Category Archives: Law Reviews

Legal Research Finally Demystified.

26 Sunday Apr 2020

Posted by in Case Law, Court Rules, Federal Law, Internet, Law Journals, Law Reviews, Legal Encyclopedia, Legislative History, Mandatory Law, Primary Law, Regulations, Research, Secondary Resources, State Law, Statutes

≈ Comments Off on Legal Research Finally Demystified.

Tags

, ,

Legal Research Demystified, by Eric Voight, Professor of Legal Research and Writing, Faulkner University

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3354594 (table of contents and a sample chapter)

I have a new favorite legal research textbook and reference guide for law and paralegal students — Legal Research Demystified.  In my opinion, it offers a fresh approach to finding and understanding the law. It guides a student in a logical process to research common law and statutory issues. It minimizes the chances that students will miss an important step or forget a necessary tool, such as the digest system or a citator.    

I like the way this book uses hypotheticals and visual aids, including screen captures from online databases, checklists, and charts. It does what a book on legal research should do – it shows and tells you how to do legal research rather than discussing finding research tools in a vacuum.

Everyone learns in a different way, but I think the opportunity to practice what you have learned is one of the strongest ways to teach. I was impressed to see that both students and professors have access to online exercises for each chapter using Core Knowledge for Lawyers (https://coreknowledgeforlawyers.com).

Each self-guided exercise walks students through the steps identified in the textbook and teaches them to research on Westlaw and Lexis Advance, again using visual aids, tips, and hypotheticals. As students electronically answer each question, Core Knowledge instantly provides feedback and an explanation of the right anwer.  It is my understanding that additional exercises should be available May 2020. -CCE

 

 

Updated Annual Guide to Law Review Submissions.

31 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by in Law Reviews, Legal Writing, Research

≈ Comments Off on Updated Annual Guide to Law Review Submissions.

Tags

, , , , , , ,

The Latest Update to Rostron’s and Levit’s Annual Guide to Law Review Submissions, by James B. Levy, Legal Skills Blog

http://bit.ly/2uP9FyB

Thinking about submitting an article to a law review or journal? If so, you need to read this. It will give you everything you need to know about which publication is accepting submissions, required procedures and formats, and more. -CCE

A Legal Analysis of Shaken Baby Syndrome.

04 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Case Law, Evidence, Expert Witnesses, Health Law, Law Journals, Law Reviews, References, Research, Secondary Resources

≈ Comments Off on A Legal Analysis of Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Tags

, , , ,

Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Differential Diagnosis of Justice, by Ken Strutin, LLRX.com

http://www.llrx.com/features/shakenbabysyndrome.htm

When King Solomon resolved history’s best-known custody dispute, he implicitly divined that the death of the absent child was due to accidental infanticide, not intentional homicide.1 And his method was an early testament to truth finding. Today, the investigation of infantile death is too often accompanied by hurried accusations and false confessions.2 And the search for truth is left to lawyers and experts who have become as adversarial as the testificants in Solomon’s court. The concept of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)3 has become a battleground where medical evidence and legal presumptions clash, testing the limits of judicial wisdom.4

The investigation and prosecution of SBS cases5 has revealed an historical and ongoing tension among medical experts6 and legal practitioners and scholars.7 From the Supreme Court on down, judges in these cases have had to struggle with complex emotions, societal impulses, conflicting witness and expert testimonies, as well as ineffectiveness of defense counsel, need for appointed experts, admissibility under Frye-Daubert, and assessment of newly discovered evidence.8 Thus, legal investigation into the reasons behind infant deaths has turned into a medical “who done it” with the suspects ranging from accident and natural causes to the criminal conduct of parents and caretakers.9

This is a collection of recent and select court decisions, law reviews and news articles that explore the ongoing scientific and legal arguments about the definition and exclusivity of shaken baby syndrome evidence. . . .

Continue reading →

Law Commons – Free Open Access Legal Research

15 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by in Law Journals, Law Libraries, Law Reviews, References, Research

≈ Comments Off on Law Commons – Free Open Access Legal Research

Tags

, , , ,

Law Commons, Digital Commons Network™ Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.™

http://network.bepress.com/law/

This is an unique legal research tool. It has a wealth of legal resources. There are 167,603 full-text articles by 76,916 authors — in all, 37,817,207 downloads of legal research. But there is more — architecture, arts and humanities, business, education, engineering, life sciences, medical and health sciences, physical sciences and mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences.

In total, this website gives you free access to over 800,000 full-text articles contributed from over 300 universities and colleges all over the world.

The Digital Commons Network brings together free, full-text scholarly articles from hundreds of universities and colleges worldwide. Curated by university librarians and their supporting institutions, the Network includes a growing collection of peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, dissertations, working papers, conference proceedings, and other original scholarly work.

Some of the Best, Free Legal Research Guides on the Internet – no, Wikipedia does not count.

23 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Case Law, Federal Law, Law Journals, Law Libraries, Law Reviews, Legal Directories, Research, State Law, Statutes

≈ Comments Off on Some of the Best, Free Legal Research Guides on the Internet – no, Wikipedia does not count.

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Even when you or your firm have access to Westlaw or Lexis, you may still want or need access to free resources to do your legal research. 

Most, if not all, states provide a free website for state law (e.g., statutes, case law, state constitution, attorney general opinions, etc.). Perhaps the easiest route is to go to that state’s official government website. The state court’s websites use their own search engines – do not expect each to work the same as the others.

Here is another resource that will also lead you to state law: 50 States (http://www.50states.com/). (Click on the state, and scroll down to “Courts” and click on “Judicial System.” 

Below is a selection of websites that provide comprehensive links to state, federal and, in some instances, international law. 

Competitive Intelligence – A Selective Resource Guide – Completely Updated – September 2013, by Sabrina I. Pacifici, LLRX.com  http://www.llrx.com/features/ciguide.htm

How to Use Google Scholar for Legal Research, LawyerTechReview.com 
http://lawyertechreview.com/2011/how-to-use-google-scholar-for-legal-research/

Google Scholar – Guide Review of Google Scholar as a Legal Research Tool, by William Pfeiffer, About.com Law Practice Management
http://abt.cm/aZHa4s

HG.org – Legal Resources – http://www.hg.org/

Cornell University Law School – Legal Information Institute (LII) 
http://www.law.cornell.edu/

Duke Law – Legal Databases & Links –  http://law.duke.edu/lib/lresources

The Public Library of Law – http://www.plol.org/Pages/Search.aspx

George Mason University School of Law – Free Legal Research Sites 
http://www.law.gmu.edu/library/research

Washburn University School of Law
Washlaw – Legal Links and Directories  
http://www.washlaw.edu/directories/index.html

Georgetown Law Library – Free and Low Cost Legal Research Guide –
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/library/research/guides/freelowcost.cfm

Which Do You Quote – Law Reviews or Legal Blogs?

22 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Law Reviews, Legal Blogs, Legal Writing, Quotations, Research, Trust Accounts

≈ Comments Off on Which Do You Quote – Law Reviews or Legal Blogs?

Tags

, , , ,

Have law blogs surpassed law reviews?, by Kevin O’Keefe’s Real Lawyers Have Blogs (quoting Adam Liptak from Supreme Court Reporter for the New Times)
http://kevin.lexblog.com/2013/10/21/law-blogs-surpassed-law-reviews/#!

Search Engine to Over 400 Online Law Reviews, Law Journals, and More

21 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by in Law Journals, Law Reviews, Research

≈ Comments Off on Search Engine to Over 400 Online Law Reviews, Law Journals, and More

Tags

, ,

LTRC Free Full-Text Online Law Review/Journal Search, ABA Law Practice Division
http://bit.ly/zP1eGJ

(Some of these documents are only available online.)

You will find that I am cheap, and I rarely, if ever, pay for information or registration to any site on the Internet. Unless I indicate otherwise by adding ($), the information is free at the time it is posted here. CCE