An introduction to basic legal research including key case finding strategies.

1. LECTURE 1
 PRIMARY SOURCES
– STATUTES
– JUDICIAL OPINIONS
– ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF PRIMARY
SOURCES
 PUBLISHED CHRONOLOGICALLY
 BOTH OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL
PUBLICATIONS [parallel citations]
 “THE LAW” [BLACK LETTER LAW]
 IMPORTANCE OF CURRENCY

3. FINDING TOOLS
WAYS TO ACCESS PRIMARY MATERIALS
 DIGESTS
 ANNOTATIONS [AMERICAN LAW
REPORTS]
 LEGAL ENCYCLOPEDIAS
– CJS, AM JUR
 ANNOTATED CODES [USCA]
 WESTLAW, LEXIS, INTERNET

4. SECONDARY SOURCES
Discuss/Analyze Primary Material
 LAW REVIEW ARTICLES
 HORNBOOKS
 TREATISES
 RESTATEMENTS
 PRACTICE MATERIALS
 FORM BOOKS

5. LEGAL LANGUAGE
 DICTIONARIES
– ENGLISH LANGUAGE
– LEGAL
 BLACK’S LAW DICTIONARY
 BALLENTINE’S LAW DICTIONARY
 HARVARD’S 1L LEGAL DICTIONARY

6. THE BLUE BOOK
 SYSTEM OF CITATION USED IN ALL
MEMORANDUMS AND LAW REVIEW
ARTICLES [AND ALL PROJECTS FOR LAW
SCHOOL CLASSES]
 The abbreviations and formats in the
secondary material usually DO NOT follow
blue book format--you must “blue book” each
citation

7. COURT REPORTERS
 FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL
[COUNTY/MUNICIPALITY COURT
SYSTEMS
 REPORTERS FOR EACH LEVEL OF
COURT
 OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL
REPORTERS
 PARALLEL CITATIONS

8. OTHER SOURCES FOR CASES
 Looseleaf Services (e.g. U.S. Law Week-
S.Ct).
 Westlaw/Lexis/LoisLaw/Internet [e.g.
Cornell’s Legal Information Institute]
 CD Roms
 Newspaper Accounts (e.g. New York Times,
Washington Post, Local Legal Newspapers
[e.g. Legal Intelligencer])

9. FEDERAL SYSTEM
 UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT
 UNITED STATES COURTS OF APPEALS
[13 CIRCUITS]
 FEDERAL DISTRICT COURTS

10. CORRESPONDING REPORTERS
 US REPORTS[official]/SUPREME COURT
REPORTER[West], LAWYERS’ EDITION
[Lexis] {U.S. LAW WEEK--LOOSELEAF]
 FEDERAL REPORTER
 FEDERAL SUPPLEMENT

11. STARE DECISIS
 Holding v. Dictum
– a case’s holding will govern other cases in the
same jurisdiction in which the facts and issues are
substantially similar to those of the case which
generated the rule of law
 - everything in a court’s opinion except
the holding is dicta [“said by the way”].

12. STATE COURTS: PENNSYLVANIA
 PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT
 PENNSYLVANIA SUPERIOR COURT
 PENNSYLVANIA COMMONWEALTH
COURT
 COURTS OF COMMON PLEAS
 MUNICIPAL COURTS

13. STATE COURTS: PENNSYLVANIA
 PENNSYLVANIA REPORTS
 PENNSYLVANIA SUPERIOR COURT
REPORTS
 PENNSYLVANIA COMMONWEALTH
COURT REPORTS
 DISTRICT AND COUNTY REPORTERS
 INDIVIDUAL COUNTY REPORTERS