Category Archives: State Law

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

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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

 

 

State-by-State Recording Laws from the Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press.

04 Wednesday Apr 2018

Posted by in Admissibility, Authentication, Discovery, Evidence, Recordings, Research, State Law, Statutes

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State-by-State Reporter’s Guide – Tape Recording Laws At a Glance, Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press

https://www.rcfp.org/reporters-recording-guide/state-state-guide

Do you ever record a telephone conversation without telling the person at the other end of the line? It happens quite frequently. But, is it legal? Do you need the other person’s consent? Can it be used as evidence in court? Could you get arrested if you let someone else listen to it? What about hidden cameras?

These statutes were last updated in 2012. When you find your state and the relevant statute, verify that the law has not been changed since 2012. I would take it one more step, and check to see whether there is any pending legislation that might change the law. -CCE

South Carolina Legal Blogs – The Cream of the Crop.

13 Wednesday Dec 2017

Posted by in Appellate Law, Criminal Law, Elder Law, Family Law, Litigation, Personal Injury, Probate and Trusts, Research, South Carolina Supreme Court, State Law, Tax Law

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Most Popular South Carolina Blawgs, Blawg Search, Justia

https://blawgsearch.justia.com/blogs/countries/united-states/south-carolina

For my paralegal friends in South Carolina, here’s the top legal blogs in South Carolina sorted by popularity. There’s a little bit of everything here, and several caught my eye. It will take a while to digest it all. I recommend bookmarking this site, and visiting it often. -CCE

Beginner’s Research Guide to Lemon Laws and Consumer Protection Law.

10 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by in Case Law, Consumer Law, Federal Law, Internet, Legal Directories, Lemon Laws, Library of Congress, Mandatory Law, Primary Law, Research, State Law, Statutes, Westlaw

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Lemon Laws: A Beginner’s Guide, Barbara Bavis and Robert Brammer, In Custodia Legis, Law Librarians of Congress

http://blogs.loc.gov/law/2015/04/lemon-laws-a-beginners-guide/?loclr=eaiclb

You are really getting two for one (and more) with this post. Please note the hyperlink to consumer protection law in the first sentence. Both posts provide guides on how to research both subjects. Click on “Legal Research” to the left once you are at the website, and you will find the link to all posts at this website on how to research other laws. -CCE

In response to our last post on consumer protection law, we determined there was additional interest in ‘lemon laws.’  Lemon laws are defined by Black’s Law Dictionary as statutes ‘designed to protect a consumer who buys a substandard automobile, usu[ally] by requiring the manufacturer or dealer either to replace the vehicle or to refund the full purchase price.’ So, if you find that the new car of your dreams is actually a waking nightmare, you can use this guide to determine what recourse you might have. Lemon laws vary by state, but this guide should help get you started with your research. . . .

Continue reading →

Free Access to Federal Law and Resources.

21 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by in Constitutions, Federal Law, Law Libraries, Legislation, Legislative History, Primary Law, References, Regulations, Research, Secondary Resources, State Law, Statutes, U.S. Government

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Free Public Access to Federal Materials On Guide To Law Online, by Sabrina I. Pacifici, BeSpacific Blog

http://www.bespacific.com/free-public-access-federal-materials-guide-law-online/

There’s more here than you think. Executive, judicial, federal, legislative, state, legal guides, and general sources. Definitely worth a look. -CCE

[Via Emily Carr, Senior Legal Research Specialist, Library of Congress] – this posting by Ann Hemmens, legal reference librarian at the Law Library of Congress: Through an agreement with the Library of Congress, the publisher William S. Hein & Co., Inc. has generously allowed the Law Library of Congress to offer free online access to historical U.S. legal materials from HeinOnline.  These titles are available through the Library’s web portal, Guide to Law Online: U.S. Federal, and include:

Law Guru – Free Internet Legal Research.

25 Sunday May 2014

Posted by in Case Law, Federal Law, Internet, Law Libraries, Legal Dictionaries, Legal Directories, Legal Directory, Mandatory Law, Primary Law, References, Research, State Law, Statutes

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Law Guru

http://www.lawguru.com/research.html

Another free Internet legal research tool. Law Guru have over 535 search engines. You can search state and federal case law, statutes and codes, and more.

It has some other nice features, too. It has a database of over 500,000 legal questions and answers. I know that sounds tempting and it may point you in the right direction. But if you are not an experienced legal researcher, please do not rely on these answers as you sole source of legal information. These questions and answers are generic – the facts of your situation may mean that the answer you get here is not the right one for your problem.

Law Guru also has a legal dictionary, links to legal articles, the Internet Law Library, and legal forms (there is a charge for these forms). -CCE

The Public Library of Law.

25 Sunday May 2014

Posted by in Case Law, Constitutions, Court Rules, FastCase, Internet, Law Libraries, Mandatory Law, Primary Law, References, Regulations, Research, State Law, Statutes

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The Public Library of Law

http://www.plol.org/Pages/Search.aspx

The Public Library of Law is free. Actually, it’s one of the largest free law libraries on the Internet. It gives you access to case law from the U.S. Supreme Court, all U.S. Circuit Courts, case law for all states (from 1997 to date), the United States Federal Code (federal statutes), states for all 50 states, regulations, court rules, state and federal constitution, and more.

One of the more interesting things about PLoL is that it provides free links to paid content on Fastcase®. If you are not familiar with Fastcase®, check it out at http://www.fastcase.com. If you need help learning how to use it, you will find free tutorials at http://www.fastcase.com/support/. -CCE

Basics of Legal Research – And More.

02 Friday May 2014

Posted by in Case Law, Federal Law, Law Libraries, Legal Encyclopedia, Mandatory Law, Primary Law, Regulations, Research, State Law, Statutes

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Basics of Legal Research, Cornell University Law Library

http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/library/whatwedo/researchguides/basics.cfm

If you are not familiar with the Cornell Law Library and the Cornell Legal Information Institute, you are missing a fantastic, free legal research honey pot.  This link will take you to Cornell’s basic legal research guide. If you know nothing about legal research, this is a great introduction. If your legal research is rusty, this is an excellent refresher.

But we are just getting started. The Legal Information Institute (LLI) (http://www.law.cornell.edu/) is one of the top online law libraries – and it’s free. Even though it’s free, I encourage you to make a donation. To understand why, please go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/lii/about-lii. There is no question that you definitely get a big bang for your buck. -CCE

Legal Research Tutorials.

05 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by in Administrative Law, Case Law, Legal Directories, Legal Encyclopedia, Legislation, Legislative History, Mandatory Law, Primary Law, Regulations, Research, Secondary Resources, State Law, Statutes

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Legal Research and Writing Tutorials, Georgetown Law Library

http://www.law.georgetown.edu/library/research/tutorials/lrw.cfm

This link will lead you to these tutorials. -CCE

  • Administrative Law Research Tutorial
  • Bloomberg Law Tutorials
  • Case Law Research Tutorial
  • Legislative History Research Tutorial
  • Secondary Sources Tutorial
  • Statutory Research Tutorial

E-Discovery Federal Rule Amendments and More.

06 Thursday Mar 2014

Posted by in Bankruptcy Law, Case Law, Court Rules, Discovery, E-Discovery, Federal District Court Rules, Federal Law, Litigation, Mandatory Law, Metadata, Preservation, Primary Law, Regulations, Research, Sanctions, State Law, Statutes, Technology, The Sedona Conference, Trial Tips and Techniques

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Category Archives: FEDERAL RULES AMENDMENTS, by Electronic Discovery, K&L Gates

http://www.ediscoverylaw.com/articles/federal-rules-amendments/

 Notice and analysis of electronic discovery federal rule amendments. You can count on this website to be updated promptly and the information and analysis is accurate. Free subscription by RSS feed.

While you are there, it is worth your time to browse the variety of information published by K&L Gates. They are experts on e-discovery. You will find, among other things:

Just poke around. I do not think you will be disappointed. -CCE

Looking For An Excellent Legal Research Source?

09 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by in Case Law, Federal Law, Legal Encyclopedia, LexisNexis, Regulations, Research, State Law, Statutes

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Zimmerman’s Research Guide – An Online Encyclopedia for Legal Researchers, by Andrew Zimmerman, LexisNexis®.

http://law.lexisnexis.com/infopro/zimmermans/default.aspx

If you have not already discovered Mr. Zimmerman’s Research Guide, please give yourself a treat. Mr. Zimmerman is a skilled and experienced research expert. He has been collecting and publishing research links and tips for many years.

If this is not already one of your Favorites, it should be. -CCE

National Center on Elder Abuse

24 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by in Assisted Living Abuse, Elder Law, Federal Law, Legal Directories, Nursing Home Abuse, Research, State Law

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National Center on Elder Abuse – Administration of Aging
http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/

An excellent resource with current information on best practices, news, resources, FAQs, training, and a library. Research data includes:

State Resources: http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/Stop_Abuse/Get_Help/State/index.aspx

Tribal Resources: http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/Resources/Tribal/index.aspx

Statistics and Data: http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/Library/Data/index.aspx

Research Briefs for 2013 and 2012: http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/Library/Review/Brief/index.aspx

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

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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