electronic-resources/free-legal-web-resources/


23/29


24/29

Do Appreciate Librarians (Again)

Legislative Source Bookhttp://www.llsdc.org/sourcebook/

LLRX

http://www.LLRX.com

The Virtual Chase How-To Guides:http://virtualchase.justia.com/legal-research
http://www.llsdc.org/sourcebook/http://www.llrx.com/http://virtualchase.justia.com/legal-researchhttp://virtualchase.justia.com/legal-researchhttp://virtualchase.justia.com/legal-researchhttp://virtualchase.justia.com/legal-researchhttp://www.llrx.com/http://www.llsdc.org/sourcebook/


25/29

Do Know When To Say When

Stop researching

When you stop finding good new resources

Re-evaluate if youre finding nothing at all

Report back

Restate the question

Quick answer, then elaborate

Describe research process Give verifiable citations

Stay on point


26/29

Dont Be That Guy or That Girl

If you arent assigned a mentor, find one foryourself

Find someone who you admire and who will give

you good advice Get to know the firm librarians and treat them

well

Be nice to your secretary, if you have one,and to all support staff!


27/29

Do Keep It Simple


28/29

Do Ask More Questions!

Anyone?

Handouts and slides from this presentationwill be made available through a libguide on

the librarys website

(http://law.richmond.libguides.com/)
http://law.richmond.libguides.com/http://law.richmond.libguides.com/


29/29

Dont Forget Us!

Reference Desk 289-8685; [email protected]

Paul Birch 289-8222; [email protected]

Heather Casey

289-8727; [email protected]

Timothy Coggins 289-8218; [email protected]

Suzanne Corriell 289-8217; [email protected]

Joyce Manna Janto 289-8223; [email protected]

Gail Zwirner 287-6555; [email protected]

bridge the gap research strategies 2012

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