Insurance Law Research

Marin Dell, JD MLIS

FSU Law Research Center

Workshop

How Do I Get Started?

Online Research Guides: Guide to Legal Research (University of Maryland

School of Law’s Thurgood Marshall Law Library)http://www.law.umaryland.edu/marshall/researchguides/TMLLguide/index.asp

Research Road Map (Boston University Law Library)http://www.bu.edu/lawlibrary/research/researchpaper/

Boston U Research Road Map

1. Select a topic2. Conduct a preemption check3. Research primary and secondary sources4. Update your research

http://www.bu.edu/lawlibrary/research/researchpaper/

1. Select A Topic Pick a topic that you are excited about! Insurance Law is an important issue in many

areas of law… Environmental Law Estate Planning Real Estate/Planned Communities

How Do I Find a Topic?

Supreme Court Docket Current awareness materials Newspapers and magazines Professors, attorneys and

industry specialists

The Supreme Court Docket

BNA US Law Week Current Alerts, The Supreme Court Docket and

Legal News

Access through BNA All or in print

Medill School of Journalism (Northwestern University)

http://docket.medill.northwestern.edu

BNA All (Bureau of National Affairs) Database of publications/newsletters in many

different practice areas Subscribe to email alerts to keep abreast of

any new developments in your topic area E.g.

Biotech Watch Toxics Law Daily

2. Conduct A Preemption Check

Search your topic in an index such as Current Index to Legal Periodicals, LegalTrac or IndexMaster

What has been written on your topic? Can you add anything to the legal

scholarship already written on your topic?

3. Research primary and secondary sources

Insurance Law Background Journals and Law Reviews Case Law Administrative Materials

For Background on Insurance Law Consult Secondary Materials Appropriate To

Your Beginning Level of Knowledge Very basic background information:

Insurance Law in a Nutshell by John F. Dobbyn More scholarly, but still very readable:

Understanding Insurance Law by Robert H. Jerry, II

The classics: Appleman on Insurance 2d by Eric M. Holmes Couch on Insurance 3d by Lee R. Russ

HeinOnlineLaw Reviews and Journals in PDF format

Insurance Law Journal Insurance Counsel Journal The Forum

AKA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Journal

1965 – 2004; volumes 1 – 39

(Westlaw coverage begins in 2003, vol. 38)

How To Choose A Resource:

Different CoverageDifferent FormatsDifferent Search Capabilities

4. Update your research Search the index services for new articles

Keep up with current awareness materials in your topic area

Ask for a last update from the professionals in your topic area

Search recent case law on your topic by using the search form’s date restriction option

Shepardize your case law!

Questions?Talk to a librarian at the FSU

Reference Desk: In person By phoneBy email

Thanks for coming and good luck!