Schedule & Memo Topics
| Date | In-class Activities | Assessments Due |
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Introduction: How will we best develop our legal research skills and confidence in the 9 weeks we have as a class? |
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| Monday, January 22 |
We will get to know one another and talk about how this class will work.
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Bring to class any questions you may have about the class from the course website/syllabus.
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Wednesday, January 24 |
We will discuss some of the major types of secondary sources useful to legal research. We will also discuss some advanced search techniques for Westlaw and Lexis, such as boolean connectors and fields/segments, plus Lexis' new Generative AI application. |
Intro Survey 1 due before class. |
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Legal Research Memo 1: Your client allegedly was caught committing larceny—how much trouble are they in? How do you find and analyze all of the relevant statutes so that you can precisely explain the penalty for a particular crime? How do we analyze both the facts and the legal conclusions of cases to best apply them to our clients' scenarios? |
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Monday, January 29 |
We will begin our work on Legal Research Memo 1. We will also discuss our goals/my expectations in presenting our research effectively in writing (which you will do in the 4 legal research memos in this class). |
Read the Sample Initial Source List and Sample Memo prior to class so that we can discuss expectations for the written work product in this class. |
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Wednesday, January 31 |
Team research for Legal Research Memo 1. We will discuss resources and approaches relevant to researching Memo 1. |
Intro Survey 2 due before class. |
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Monday, February 5 |
Team research for Legal Research Memo 1. Finalizing the team's list of sources. |
Individual team member's initial source list due before class. Final team source list due at the end of class. |
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Wednesday, February 7 |
In-class time to work on your Legal Research Memo 1 and to ask any questions you have. We will talk as a full class about approaches to Memo 1 and the major issues you'll want to address. We will also talk about research issues that arise in current statutory and case research. |
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Legal Research Memo 2: Congress is considering amendments to the Voting Rights Act of 1965—what statutory changes is Congress considering and why? How do you find and analyze legislative documents, such as current bills, reports, press releases, statutes or other sources, so that you can clearly explain how and why a legislature is responding to a particular issue? |
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Monday, February 12 |
Final discussion of Legal Research Memo 1. We will begin our work on Legal Research Memo 2. |
Legal Research Memo 1 |
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Wednesday, February 14 |
Team research for Legal Research Memo 2. We will discuss resources and approaches relevant to researching Memo 2. |
Intro Survey 3 due before class. |
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Monday, February 19 |
Team research for Legal Research Memo 2. Finalizing the team's list of sources. |
Individual team members' initial source list due before class. Final team source list due at the end of class. |
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Wednesday, February 21 |
In-class time to work on your Legal Research Memo 2 and to ask any questions you have. We will talk as a full class about approaches to Memo 2 and the major issues you'll want to address. We will also talk about research issues that arise in current or historical legislative research. |
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Legal Research Memo 3: We're all familiar with the aggravation of concert tickets, hotels, car rentals and flights costing much more than initial appearances due to large, hidden fees. How is the Federal Trade Commission proposing to change its regulations to combat these hidden fees on consumer products and ensure more transparent pricing? How do you find and analyze administrative documents, such as current regulations, proposed and final rules, public comments, statutes and cases, so that you can clearly explain how and why a federal agency is responding to a particular issue? |
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Monday, February 26 |
Final discussion of Legal Research Memo 2. We will begin our work on Legal Research Memo 3. |
Legal Research Memo 2 due |
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Wednesday, February 28 |
Team research for Legal Research Memo 3. We will discuss resources and approaches relevant to researching Memo 3. |
Intro Survey 4 due before class. |
| Monday & Wednesday, March 4 & 6 | Spring Break | Spring Break |
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Monday, March 11 |
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Wednesday, March 13 |
Team research for Legal Research Memo 3. Finalizing the team's list of sources. |
Individual team members' initial source list due before class. Final team source list due at the end of class. |
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Legal Research Memo 4: Your firm has been hired by a consortium of Generative AI beings upset at being apparently unable to obtain American copyright on works they have produced. Should American copyright protection be limited to works by "human authors"? For novel and still developing areas of law, how do you find and analyze all of the documents you need to determine how all the American branches of government (legislative, executive and judicial) should best address the issue? |
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Monday, March 18 |
Final discussion of Legal Research Memo 3. We will begin our work on Legal Research Memo 4. |
Legal Research Memo 3 due |
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Wednesday, March 20 |
Team research for Legal Research Memo 4. We will discuss resources and approaches relevant to researching Memo 4, along with researching court rules and other procedural sources. |
Intro Survey 5 due at the beginning of class. |
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Monday, March 25 |
Team research for Legal Research Memo 4. Finalizing the team's list of sources. |
Individual team members' initial source list due before class. Final team source list due at the end of class. |
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Wednesday, March 27 |
Class conclusion and wrap-up. In-class time to work on your Legal Research Memo 4 and to ask any questions you have. We will talk as a full class about approaches to Memo 4 and the major issues you'll want to address. We will also talk about research issues that arise in procedural research. |
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Monday, April 1 (no class) |
No class. | |
| Tuesday, April 2 | Legal Research Memo 4 due by 5 pm. | |