TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOOL OF LAW
Legal Research - A Component of Lawyering Process
Fall 2013 Syllabus
Professor DeCarlous Y. Spearman, J.D., M.L.I.S.
Phone: 713-313-7328
I.
LEGAL RESEARCH PROFESSOR ASSIGNMENTS
Lawyering
Process Section(s)
§1
II.
Office: 132 (Library)
E-mail: dspearman@tmslaw.tsu.edu
Legal Research
Professor
Prof. Spearman
Class
Day / Time
Thursday 1:00 - 1:50 p.m.
Room
TMSLL 126
REQUIRED BOOKS
HARVARD LAW REVIEW ASSOC., THE BLUEBOOK: A UNIFORM SYSTEM OF CITATION (19th
ed. 2011).
AMY E. SLOAN, BASIC LEGAL RESEARCH: TOOLS & STRATEGIES (5th ed. 2012).
For your convenience, a copy of this book has been put on reserve.
III.
RECOMMENDED BOOK
AMY E. SLOAN & STEVEN D. SCHWINN, BASIC LEGAL RESEARCH WORKBOOK (4th ed. 2011).
IV.
OFFICE HOURS
Wednesdays 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and by appointment.
V.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
VI.
Distinguish between:
1.
Federal and state law,
2.
Primary and secondary sources, and
3.
Mandatory and persuasive authority.
Understand the relationship between legal institutions.
Conduct research using basic resources for state, federal and administrative law.
Design an appropriate research strategy.
Update research using citators.
Identify and analyze legal issues.
Apply the rules of citation that are appropriate for citing sources in legal
documents using The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation.
ATTENDANCE
A.
B.
Attendance is required in this course. Two (2) absences are allowed for the
Legal Research portion of Lawyering Process.
There are no excused absences. See Student Rules of Matriculation p.22, § 9.
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C.
VII.
A.
B.
Beginning with the third (3rd) absence, I reserve the right to reduce the Legal
Research portion of your final grade in accordance with the Student Rules of
Matriculation cited above.
MEASUREMENT OF PERFORMANCE
The grade that you receive in Legal Research is worth 20% of your final
Lawyering Process grade.
The final grade for each student in Legal Research is based on five criteria for a
total of 100 points.
1.
Six Research Assignments (30 points)
a.
Five (5) points per assignment
b.
The legal research assignments cover the following:
1.
The Bluebook (Citations)
2.
Secondary Source Research
3.
Case Research and Citators
4.
Statutory Research
5.
Federal Administrative Law Research
6.
Federal Legislative History Research
2.
One Multiple Choice Exam (15 points)
3.
Class Participation (5 points)
4.
Legal Research Performance (20 points)
a.
Research Lab
b.
Visual Component
c.
Oral Component
d.
Evaluation
5.
Six CALI Lessons (30 points)
a.
Five (5) points per lesson
b.
You must receive a minimum score of seventy (70) for full credit.
c.
Submit via LexisNexis/Blackboard.
VIII. ASSIGNMENTS
A.
B.
C.
Format Requirements - To help insure fair and equitable grading, all
assignments must be:

Typed directly into the Word document downloaded from Lexis
web courses.

12 point Times New Roman font

Left margins justified only

Double space between answers
Required Heading - The following information is required at the top, left-hand
side of each assignment. DO NOT USE TITLE PAGES.

Name

Section

Date
Required Statement - The signed statement “I have neither given nor received
unauthorized aid” must appear on each assignment.
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D.
IX.
COURSE ORGANIZATION
A.
B.
X.
Students meet for lecture once each week.
In each lecture, I will examine:
1.
The purpose of the resource.
2.
How the resource is used.
3.
How the resource fits within the total legal research scheme.
4.
How the source is cited based on The Bluebook.
RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS AND PENALTIES
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
XI.
Use of Computers - Unless specifically instructed otherwise, you are to use print
sources, not computers, to find the answers to assignments.
All assignments will be distributed in class and also made available on LEXIS
Web Courses.
Assignments are due at the beginning of class.
Lawyers are always working against deadlines; therefore, extensions on due dates
will NOT be granted.
Late assignments will NOT be accepted.
Every effort is made to have assignments returned to you at the class following
the due date. Assignments will be returned in class, unless otherwise instructed.
There is a one point penalty for omitting any required information such as the
Honor Code statement or your signature.
All answers must be arrived at independently, and the work submitted must be
your own unless otherwise instructed. Failure to abide by this rule will be
considered an Honor Code violation.
RESEARCH PROCESS
Remember that research is a trial and error process. Do not become discouraged if you
feel like you are going in circles. The research process is learnable, but you must remain
patient and determined to accomplish the task.
XII. RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS AND PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS
Each assignment will have instructions on how to complete it. Instructions should be
read and followed carefully, so that your grade is not penalized.
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SPEARMAN FALL 2013
LEGAL RESEARCH SYLLABUS
WEEK OF
DATE
8/19/2013
TOPIC
READING
Introduction
Syllabus
Purpose of Legal Research
Mandatory v. Persuasive
Authority
Introduction to The
Bluebook
Civil Trial Process
Court Structure
Basic Legal Research – Chapter 1
Library Tour
Handout – Legal Research Performance
9/2/2013
Generating and Evaluating
Search Terms
Secondary Sources
Basic Legal Research - Chapters 2 & 3
Handouts – Fact Pattern
9/9/2013
Westlaw and Lexis
Training
9/16/2013
Secondary Sources
9/23/2013
Case Research
8/26/2013
ASSIGNMENT
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation-Pgs. 1-2, Tables 1,
6, 7 & 10
CALI Training
Handouts – The Civil Trial Process, Court Structure
Basic Legal Research – Chapter 4
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation- Rule 15, Rule 16
(15.8)
Basic Legal Research - Chapter 5
Handout – Case Citation
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Assignment 1: The
Bluebook (Citations)
CALI Lesson: Citation
Form for Briefs and
Legal Memoranda
DUE IN CLASS THE
WEEK OF 9/2/2013
Assignment 2:
Secondary Source
Research
CALI Lesson:
Introduction to
Secondary Resources
DUE IN CLASS THE
WEEK OF 9/23/2013
Secondary Research
Presentation 9/16/2013
Assignment 3: Case
Research/Citators
9/30/2013
Case Research/Citators
10/7/2013
Statutory Research
10/14/2013
Statutory Research
10/21/2013
Federal Administrative
Law
10/282013
Federal Administrative
Law
Basic Legal Research - Chapter 5 & 6
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation - Rule 10
Basic Legal Research - Chapter 7
Basic Legal Research - Chapter 7
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation - Rule 12
Basic Legal Research - Chapter 9
Basic Legal Research - Chapter 9
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation - Rule 14
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11/12/2013
CALI Lesson: How to
Find Case Law Using the
Digests
DUE IN CLASS THE
WEEK OF 10/7/2013
Case Research
Presentation 9/30/2013
Assignment 4: Statutes
& Codes
CALI Lesson:
Codification
DUE IN CLASS THE
WEEK OF 10/21/2013
Statutory Research
Presentation 10/14/2013
Assignment 5: Fed
Administrative Law
CALI Lesson:
Rulemaking: Federal
Register and CFR
DUE IN CLASS THE
WEEK OF11/4/2013
Federal Administrative
Law Presentation
10/28/2013
11/4/2013
Federal Legislative History
Basic Legal Research - Chapter 8
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation - Rule 13
11/11/2013
Federal Legislative History
EXAM REVIEW
Basic Legal Research
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation
11/18/2013
***EXAMINATION***
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Assignment 6: Fed
Legislative History
CALI Lesson:
Researching Federal
Legislative History
DUE IN CLASS THE
WEEK OF 11/11/2013
Federal Legislative
History Presentation
11/11/2013