Overview-Advanced Legal Research 2016

Objective:
This course is designed to give students an in depth knowledge of general legal research tools and
a working knowledge of tools available in specific subject areas.
Supplemental Course Materials:
Legal research in a nutshell / by the late Morris L. Cohen, Librarian and Emeritus Professor of
Law, Yale Law School ; Kent C. Olson, Director of Reference, Research and Instruction,
University of Virginia Law Library.
Copyright
2016
Edition
Twelth edition.
P. Axel-Lute, New Jersey Legal Research Handbook (2012) (New Jersey Institute for Continuing
Legal Research), 6th Edition
Attendance: Attendance of all classes is required. See below to see how participation affects
your grade in this class.
Class Format and Assignments:
Classes will include a combination of lecture, discussion and hands-on in-class exercises. You are
required to bring your laptop to class. Discussion will center on your research assignments and
exercises. Students may work together to prepare the assignments, but each is responsible for her
or his own work product. Students must be able to explain each answer and how they arrived at
the answer. Responses are the basis for the participation grade points.
Pathfinder/Research Guide:
Each student must submit a pathfinder at the last class of the semester. Prior to submission, the
student will present the subject of the pathfinder in class. A pathfinder is a critical, annotated guide
to the literature of a particular subject which describes and evaluates materials available, and
places them in an appropriate research strategy.
Grades:
The course grade will be determined as follows:
Pathfinder: 35 points
Presentation: 10 points
PARTICIPATION: 45 points
Quiz: 10 points
Students who submit papers late will be penalized 10 points each late day unless they receive
permission from the professor to submit the paper at another time.
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