Paul Martin Law Library
Your Legal Information Gateway
http://www.uwindsor.ca/law/library
Learning Legal Research
Formal Opportunities:
-LRW First Year Course
-Research For Law School Essays
-Advanced Legal Research
Learning Legal Research
Informal Opportunities:
-Working at a Legal Clinic
-Joining a Moot Team
-Working for a Law Journal
What the Law Library Offers
UPCOMING TRAINING SESSIONS
Session
Time and Location
Introduction to Case Law and Case Law
Research
Monday September 14
12 noon – 1:30 pm
Room 2100 (Right Moot Wing)
Introduction to Statutes and Statutory
Research
Monday September 21
12 noon – 1:30 pm
Room 2100 (Right Moot Wing)
Introduction to Quicklaw (taught by
Quicklaw representative)
Monday September 28
12:30 – 1:30 pm
Room 2100 (Right Moot Wing)
Introduction to Legal Citation
Monday October 5
12:30 – 1:30 pm
Room 2100 (Right Moot Wing)
What the Law Library Offers
UPCOMING TRAINING SESSIONS
Services
One on one appointments with reference librarians.
Help planning research for a law school essay.
Refreshers about legal research sources and strategies.
Advice on: law school projects, research, citations, password help, using
online databases, conducting historical research.
Advice on: answers to commonly-asked research questions during job
interviews; working for a journal; research for a moot team; research for a
professor.
Online video tutorials about many aspects of the research process.
LEGAL RESEARCH 101:
YOU CAN’T JUST GOOGLE IT!
“Counsel – have you
checked the Interpretation
Act on that point?”
LEGAL RESEARCH 101:
YOU CAN’T JUST GOOGLE IT!
“Yikes! Interpretation
Act?”
LEGAL RESEARCH 101:
YOU CAN’T JUST GOOGLE IT!
MOST legal information is NOT FREE ONLINE –
(SO GOOGLE CAN’T SEE IT)
(many books, law journals, specialized research tools)
Some legal information is NOT ONLINE:
(many books, historical statutes and government
documents)
“Yikes!
Interpretation
Act?”
LEGAL RESEARCH 101:
YOU CAN’T JUST GOOGLE IT!
Statutory research has many questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
For what jurisdiction? Federal? Ontario? Alberta?
For what time frame? Current version? Prior version?
What section(s) do I need?
Do the section(s) tell us to look at a regulation for further
details?
5. What does the case law tell us about how this section is to be
applied?
6. Are there any textbooks or journal articles that can help us
understand the statute?
“Yikes!
Interpretation
Act?”
LEGAL RESEARCH 101:
YOU CAN’T JUST GOOGLE IT!
Many Jurisdictions
Canada, federal
UK
Canada, provincial and territorialAustralia
Canada, municipal
other foreign jurisdictions
Canada, military legal system
US, federal
US, state
Public International Law
Private International Law (conflicts of laws)
LEGAL RESEARCH 101:
YOU CAN’T JUST GOOGLE IT!
Many Types of Legal Materials
PRIMARY SOURCES
Constitution
Statutes and bills
Regulations and Forms
Rules of Court
Supreme Court of Canada decisions
Judicial decisions (case law)
Decisions of administrative tribunals
Treaties
SECONDARY SOURCES
Textbooks and Loose-leaf Services
Law Journals and lawyer magazines
Continuing Legal Education Materials
Legislative materials (debates/committee)
Precedents
Encyclopedias
Dictionaries
Public Records
LEGAL RESEARCH 101:
YOU CAN’T JUST GOOGLE IT!
Many Formats of Legal Materials
Official v Unofficial
Online – from free providers (ie. Libraries, Government or NGO)
Online – from commercial providers (with subscription, ie Quicklaw
or Westlaw)
Print – in a library, for most historical materials and current books
LEGAL RESEARCH 101:
YOU CAN’T JUST GOOGLE IT!
Legal Matters and Materials Also Have a Time Component
Examples:
Current consolidation of a statute or regulation.
Prior version of a statute or regulation.
Commencement date of a statute, regulation or treaty.
Updating a case.
Backdating a statute.
Retroactive statutes.
Limitations periods.
Law Library Databases
UPCOMING TRAINING SESSIONS
*You have your own password.
*It will be sent to you by email.
*AFTER you return your FIPPA form.
*You will have your own password.
• To access Quicklaw, you need to create your own USERID
*Instructions will be sent to you by email.
and Password (instructions also
to you
afterform.
you
*Aftersent
you return
your FIPPA
return your FIPPA form).
*You must be on campus to register.
1.
2.
3.
Follow all instructions carefully.
Use your UWIN email address on registration form.
Still having problems? Email: Bonnie.Preece@thomsonreuters.com
Law Library Databases
UPCOMING TRAINING SESSIONS
http://www.uwindsor.ca/law/library
“Criminal Source”
Includes popular textbooks on criminal law
and evidence.
“Labour Source”
Includes popular textbooks on labour law.
“Canadian Human Rights Reports of human rights tribunals from
Reporter”
across Canada.
“Hein Online”
Great selection of law journals from US
and Canada, including historical content.
Scanned.
To access most databases, visit the law library website,
click on the link and enter your UWIN UserID and password.
Law Library Services
WHO Can Help
Teaching
Annette
Vicki Jay Leung, Reference Librarian
Answering research questions
Annette, Vicki
Mary Jane Hutchinson, Technical Services Administrator
Lisa Milne, Access Services Administrator
Interlibrary Loans
Selma Eren
Course Reserves
Christina Olsen
Front Desk
Selma, Christina and Danielle Stiller
Ordering Books for you
Pauline Strong
Jeri Baldwin
Tracy Schulz
Answering IT questions
Norm Saxon
Shafqat Hanif
Secretary to the Law Librarian
Connie Beaudoin
Essential Library Services
Photocopiers
Scanner
Laser Printer
Colour Printer
Group Meeting Spaces
ADD MONEY
TO YOUR STUDENT CARD:
http://www.uwindsor.ca/uwincard
Essential Library Services
Computer Labs
Until mid-September:
Username: law1
Password: law 1
After mid-September
Username: UWINID
Password: student number
Upcoming Events
Library Tours
Wednesday Sept 16
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm
12:30 pm – 1:00 pm
Training Sessions
SIGN UP SHEETS ARE POSTED
BY THE CIRC DESK!
Next Steps - Summary
1. Return FIPPA form to law library front desk.
2. Watch for your Westlaw Canada password in your email
box, then test it out.
3. Set up your Quicklaw password – instructions given here
today.
4. Sign up for a tour next Wednesday if you haven’t already.
5. Sign up for our Monday training sessions (law library
front desk).
6. Add money to your student card for photocopying and
printing http://www.uwindsor.ca/uwincard
7. Dual JD need to do this too!
THANK YOU! ANY QUESTIONS?
Presented by:
Annette Demers, BA LLB MLIS
Associate Dean, Law Library
and Legal Research Services
ademers@uwindsor.ca
519-253-3000 ext 2976
@Annette_Demers