Adeen Postar, Library Director
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To help you parse your new (legal)
vocabulary, including:
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What is primary law
What are the component parts of a published case
How to read a citation
What is a session law
What is a code
What are annotations
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Cases
Statutes
Regulations
We will talk about this in the Federal context –
the states mirror the federal system
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Issued by a branch of the government, both
federal and state, and intended to become a
law
Three types of branches and each has their
own official lawmaking documents
◦ Courts issue cases
◦ Legislatures promulgate constitutions and statutes
◦ Administrative agencies generate law through
decisions and regulations
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Courts must follow primary authority in their
own jurisdiction.
Other jurisdiction’s authority and any
secondary authority is considered persuasive
not mandatory….
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In our common law
system, cases are
the law
Stare decisis adhering to
precedent
◦ Situations with
similar facts are
handled consistently
using legal principles
◦ Allows for laws to
evolve and change as
required by
circumstances
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Courts can
distinguish cases by
finding different
facts
Courts can modify
or overrule earlier
cases in response
to significant need
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Legislatures may
enact statutes that
directly or indirectly
change the
common law
 Decisions
collected
chronologically in volumes called
case reporters, summarized by
subject in digests
 Written opinions of appellate
courts on specific issues raised at
the trial level. Only courts of
record can form the bases of stare
decisis – standing by precedent
Court of Last Resort
U.S. Supreme Court
(U.S., S.Ct., L.Ed. 2d)
U.S. Circuit Court of
Intermediate Court of
Appeals MD = 4th
Appeal
Circuit (F. 3d)
Trial Court
U.S. District Court
(F. Supp. 2d)
MD Court of Appeals
(A. 2d, Md.)
MD Court of Special
Appeals
(A. 2d)
District Courts and
Circuit Courts
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Contains all
published federal
and state cases in
chronological order.
Federal: S.Ct., F. 3d,
F. Supp. 2d.
7 regional reporters:
A. 2d, N.E. 2d, N.W.
2d, P.3d, S.E. 2d,
S.W. 3d, So. 2d.
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Official reporters are published by or
under the direction of the government
(state or federal)
 Unofficial reporters add enhancements
to assist researchers and cases usually
appear more quickly than the official
version. Commercially published
reporters may also be the official
reporter of the jurisdiction.
US Reports
Cite
Parties
PUBLISHED
CASE
ILLUSTRATION
Docket #
Counsel
Synopsis
Justice
writing
opinion
Cite to U.S.
Reporter Page
Topic &
key #
Headnotes
Majority Opinion
Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S.
335, 83 S. Ct. 792, 9 L. Ed. 2d
799 (1963).
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Enacted laws are
called statutes and
are mandatory
primary authority
following the
legislative process
and executive
approval or
ratification.
Slip laws are individual laws as
enacted
 Session laws are the laws enacted
in a particular legislative session
and collected and published as
enacted, in chronological order
 Codes Arrangement of laws by
subject that are of a general and
permanent nature, are current and
in force.
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IN A NUTSHELL
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Monday – Thursday 8 am – 11 pm
Friday
8 am – 8 pm
Saturday
9 am – 8 pm
Sunday
12 noon– 11 pm
9th Floor and the computer labs in 910 and 911
are open until 1 am every day, 2 am during the
Reading and Examination periods.
News and changes to library service hours are
posted on our website, our Facebook page and by
calling 410.837.4201
 Log
in to the MyUB
Portal and click on the
Virtual EMS (VEMS)
icon under Tools and
follow the directions!!
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Space can be reserved for a maximum of 4
hours, 3 days in advance
Space must be reserved by 7:00pm the night
before for next day reservations
Link to : Detailed Instructions
Only UB Law students may reserve these
rooms.
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We have over 50
lockers available for
24 hour period
checkout.
Keys may be checked
out at the Service
Desk.
Keys not returned on
time are subject to a
fine of $2.50 per
hour
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Charging stations, courtesy
of West are available on 7
and 9
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Lexis has printers on 9.
Westlaw does not.
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Food is allowed, but…..
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Please respect your fellow
students and keep your
conversations to a minimum!
Carrels are available on a
first- come, first-served
basis and cannot be reserved
We also lend laptops and
power cords (from the Service
Desk)
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Checking out materials
◦ Items can be checked out from:
 7th-floor Service Desk
 Self-Checkout Terminals on 10th-12th floors
◦ Bring your Bee Card to check out materials
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Renewals
◦ Items can be renewed:
 Online through the Library Catalog
 In person at the 7th-floor Service Desk
Don’t forget to register your passwords with
Lexis and Westlaw and Bloomberg Law !!!
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We’ve also given you a USB flash drive
containing important information about the law
school and the library
Use our Research Guides
Develop your skills with Library workshops,
Advanced Legal Research and specialized Lexis,
Westlaw and Bloomberg Law classes
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Research librarians are available to assist
you with your questions at the Service
Desk, 7 days a week. You may also email
us at lawlibref@ubalt.edu or IM us with
your questions, beginning the first week
of school.
Learn more about our services and
collections on our website at
http://law.ubalt.edu/library/
We look forward to seeing you!
GOOD LUCK!