In plain, readable English, Attorneys Elias and Levinkind explain, with plenty of examples and instructions, how to:

* read and understand statues, regulations and cases * evaluate cases for their value as precedent * use all the basic tools of legal research * practice what you've learned with "hands-on, feet-in" library exercises, as well as hypothetical research problems and solutions

This easy-to-use and understand book, now in its 14th edition, has been adopted as a text in many law schools and paralegal programs. 1. Quick Legal Research Tips

2. An Overview of Legal Research

Patience and Perspective How to Find (and Feel at Home in) a Law Library Legal Research on the Internet A Basic Approach to Legal Research in the Law Library Six Time-Saving Research Tips An Online Search Strategy Understand the Legal Uncertainty Principle Know When You're Done

3. An Overview of the Law

What Is the Law? Foundations of American Law The Increasing Importance of Statutes and Regulations The Development of American Common Law Where Modern American Law Comes From About Going to Court

4. Putting Your Questions Into Legal Categories

The Land of the Law Find the Broad Legal Category for Your Problem Identify Specific Terms for Your Problem Searching by Subject Matter Categories on the Internet Key Word Searching on the Internet Searching With Google

5. Getting Some Background Information

How Background Resources Can Help Self-Help Law Resources Law Textbooks Legal Encyclopedias Form Books Practice Manuals Law Reviews and Other Legal Periodicals Specialized Loose-Leaf Materials Treatises and Monographs Restatements of the Law Background Resources on the Internet

6. Constitutions, Statutes, Regulations and Ordinances

Constitutional Research Introduction to Federal Statutes How to Find Statutes in the United States Code How to Find a Recent or Pending Federal Statute Online Finding Out-of-Date Federal Statutes in the Law Library Finding State Statutes in the Law Library and on the Internet Finding Recently-Enacted or Pending State Statutes How to Read Statutes The Importance of Cases That Interpret Statutes Using Words and Phrases to Interpret Statutes Using Attorney General Opinions to Interpret Statutes Using Legislative History to Interpret Statutes Using Uniform Law Histories to Interpret Statutes Regulations Procedural Statutes and Rules Local Law -- Ordinances

7. Understanding Case Law

What Is a Case? How Cases Affect Later Disputes

8. How Cases Are Published

Federal Cases State Court Cases Keeping Case Reporters Up-to-Date The Newest Cases Publishing Cases on the Internet

9. Finding Cases

Interpreting Case Citations How to Find Cases in the Law Library How to Find State Cases on the Internet Finding Federal Case Law on the Internet Using VersusLaw to Research Federal and State Case Law Using Westlaw to Find Cases by Key Words and Other Search Criteria The Next Step

10. Shepard's, Digests and the Internet: Expand and Update Your Research

Shepard's Citations for Cases Shepardize! Online The West Digest System

11. How to Write a Legal Memorandum

Why Prepare a Legal Memorandum? How to Prepare a Legal Memorandum Research Hypotheticals and Memoranda Research Problem: Government Tort Liability Hypothetical (Texas) Research Problem: Burglary Hypothetical (California) Research Problem: Alimony Hypothetical (West Virginia) Online Research Project, March 2007

12. The Legal Research Method: Examples

The Facts Classify the Problem Select a Background Resource Use the Legal Index Get an Overview of Your Research Topic Use Shepard's Citations for Cases Check the Pocket Parts Use Shepard's and Digests to Find On-Point Cases Summary

Appendix

Glossary of Legal Terms

Index

Library Exercises

Paperchase Using Citations to Find Cases Using Am. Jur Finding Law Reviews: Exercise One Finding Law Reviews: Exercise Two Using a Loose-Leaf Service Using Treatises Finding a Statute From Its Citation: Exercise One Finding a Statute From Its Citation: Exercise Two Finding Statutes by Their Popular Names Finding Federal Statutes by Using the Index to the U.S. Codes Using Annotated Code Index to Find a Federal Statutory Scheme Finding Statutes by Pub. L. No. Using Words and Phrases Finding the Legislative History of Federal Statutes Using U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News Finding Federal Regulations The Nuts and Bolts of a Case Anatomy of a U.S. Supreme Court Case How to Use Shepard's Citations: Statutes Finding Cases by Popular Name Using Shepard's Citations: Cases Using A.L.R., Case Headnotes and Shepard's Using Digests Using the American Digest System

Internet Exercises

Finding a Federal Statute on the Internet Finding a State Statute on the Internet Finding Pending State Legislation Finding an Attorney General Opinion Finding a Federal Regulation Finding a State Regulation Finding a State Case on the Internet Finding a Federal Case on the Internet

Summaries

How to Use the Law Library to Find a State Statute or Amendment Passed Within the Past Year How to Find Federal Regulations How to Find State Regulations in the Law Library How to Shepardize Federal Statutes How to Shepardize State Statutes How to Find Federal Cases When the Citation Is Unknown How to Find U.S. Supreme Court Cases When the Citation Is Unknown How to Find State Cases When No Citation Is Known How to Find the Text of a U.S. Supreme Court Case Decided Over One Year Ago How to Find a State Supreme Court Case Decided More Than One Year Ago How to Find the Text of a U.S. Supreme Court Case Decided Within the Past Year How To Find a State Supreme Court Case Decided Within the Past Year How to Shepardize State Court Cases How to Shepardize U.S. Supreme Court Cases How to Find Similar Cases in Different States

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Table of Contents

Press Reviews "[A] really handy legal resource is Legal Research.... It's another Nolo book and gives a good overview for someone who wants to investigate the law in general." South Florida Sun-Sentinal "Getting around the law library can be easy -- if you just know where to look -- and Legal Research is the place to begin." Library Journal "From understanding how to locate legal information in a law library to locating Internet answers, writing a legal memorandum, and homing research skill, Legal Research is a find basic guide any library should be pleased to have." Bookwatch "A no-nonsense guide for lay readers and legal professionals alike." Midwest Book Review "This book has a valid and honored place on the shelves of both novice and practiced legal researchers." Legal Research Quarterly "The simplest, most concise and articulate description of the legal research process available. Legal Research does a great job of cutting to the chase." Tom Holm, Director, Lawyering Skills Clinical Program, UCLA School of Law "This book remains the best single introduction... to the mysterious world of legal research." Robert C. Berring, Law Librarian, University of California, Berkeley

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