Tuesday Evenings
March 18 to April 15, 2014
5:45 to 8:00 pm
Week 1 – March 18
Introduction to Legal Research
Laurel Davis, Boston College Law Library
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Overview of the legal system, and primary sources of law
Explanation on how to read primary law citations
Discussion on precedent and authority of cases
Introduction to updating law using a citator
Overview of using secondary sources as starting point for research
Week 2 – March 25
Case Finding
Amy Bruce, Goodwin Procter LLP
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Introduction to the importance of cases
Explanation of court structuring and reporting of cases
Discussion of case law as creating precedent in common law jurisdiction
Overview of case finding tools, with hands-on exercises
Learn how to update cases using a citator
Week 3 – April 1
Statutes & Legislative History
Brian Flaherty, New England School of Law Library
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Introduction to federal and Massachusetts statutes
Explanation of how to approach using and reading statutes
Description of statutory documents, such as codes and session laws
Overview of finding and compiling legislative histories
Learn how to find legislative materials with hands-on exercises
Week 4 – April 8
Transactional Law
Carli Spina, Harvard Law School Library
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Review of transactional law versus litigation
Learn how to find model forms and contracts for document drafting
Learn through hands-on exercises how to mine government sites, like the SEC
Administrative Law
Lisa Junghahn, Harvard Law School Library
Claire DeMarco, Harvard Law School Library
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Introduction to administrative law and regulations
Explanation of agencies, and their role in promulgating regulations
Learn how to navigate the Code of Federal Regulations & Federal Register
Get an understanding of administrative decisions, and how to find them
Week 5 –April 15
Research Strategy or “How to Put it all Together”
Catherine Biondo, Northeastern University School of Law Library
Anna Lawless, Boston University School of Law Library
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How to approach various legal research problems
Hands-on exercises to apply knowledge from the overall course