Transcript Taking the Fear and Loathing Out of Legal Research

Taking the Fear and Loathing
Out of Legal Research
Tracy Z. Maleeff
SLA Legal Division, Chair
2012 KLA/KSMA Joint Conference
Louisville, Kentucky
Disclaimers:
•
I am not an attorney. None of the information provided herein is
intended to be, nor should it be considered, legal advice. Always retain
the services of a licensed attorney for any legal questions or matters.
•
All opinions are my own. Any statements or opinions expressed are
my own and represent neither my employer, nor my professional
organization, nor KLA/KSMA.
Legal Aid
 Legal Aid Network of Kentucky (Commonwealth wide)
 Varies by location, see www.kyjustice.org/contactus
 Legal Aid Society – Louisville (15 county area around &
south of Louisville)
 (800) 292-1862 or www.laslou.org
 Kentucky Legal Aid (South Central & Western KY)
 (800) 782-1924 or www.klaid.org
 AppalReD Legal Aid (Southeastern KY)
 (866) 277-5733 or www.ardfky.org
 Legal Aid of the Bluegrass (Northeastern & Central KY)
 (800) 888-8189 or www.lablaw.org
The “Big Three” and Then Some
What is this?
384 U.S. 436
A. Coordinates to some place really cool
B. My locker combination
C. A legal citation
Miranda v. Arizona
 This is a published opinion: 384 U.S. 436
 1966 U.S. LEXIS 2817
 Parallel Citations: 86 S. Ct. 1602; 16 L. Ed. 2d 694; 10
Ohio Misc. 9; 36 Ohio Op. 2d 237; 10 A.L.R.3d 974
384 U.S. 436
Page Number
Volume Number
United States Reports
(title)
Resource: How to Read a Legal Citation and LegalCitation.net
Unlisted Number?
 An example of an unpublished opinion:
Liebeck v. McDonald’s
(The “Hot Coffee” Lawsuit)
 1995 WL 360309
 1994 Extra LEXIS 23
 Bernalillo County,. N.M. Dist. Ct. Aug. 18, 1994
 No. D-202 CV-93-02419
Making a Federal Case Out of It
 Free resource: Justia (http://dockets.justia.com/)
 Federal cases from 2004 to present
 Miranda v. Arizona (Search Supreme Court by year)
 Class action lawsuit against Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing, Inc.
 Low-cost resource: PACER (www.pacer.gov)
 Public Access to Court Electronic Records
 Archive varies by court, some back to 1950
 No registration fee, 10¢ per page downloaded. Audio files of court hearings
are $2.40 per file. Credit card required for registration.
 Free training resources http://www.pacer.gov/training/display.html
 Geographic boundaries of U.S. Federal Courts
http://www.pacer.gov/map.html
 Resource: How to Read a Legal Opinion
Keys to the Commonwealth
 Kentucky Court of Justice (Case Search here)
 Must search by county. Documents not available online.
 Gives you case number and most recent docket events.
 Must go to court directly to obtain documents or hire a runner (e.g.
Westlaw Court Express or Lexis CourtLink)
 ePay = Certain court fines & fees can be paid online, except in
Harlan, Logan, Menifee and Wayne counties
 VINELink = Victim Information and Notification Everyday
 This service allows crime victims to obtain timely and reliable information
about criminal cases and the custody status of offenders 24 hours a day.
 Free, but registration required.
 Resource: How to Read a Court Case
My Old Kentucky Laws
 Municipal Codes (www.municode.com)
 Free online full-text of Municipal Codes. Currently only a few
KY municipalities available. May be purchased in print for a fee.
 Law Library of Congress
 Guide to Kentucky Law Online – Constitution, Executive,
Judicial, Legislative, Legal Guides, General Sources
 DumbLaws.com → Kentucky
 KRS 436.600 - One may not dye a duckling blue and offer
it for sale unless more than six are for sale at once.
 Consult Kentucky Revised Statutes to see if true.
Something for Everybody
 USA.gov – find government agencies, a good general
resource for consumer concerns and civics inquiries.
 THOMAS from the Library of Congress – legislative
information for House of Representative & Senate.
 Breaking News: 9/19/2012 – THOMAS to be replaced by
Congress.gov
 Federal Register – The Daily Journal of the U.S. Government
 FDsys – Federal Digital System, formerly GPO Access. Use
to access Code of Federal Regulations back to 1996, United
States Code to 1994, among other Federal government
information.
Misc. Free Online Legal Resources
Above the Law (www.abovethelaw.com)
2. American Bar Association (www.americanbar.org)
3. Blawg (www.blawg.com)
4. Courthouse News Service (www.courthousenews.com)
5. FindLaw (www.findlaw.com)
6. Google Scholar (http://scholar.google.com)
7. Jurist (http://jurist.org)
8. Kentucky Bar Association (www.kybar.org)
9. Law Librarian Blog
(http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/law_librarian_blog)
10. Legal Information Institute (www.law.cornell.edu)
1.
Three “Must Have” Print Resources
 Black’s Law Dictionary, 9th ed.
~$80.00
 The Bluebook:
A Uniform System of Citation,
19th ed.
~$34.00
 Legal Information Buyer’s
Guide & Reference Manual
2012 ed.
~$162.00
Other Print Resources
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The American Bar Association Complete Personal Legal
Guide: The Essential Guide for Every Household, 4th ed.
American Lawyer Magazine
Kentucky Legal Research Manual
Kentucky State Documents: A Bibliography of Legal and
Law-Related Material
The Legal Assistant’s Complete Desk Reference: A
Handbook for Paralegals and Assistants
Legal Research in a Nutshell
Legal Researchers Desk Reference
Notes for Other Print Resources
1. The American Bar Association Complete Personal Legal Guide: The Essential Guide for Every
Household, 4th ed. ($22.95, ISBN: 978-0-37572-302-5)
1. http://apps.americanbar.org/abastore/index.cfm?pid=2350246&section=main&fm=Product.Add
ToCart
2. American Lawyer Magazine. (Digital-only subscription $299/yr. Print & Online $445/yr.)
1. Items with a key icon mean you need a subscription, but there is some free material.
2.
www.americanlawyer.com/current_issue.jsp
3. Kurt X. Metzmeier. Kentucky Legal Research Manual (3d ed). Lexington: University of Kentucky ,
2005. ($128 used on AbeBooks, ISBN: 1587570459)
4. Kentucky State Documents: A Bibliography of Legal and Law-Related Material. ($30 print / $20
PDF, ISBN: 978-0-8377-1860-6)
1. https://www.wshein.com/catalog/345270
5. The Legal Assistant’s Complete Desk Reference: A Handbook for Paralegals and Assistants.
($199.95, ISBN: 978-1-61632-880-1)
1. Covers court systems and procedures, in addition to having other reference material.
2. http://apps.americanbar.org/abastore/index.cfm?pid=1620467&section=main&fm=Product.Add
ToCart
6. Legal Research in a Nutshell. ($39/Kindle price $15, ISBN-13: 9780314264084)
1. http://store.westlaw.com/cohen-olsons-legal-research-in-a-nutshell-
10th/163402/41004035/productdetail
7. Legal Researchers Desk Reference ($109, ISBN 978-0-9842214-8-6)
http://www.infosourcespub.com/book1.cfm
It’s a Small (Legal) World After All
 American Society of International Law (www.asil.org)
 Georgetown University Law Library: International & Foreign Law
Research – Basics
(http://www.law.georgetown.edu/library/research/guides/internatio
nalforeignbasics.cfm)
 Law Library of Congress
(www.loc.gov/law/help/guide/international.php)
 Legal Information Institute: Global Collection
(http://www.law.cornell.edu/world/)
 United Nations (www.un.org/en/law/index.shtml)
That’s (Legal) Entertainment!
1.
The Smoking Gun
2.
Los Angeles Times – Entertainment/Company Town
3.
The Hollywood Reporter – Hollywood, Esq.
4.
Variety
5.
The Wall Street Journal – Speakeasy
6.
UCLA Entertainment Law Review
Notes for That’s (Legal) Entertainment!
1.The Smoking Gun www.thesmokinggun.com – free
2.Los Angeles Times – Entertainment Section, Company Town
www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown – blog is free for a
certain amount of clicks per month, then subscription required
3.The Hollywood Reporter – Hollywood Esq.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/thr-esq - blog is free
4.Variety www.variety.com – most parts of website are free, some website
access may require a subscription
5.The Wall Street Journal – Speakeasy http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy blog is free, some website access requires Wall Street Journal
subscription
6.UCLA Entertainment Law Review
http://theentertainmentlawreview.com - subscription is $20 per year
THANK YOU, KENTUCKY!
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