Chapter 7Chapter 7

Authority: Law BooksAuthority: Law Books

§7.1 The §7.1 The Function of Law BooksFunction of Law Books

Research BooksResearch Books Help to find the lawHelp to find the law Contain the lawContain the law Help to use the lawHelp to use the law Act as a reference to other materialsAct as a reference to other materials

Online Electronic Research BanksOnline Electronic Research Banks Westlaw and LexisWestlaw and Lexis Also, VersusLaw and LoisLawAlso, VersusLaw and LoisLaw

ALRALR

American Law Reports (A.L.R.)American Law Reports (A.L.R.) Annotated ReportedAnnotated Reported

Reporter:Reporter: reprints important casesreprints important cases Annotated:Annotated: discusses and discusses and

comments on casescomments on cases

provides additional provides additional referencesreferences

Publisher:Publisher:

Lawyer’s Cooperative Publishing CompanyLawyer’s Cooperative Publishing Company

Uses Total Client Service LibraryUses Total Client Service Library

ALR EditionsALR EditionsEditions: Editions:

A.L.R.A.L.R. }}A.L.R. 2dA.L.R. 2d }} Annotate state and federal Annotate state and federal

casescasesA.L.R. 3dA.L.R. 3d }}

A.L.R. 4thA.L.R. 4th }} 44thth & 5 & 5thth Annotate state Annotate state casescases A.L.R. 5thA.L.R. 5th }}

A.L.R. Fed. A.L.R. Fed. }} Annotates federal casesAnnotates federal cases

Annotation = Annotation = secondary authoritysecondary authority Provides coProvides commentary/discussionmmentary/discussion

Legal EncyclopediasLegal Encyclopedias

Legal Encyclopedias Legal Encyclopedias = = secondary authoritysecondary authority

Provide information about all areas of lawProvide information about all areas of law Gives references to Am.Jur.2d and C.J.S.Gives references to Am.Jur.2d and C.J.S.

Examples:Examples: American Jurisprudence 2American Jurisprudence 2ndnd (Am. Jur. 2d) (Am. Jur. 2d) Corpus Juris Secundum (C.J.S.)Corpus Juris Secundum (C.J.S.) California Jurisprudence (Cal. Jur.)California Jurisprudence (Cal. Jur.) Texas Jurisprudence (Tex. Jur.)Texas Jurisprudence (Tex. Jur.)

American Jurisprudence, 2d American Jurisprudence, 2d Am. Jur. 2dAm. Jur. 2d

National Legal EncyclopediaNational Legal Encyclopedia Secondary authority leading to primary Secondary authority leading to primary

authorityauthority Comments with authority (cases, statutes)Comments with authority (cases, statutes) Arranged by Topic (Doctors, Roads, Arranged by Topic (Doctors, Roads,

Evidence)Evidence)

Publisher:Publisher:

Lawyer’s Cooperative Publishing CompanyLawyer’s Cooperative Publishing CompanyUses Total Client Service LibraryUses Total Client Service Library

American Jurisprudence 2dAmerican Jurisprudence 2d

Corpus Juris SecundumCorpus Juris Secundum C.J.S.C.J.S.

National Legal EncyclopediaNational Legal Encyclopedia Secondary authority leading to primary Secondary authority leading to primary

authorityauthority Comments with authority (cases, statutes)Comments with authority (cases, statutes) Arranged by Topic (Doctors, Roads, Arranged by Topic (Doctors, Roads,

Evidence)Evidence)

Publisher:Publisher: West West

Uses Key Number SystemUses Key Number System

Corpus Juris SecundumCorpus Juris Secundum

Blue BookBlue Book

(1)(1) Uniform System of CitationUniform System of Citation Provides proper citation formProvides proper citation form

(2) ALR Blue Book of Supplemental (2) ALR Blue Book of Supplemental DecisionsDecisions

(updates first series of ALR)(updates first series of ALR)(3) National Reporter Blue Book(3) National Reporter Blue Book

(updates cases – most use Shepard’s (updates cases – most use Shepard’s instead)instead)

Case LawCase Law Cases = Court OpinionsCases = Court Opinions

Primary AuthorityPrimary Authority Citations = Case AddressCitations = Case Address

Case Name, official citation, unofficial citation Case Name, official citation, unofficial citation (year)(year)

E.g., Smith v. JonesE.g., Smith v. Jones, 145 Mont. 789 (2000), 145 Mont. 789 (2000)

Published court opinions:Published court opinions: Reports = Official Reporter Reports = Official Reporter

E.g., Smith v. JonesE.g., Smith v. Jones, 145 Mont. 789 (2000), 145 Mont. 789 (2000) Reporters = Unofficial ReportersReporters = Unofficial Reporters

E.g., E.g., Smith v. JonesSmith v. Jones, 890 P.2d 678 (Mont. 2000), 890 P.2d 678 (Mont. 2000)

CasesCases

HeadnoteHeadnote HeadnotesHeadnotes

Numbers (Numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.1, 2, 3, etc.) lead to relevant section of case ) lead to relevant section of case Topic and Key Numbers (Topic and Key Numbers (184[3]184[3]) are research tools) are research tools

Shepard’sShepard’s

Updating ServiceUpdating Service Validates Authority Validates Authority

(updates or shows invalid (updates or shows invalid e.g.,e.g., overruled) overruled)

Provides parallel citationsProvides parallel citations E.gE.g., 879 Mont. 456, ., 879 Mont. 456, 123 P.2d 456 123 P.2d 456

Provides additional relevant casesProvides additional relevant cases Lists cases that have discussed cited caseLists cases that have discussed cited case

Cumulative/SupplementCumulative/Supplement

New and Updated Material New and Updated Material

““Pocket Parts”Pocket Parts”Updates volume Updates volume Newspaper-type pamphlet in pocket of at Newspaper-type pamphlet in pocket of at

end of volumeend of volume

DigestsDigests Index to case lawIndex to case law

Collection of case summaries by topicCollection of case summaries by topic

Digest System:Digest System: Pacific DigestPacific Digest leads to Pacific Reporter Caseleads to Pacific Reporter Case Federal Practice DigestFederal Practice Digest leads to Federal Reporter Casesleads to Federal Reporter Cases Supreme Court DigestSupreme Court Digest leads to Supreme Court Reporterleads to Supreme Court Reporter American Digest SystemAmerican Digest System

Century DigestCentury Digest cases from 1600’s to 1896cases from 1600’s to 1896 Decennial DigestDecennial Digest summaries from state/fed digests (10yrs)summaries from state/fed digests (10yrs) General DigestGeneral Digest updates Decennial Digestupdates Decennial Digest

Key Number SystemKey Number System

Key Number Key Number SystemSystem

Key Topics and Key Topics and Key NumbersKey Numbers

FormbooksFormbooks

Sample DocumentsSample Documents Complaint, AnswerComplaint, Answer

Trial StrategyTrial Strategy Exhibits, witness Exhibits, witness

questionsquestions Discovery ResourceDiscovery Resource

Interrogatory Interrogatory QuestionsQuestions

R/Production ItemsR/Production Items Deposition questionsDeposition questions

Legal DictionariesLegal Dictionaries Major Legal Dictionaries:Major Legal Dictionaries:

Ballentine’sBallentine’s BlacksBlacks Barron’sBarron’s

Words & PhrasesWords & Phrases Multi-volume dictionaryMulti-volume dictionary Court opinions define legal termsCourt opinions define legal terms

Words and PhrasesWords and Phrases

Legal TreatiseLegal TreatiseAuthored by private individual/groups areas of lawAuthored by private individual/groups areas of law

Restatement of LawRestatement of Law by American Law Instituteby American Law Institute ““as close to the law without being the as close to the law without being the

law”law” Examples:Examples: Restatement of TortsRestatement of Torts

Restatement of Restatement of Property LawProperty Law

Legal Periodical IndexLegal Periodical Index

Legal Periodicals:Legal Periodicals:

Law school journalLaw school journal

Bar association journalBar association journal

Tort Reform JournalTort Reform Journal

Patent & Trademark JournalPatent & Trademark Journal

Current Law Index CLI or Index to Legal Current Law Index CLI or Index to Legal PeriodicalsPeriodicalsIndex to legal journals and magazinesIndex to legal journals and magazines

Locate by: author, title of article OR subject Locate by: author, title of article OR subject mattermatter

UpdatingUpdatingResearch MaterialsResearch Materials

Advance SheetsAdvance Sheets (softbound pamphlet) (softbound pamphlet) Softbound materials (e.g., cases) printed Softbound materials (e.g., cases) printed

before hardbound comes outbefore hardbound comes out Printed “in advance” of hardboundPrinted “in advance” of hardbound

Slip OpinionSlip Opinion First printing of case before hardbound First printing of case before hardbound

comes outcomes out E.g., United States Law Week = USSCt casesE.g., United States Law Week = USSCt cases

Loose-leaf ServiceLoose-leaf Service 3-ring binder providing updates of materials3-ring binder providing updates of materials

Computerized Computerized Legal ResearchLegal Research

Lexis and WestlawLexis and Westlaw Computerized legal research banksComputerized legal research banks Research based on query (words or Research based on query (words or

phrases)phrases) Teach! or educat! w/5 school or universityTeach! or educat! w/5 school or university

Martindale-HubbellMartindale-Hubbell Reference book for:Reference book for:

State-by-state listing of attorneysState-by-state listing of attorneys Great for interviewing!!Great for interviewing!!

Digested state lawsDigested state laws Digested foreign lawsDigested foreign laws

Legislative LawsLegislative Laws Session LawsSession Laws

Legislative acts/billsLegislative acts/bills

= = Statutes at LargeStatutes at Large Laws adopted by legislature during a sessionLaws adopted by legislature during a session Will be incorporated into state/fed statutes Will be incorporated into state/fed statutes

by topicby topic

Slip LawsSlip Laws First printing of legislative statutesFirst printing of legislative statutes

Statutory CodeStatutory Code CodesCodes

State or federal statutesState or federal statutes

State CodesState Codes E..g.,E..g., Montana Code Ann., N.C. General Statutes Montana Code Ann., N.C. General Statutes

United States CodeUnited States Code U.S.C.U.S.C. (official government)(official government) U.S.C.A.U.S.C.A. (West annotated)(West annotated) U.S.C.S.U.S.C.S. (Lawyer’s Coop. Annotated)(Lawyer’s Coop. Annotated)

Note: always cite official U.S.C.Note: always cite official U.S.C.

Statute Statute

Federal AgencyFederal AgencyRegulationsRegulations

Federal RegisterFederal Register Daily summaries of Daily summaries of administrative administrative

agenciesagencies Includes proposed laws and actions by agenciesIncludes proposed laws and actions by agencies

Code of Federal RegulationsCode of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.)(C.F.R.) Softbound Softbound Federal Agency RegulationsFederal Agency Regulations

Rules ofRules of Court Court

Rules of CourtRules of Court =Procedural rules of courts=Procedural rules of courts

(e.g., 20 days to respond to complaint)(e.g., 20 days to respond to complaint)

Federal Rules of Civil ProcedureFederal Rules of Civil Procedure State Rules of Civil ProcedureState Rules of Civil Procedure

Primary v. Secondary Primary v. Secondary AuthorityAuthority

Primary AuthorityPrimary Authority Cases (court opinions)Cases (court opinions) Statutory AuthorityStatutory Authority

(including regulatory agencies)(including regulatory agencies) Constitutions (state and federal)Constitutions (state and federal)

Secondary AuthoritySecondary Authority Materials that lead to primary authorityMaterials that lead to primary authority

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, treatises, Encyclopedias, dictionaries, treatises, etc.etc.