introduction to legal research may 2015 session university of sydney herbert smith freehills law...
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Introduction to Legal ResearchMay 2015 Session
University of Sydney Herbert Smith Freehills Law LibraryPatrick O'Mara – LPAB Librarian
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Agenda
• 11am to 11.55am Introductory Lecture
• 12pm to 12.55pm Practical Online Session
Group 1 (beginners)
• 1pm to 1.55pm Practical Online Session
Group 2 (beginners)
• 2pm to 2.55pm Practical Online Session
Group 3 (intermediate and advanced)
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Introductory Lecture: 11am-11.55am
1. Types of legal material
- and what they are good for?
2. Interpreting a case citation
3. Accessing legal abbreviations
4. Where to find cases
5. Where to find legislation
6. Where to find secondary sources
7. How to get the best out of the WWW
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Practical online sessions: 12noon-3pm
Finding Australian & UK cases
- Full text
- Additional information about cases
- Key databases for researching case law
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More Classes!
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Starting point for Legal Research
Law Library home page: http://sydney.edu.au/library/libraries/law
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1. Types of Legal Material
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2. Interpreting a case citation
Swain v Waverley Municipal Council
[2005] HCA 4
(2005) 220 CLR 517
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›Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
›Grey v Pearson (1857) 6 HL Cas 61
›R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682
›Ayles v The Queen [2008] HCA 6
Interpreting a case citation
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›Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
›Grey v Pearson (1857) 6 HL Cas 61
›R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682
›Ayles v The Queen [2008] HCA 6
Case citations: the parties
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›Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
›Grey v Pearson (1857) 6 HL Cas 61
›R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682
›Ayles v The Queen [2008] HCA 6
Case citations: year of the judgement
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›Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
›Grey v Pearson (1857) 6 HL Cas 61
›R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682
›Ayles v The Queen [2008] HCA 6
Case citations: report details
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Case citations: square and round brackets
› Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
› R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681
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›Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
›Grey v Pearson (1857) 6 HL Cas 61
›R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682
›Ayles v The Queen [2008] HCA 6
Case citations: pinpoint citations
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›Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
›Grey v Pearson (1857) 6 HL Cas 61
›R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682
›Ayles v The Queen [2008] HCA 6
Case citations: medium neutral citations
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3. Accessing Legal Abbreviations
› Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
- Law report, Journal and Court abbreviations
- Free web site: http://www.legalabbrevs.cardiff.ac.uk/
Try also
› Laying Down the Law / Cooke et al.
- Good list in Appendix 4
› CaseBase
- Online database in the ‘Help’ section
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Information Type Australian UK
Full text Reported (via Law Reports A-Z)- Westlaw AU- LexisNexisAU- CCH Online
- ICLR Online- Westlaw International
Raw data AustLII BaiLII
Information about
CaseBaseFirstPoint
CaseBase (some)
4. Where to find cases?
• All via Law Library homepage
• Practice in hands-on session this afternoon
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5. Where to find legislation?
Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth)
Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW)
› AustLII covers all Australian jurisdictions
› Go to: http://www.austlii.edu.au/ or:
- Law Library homepage > Law Databases > Legislation > AustLII
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• Best place to look for secondary sources: Library catalogue:
http://opac.library.usyd.edu.au/
• Try AGIS for journal articles on a topic
6. Secondary Sources
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Making the most of the Web
• How big is the internet?
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Checklist for choosing good websites
› Authority
- is it a reliable source?
› Objectivity
- what motivation might the author have for writing it?
› Purpose
- what is the intended audience/use?
› Currency
- how up to date is it?
› Accuracy
- can you verify the information in another source?
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Question?
Can you safely Google and Wikipedia your way through life???
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Answer
Probably not.
Definitely not if you are a lawyer.
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Checklist for choosing good websites
› Authority
- is it a reliable source?
› Objectivity
- what motivation might the author have for writing it?
› Purpose
- what is the intended audience/use?
› Currency
- how up to date is it?
› Accuracy
- can you verify the information in another source?
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