Massachusetts legal research / E. Joan Blum.
2010
KFM2475 .B58 2010 (Map It)
Available at Offsite Clancy Facility A
Formats
| Format | |
|---|---|
| BibTeX | |
| MARCXML | |
| TextMARC | |
| MARC | |
| DublinCore | |
| EndNote | |
| NLM | |
| RefWorks | |
| RIS |
Items
Details
Author
Title
Massachusetts legal research / E. Joan Blum.
Published
Durham, N.C. : Carolina Academic Press, [2010]
Copyright
©2010
Call Number
KFM2475 .B58 2010
ISBN
9781594604287 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1594604282 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1594604282 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Description
xxiv, 217 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.
System Control No.
(OCoLC)529958083
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Record Appears in
Gift
Purchased from the income of the Miles Price Fund
Gift
The Arthur W. Diamond Law Library
Purchased from the income of the Miles Price Fund
Table of Contents
List of Tables and Figures
xvii
Series Note
xxi
Preface and Acknowledgments
xxiii
ch. 1
Introduction to Legal Research
3
I.
Legal Research: A Core Component of Legal Problem-Solving
3
A.
Legal Problem-Solving and the Work of the Lawyer
3
B.
Legal Research and Legal Problem-Solving
4
II.
About This Book
5
A.
The Focus of This Book: Massachusetts Law
5
B.
The Organization of This Book
5
III.
Legal Authority: The Foundation of Legal Research
6
A.
Types of Authority
6
B.
Weight of Authority and the Importance of Precedent
7
ch. 2
Legal Research As a Process
13
I.
Introduction
13
II.
First Phase: Getting Oriented
14
A.
Step #1: Identifying the Legal Issues
14
B.
Step #2: Identifying the Controlling Jurisdiction(s)
17
C.
Step #3: Testing Your Preliminary Assessments
18
III.
Second Phase: Finding and Evaluating Potentially Binding Authority
19
A.
Questions to Ask As You Proceed
19
1.
Which Resources and Techniques?
19
2.
Print or Online?
21
3.
How to Keep Track of Your Research?
21
B.
Five Basic Tasks in the Search for Binding Authority
22
1.
Task #1: Finding an Entry Point
22
a.
Finding an Entry Point through a Secondary Source
23
b.
Finding an Entry Point in an Index to an Annotated Code
25
c.
Finding an Entry Point through a Subject Search or a Word Search
26
2.
Task #2: Using Your Entry Point to Locate Relevant Authorities
27
3.
Task #3: Evaluating Your Initial Findings
29
a.
Preliminary Sorting
30
b.
Deep Analysis
32
4.
Task #4: Expanding Your Research
32
5.
Task #5: Validating Your Research
32
IV.
Third Phase: Wrapping Up Your Research
33
ch. 3
Secondary Sources
37
I.
Introduction
37
II.
Books
39
A.
Books in General
39
B.
Massachusetts-Specific Books
44
III.
Legal Periodicals
45
A.
Overview
45
B.
Academic Law Reviews and Law Journals
45
C.
Bar Journals, Legal Newspapers, Blogs, and Websites
47
D.
Locating Relevant Articles
48
IV.
Mini-Libraries and Loose-Leaf Services
50
A.
Print Resources
50
B.
Online Services
52
V.
American Law Reports
52
VI.
Continuing Legal Education Materials
54
VII.
Legal Encyclopedias
55
VIII.
Restatements of the Law, Uniform Laws, and Model Acts
58
A.
Restatements
58
B.
Uniform Laws
60
C.
Model Acts
60
IX.
Forms and Jury Instructions
61
A.
Forms
61
B.
Jury Instructions
61
ch. 4
Judicial Opinions
63
I.
Introduction
63
II.
Court Systems
64
A.
Massachusetts Courts
64
1.
Massachusetts Trial Court
64
2.
Massachusetts Appellate Courts
66
B.
Federal Courts
67
III.
Case Reporting
69
A.
In Print
69
1.
Print Reporters
70
2.
Features of Cases in Print Reporters
75
B.
In Electronic Databases
75
ch. 5
Case Law Research
81
I.
Introduction
81
II.
Assembling a List of Potentially Relevant Cases
81
A.
Using a Secondary Source or Annotations to a Statue
81
B.
Subject Searching in Print or Online
83
1.
Suject Searching on LexisNexis
83
2.
Subject Searching in West: The Key Number System
84
a.
West Digests
85
b.
Using the Key Number System
85
C.
Word Searching in an Electronic Database
90
1.
Choosing an Appropriate Source or Database
91
a.
Choosing a Source on LexisNexis
91
b.
Choosing a Database on Westlaw
92
2.
Constructing a Natural-Language Search
92
3.
Constructing a Terms-and-Connectors Search
93
III.
Additional Case Law Research Tasks
93
A.
Evaluating Your Initial Result List
94
1.
Reading a Few Recent Cases
94
2.
Identifying Factually Similar Cases
95
B.
Expanding Your Research to Identify Additional Relevant Cases
95
C.
Validating the Cases
98
D.
Deciding When Your Case Law Research is Complete
99
ch. 6
Statutes
101
I.
Introduction
101
II.
How Statutes are Published
102
III.
Sources for Massachusetts Statutes
103
A.
Print Sources
103
1.
Session Laws
103
2.
Official, Unannotated Code
106
3.
Commercially Published, Annotated Codes
106
B.
Electronic Sources
108
1.
The Free Web
108
a.
Massachusetts Session Laws
108
b.
Massachusetts Code
108
2.
Fee-Based Services
109
a.
Massachusetts Session Laws
109
b.
Massachusetts Code
109
IV.
Sources for Federal Statutes
110
A.
Print Sources
110
1.
Federal Session Laws
110
2.
Federal Code
110
B.
Electronic Sources
111
1.
Session Laws and Other Legislative Materials
111
2.
Federal Code
112
V.
Working with the Massachusetts Statutes
112
A.
Enter the Code to Locate Potentially Relevant Section(s)
113
1.
Entry by Citation
113
2.
Entry by Popular Name
115
3.
Entry through a Table of Contents
115
4.
Entry through an Index
116
5.
Entry through Online Full-Text Word Search
116
B.
Focus on Relevant Sections
117
C.
Update Relevant Sections
118
1.
Updating in Print
118
2.
Updating Online
120
3.
Updating with a Citator
120
D.
Carefully Read the Statute to Understand What it Says
121
E.
Use Annotations to Locate Primary Sources That Interpret or Apply the Statute
121
F.
Use References to Secondary Sources if Appropriate
122
VI.
Working with Statutes of Other States
122
ch. 7
Legislative Process and Legislative History
125
I.
Introduction
125
II.
Massachusetts Legislative Process
126
A.
The Massachusetts Legislature
126
B.
How Legislation is Enacted
126
III.
Tracking Current Legislation
130
IV.
Compiling a Massachusetts Legislative History
131
V.
Federal Legislative History Research
134
A.
Federal Bill Tracking
134
B.
Federal Legislative History
135
1.
Sources of Federal Legislative History
135
2.
Compiled Legislative History
136
3.
Print Sources for Federal Legislative History
136
4.
Online Sources for Federal Legislative History
136
ch. 8
Administrative Law
139
I.
Introduction
139
II.
Sources for Massachusetts Administrative Law Research
144
A.
State Agency Regulations
145
1.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations
145
2.
Massachusetts Register
147
B.
Reports of Agency Decisions
149
C.
Governor's Executive Orders and Opinions of the Attorney General
149
1.
Executive Orders
149
2.
Attorney General Opinions
153
III.
Using Massachusetts Administrative Law in Legal Problem-Solving
153
A.
Finding an Entry Point to Regulations
153
B.
Reading Regulations
155
C.
Updating Regulations and Locating Historical Versions
156
1.
Updating Regulations Using LexisNexis and Westlaw
156
2.
Updating Regulations in Print
157
3.
Finding Historical Versions
157
IV.
Federal Administrative Law
158
A.
Code of Federal Regulations
159
B.
Federal Register
159
C.
Working with the CFR
160
1.
Finding Potentially Relevant Federal Regulations
160
2.
Updating Federal Regulations
160
D.
Decisions of Federal Agencies
162
E.
Decisions of Courts Reviewing Agency Action
162
F.
Other Federal Administrative Materials
162
ch. 9
Constitutions
163
I.
Introduction
163
A.
The Preamble
163
B.
The Declaration of Rights
164
C.
The Frame of Government
165
D.
Articles of Amendment
166
E.
Citation to the Massachusetts Constitution
166
II.
Using the Massachusetts Constitution in Legal Problem-Solving
168
A.
Ask Whether the Massachusetts Constitution Applies
168
B.
Locate a Relevant Provision
169
C.
Read the Provision and Cases Interpreting it
173
III.
Researching the United States Constitution
173
ch. 10
Law of Evidence and Rules of Court, Including Rules of Professional Conduct
175
I.
Introduction
175
II.
Evidence
176
III.
Massachusetts Court Rules
178
A.
Courts That Promulgate Rules
178
B.
Sources for Massachusetts Rules
178
1.
Print Sources
178
2.
Electronic Sources
179
3.
Sources for Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct
181
C.
Using Court Rules
181
IV.
Federal Court Rules
182
Appendix A
Basics of Citation
185
I.
Why Citation is so Important
185
II.
Sources of Citation Rules
186
III.
How a Citation Identifies Authority
187
IV.
How a Citation Indicates the Way an Authority Supports a Proposition
188
V.
Massachusetts Specifics
189
Appendix B
Basics of Full-Text Searching on LexisNexis and Westlaw
191
I.
Steps in Full-Text Searching
191
A.
Step #1: Choose a Source or Database
192
1.
Questions to Help You Choose a Source or Database
192
2.
Choosing a Source on LexisNexis
193
3.
Choosing a Database on Westlaw
194
B.
Step #2: Terms and Connectors or Natural Language?
195
1.
Terms-and-Connectors Searching
195
2.
Natural-Language Searching
196
C.
Step #3: Construct a Search
196
1.
Constructing a Terms-and-Connectors Search
196
a.
Generate Search Terms
196
b.
Add Connectors
197
c.
Type Your Search in the Search Box
198
d.
Restrict Your Search
198
e.
Run Your Search
199
2.
Constructing a Natural-Language Search
199
a.
Natural-Language Searching on LexisNexis
199
b.
Natural-Language Searching on Westlaw
200
D.
Step #4: Evaluate Your Results
200
1.
Understanding the Display
200
2.
Working with Documents
201
3.
Printing, Downloading, or Emailing Results
201
E.
Step #5: Modify Your Search
202
1.
Narrowing a Result List Using "Focus" or "Locate"
202
2.
Editing Your Search
202
F.
Step #6: Keep Track of Your Searches
202
II.
Steps After Your Full-Text Search
203
Appendix C
Selected Bibliography---Books on General Legal Research
205
About the Author
207
Index
209