Finding the Law: Cases, Statutes, Regulations and Secondary Sources Ann Hemmens University of Washington Gallagher Law Library September 11, 2009 http://lib.law.washington.edu/ref/legalresearch2009 .ppt
Finding the Law:Cases, Statutes, Regulations
and Secondary Sources
Ann HemmensUniversity of Washington Gallagher Law Library
September 11, 2009
http://lib.law.washington.edu/ref/legalresearch2009.ppt
Goals Basic introduction to U.S. legal
research and U.S. legal citation format
Tour of Gallagher Law Library
Primary & Secondary Authority Primary Authority
Statement of "the law" from bodies with law-making authority
Secondary Authority Explain, interpret, and help you locate the
primary law Includes: Treatises, Hornbooks, law review
articles, legal encyclopedias, Restatements, Nutshells etc.
Organization of Federal & State Governments
Constitution
Legislative Judicial Executive
Statutes
Stat., USCRCW
Cases
US, Fed 3dP3d, Wash.
RegulationsAdministrative Decisions
FR, CFRWAC
How do Sources of Law Interact?
Court interprets a statute An earlier court decision is overruled by same court
Statute held unconstitutional by a court
Legislature writes statute in response to a case
Agency proposed rules in response to statute.
Issues in Legal Research What type of law might govern
your question? statutes? regulations? cases?
Which jurisdiction? federal or state or both?
Did you update your research?
Court Structure – Federal & State
Federal StateCourt of Last
ResortU.S. Supreme
CourtWA Supreme
Court
Intermediate Appellate Court
↑
Ninth Circuit* Court of Appeals
* = Circuit map
WA Court of Appeals
Trial Court ↑
U.S. District Court for
Western District of WA
King County Superior Court
U.S. Legal Citation FormatThe Bluebook: A Uniform System
of Citation (KF245 .U5 2005 18th ed. in Reference Area)
Bluebook 101, http://lib.law.washington.edu/ref/bluebook101.html (short presentations with examples of how to cite legal documents)
Legal Citation format for CASESPate v. Threlkel, 661 So.2d 278 (Fla.
1995)
Party 1 v. Party 2, [volume number] [reporter name] [page number] ([jurisdiction sometimes] [year]).
Tools for finding cases on particular subjects
1. Digestsa. Index to National Reporter System. Find federal and
state cases by legal issue or subject. Topic and Key Numbers. Examples: Federal Practice Digest, Pacific Digest.
2. American Law Reports (ALR) and law review articles (secondary sources)
a. Provide in-depth analysis of legal topic or case.b. Examples:
a. Marjorie A. Shields, Annotation, Liability for Conversion and Misappropriation of Genetic Material, 121 A.L.R.5th 315 (2004).
b. Edward J. Janger, 3 Genetic Information, Privacy and Insolvency, 3 J.L. Med. & Ethics 79 (2005).
3. LexisNexis Academic (http://lib.law.washington.edu/)
Lexis Nexis Academic Available from Law Library “Find
Legal Databases” list, http://lib.law.washington.edu/
INCLUDES: Cases, statutes, regulations and law review articles
Statutes Organized Organized
chronologicallychronologically Session lawsSession laws
U.S. Statutes at U.S. Statutes at LargeLarge (Stat.) (Stat.)
Laws of Laws of WashingtonWashington
Organized by Organized by subject (the subject (the current laws current laws in in force)force)
CodeCode U.S. CodeU.S. Code Revised Code of Revised Code of
WashingtonWashington
Legal Citation Format – U.S. laws Public Law
Pub.L. No. 107-56 Statutes at Large
115 Stat. 276 Codes
42 U.S.C. § § 9601-9675 (2004)Title – United States Code – Sections – (year)
Image of U.S. Public Law Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-191.
List of the 50 titles in U.S. Code, http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/#TITLES
17 U.S.C. § 1101. Unauthorized fixation and trafficking in sound recordings and music videos
Annotated Codes Commercially published Includes the text of law & history Provides citations to cases,
regulations, law review articles, encyclopedias, forms which have applied that law.
Updated promptlyUnited States Code Annotated (USCA)United States Code Service (USCS)*
*on LexisNexis Academic
How to Find Statutes ? Popular Names Table
USA Patriot Act (Pub. L. 107-56, 115 Stat. 276)(Oct. 26, 2001)
Patent Law Amendments Act of 1984 (Pub. L. 98-622, Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3383,Short title, see 35 U.S.C. 1 note)
Look up subject in Index volume of USCS or USCA
Statute cited in a case Secondary sources (law review
articles about that statute or topic)
Finding Statutes - online LexisNexis Academic (
http://lib.law.washington.edu/) Thomas (http://thomas.loc.gov)
Washington State Laws = Revised Code of Washington (http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/)
Constitutions The fundamental law of a nation or
state, establishing the organization of government and prescribing the extent of its’ sovereign power.
CITATION U.S. CONST. art. I, § 9. W.A. CONST. art. IV, § 4.
Finding Constitutions ?Federal Constitution United States Code Annotated (USCA) United States Code Service (USCS) [on LexisNexis
Academic] GPO Access,
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/index.html Popular Names of Constitutional Provisions,
http://lib.law.washington.edu/ref/consticlauses.html
State Constitutions Revised Code of Washington (RCW) All 50 state statutes on LexisNexis Academic Cornell’s Legal Information Institute,
http://www.law.cornell.edu/statutes.html
Administrative Law Rules, regulations, and decisions created by
administrative agencies (federal and state). Authorized by Statute
Power to issue regulations & adjudicate disputes delegated to executive agencies by Congress via an enabling statute.
Procedural Standards? YES = Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 USC §551 et seq.).
Notice of proposed rule Comment period Final rule & response to comments
U.S. Regulations Federal Register
Published daily Includes:
proposed regulations & new regulations Presidential documents: Executive Orders &
Proclamations Code of Federal Regulations
Published annually Includes: all current rules & regulations in force Index & finding tables
Citation Format: Regulations 65 Fed. Reg. 3415 (Jan. 21, 2000)
Volume – Federal Register – Page (date)
7 CFR § 319.76 (2003)Title–Code of Federal Regulations–Section (year)
Sample Regulation Title 37 of the CFR: Patents,
Trademarks and Copyrights http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/w
aisidx_08/37cfrv1_08.html#201
37 CFR § 202.1 Material not subject to copyright (2008)
Finding Regulations ? Index to the Code of Federal Regulations
CFR Index volume (KF70 at Ref Area) USCS Index to the CFR (KF 62 at Ref Area) West’s CFR Index (KF70 .A34 at Ref Area)
Federal Register Index “Unified Agenda” (published in April & October) Annotated Codes
United States Code Annotated (USCA) United States Code Service (USCS)
Secondary Sources (treatises, law review articles)
Regulations Online LexisNexis Academic
http://lib.law.washington.edu/
GPO Access, http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/
Secondary Sources Law Reviews
(http://lib.law.washington.edu/) Full-Text on LexisNexis Academic Use an index to find articles, LegalTrac
Treatises and Books Law Library Catalog
Browser’s Guide to Reference Area (by subject)
UW Libraries Catalog
Update Your Research Cases – use online citator
(Shepard’s or Keycite) Statutes – check pocket parts &
supplements (print) Regulations – use List of Sections
Affected (LSA) & Federal Register (print)
Free Websites with U.S.Legal Information
Internet Legal Research http://lib.law.washington.edu/research/research.html
Cornell’s Legal Information Institute http://www.law.cornell.edu/
GPO Access http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ Thomas http://thomas.loc.gov/ U.S. Supreme Court
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/index.html
Conclusion
Questions? Ask a [email protected]
http://lib.law.washington.edu/questions.html 206-543-6794