01/14 — Introduction

Topics:

What does ALR cover?
What are the requirements?
What is a Pathfinder?

Readings:

Finding the Law (FTL) (12 th Ed.), p4 -16

Optional Readings/Handouts:

01/16 — An Overview of Legal Information

Topics:
We will discuss the current state of legal information as it transitions away from tools produced in paper and increasingly becomes based on digital sources. The role of official and commercial publication of information will be examined and some questions will be raised that will recur throughout the semester. The origin and nature of judicial opinions will be explored. There will be some speculation on the nature of authority.

Readings:
FTL, p4-16
Berring, R, The Heart of Legal Information (pdf) (forthcoming) Try to read this over the first two weeks of class. It is not too long and heaven know’s its current.

Optional Readings/Handouts

01/23 — Judicial Opinions in the Real World

Topics:
The currently available universe of judicial publications. We introduce you to everything and then will speculate on what the future may hold. There will be more on the nature of authority in the law. A few words on the American Digest System and systems of classification.

Readings:
FTL, p18-63

In re Marriage of Mehren and Dargan: 13 Cal. Rptr. 3d 522 (Westlaw) or
13 Cal. Rptr. 3d 522 (Lexis) or Official California Courts (pdf) or Loislaw
118 Cal.App.4th 1167 or FindLaw

This is a short decision. Please read it so that we can discuss the use of authority in it.

Optional Readings/Handouts:

Dabney, Daniel. "The Universe of Thinkable Thoughts: Literary Warrant and West's Key Number System" in Legal Information and the Development of American Law. On Course Reserve.

Cases and Case Finding (powerpoint)

01/28 — Finding Cases: Electronic and The Problems of Free Text Searching

Topics:
Lexis and Westlaw
Boolean and Natural Language Searching
Lois
Versuslaw
Internet - Findlaw, Legal Information Institute

Readings:
FTL, p86 - 117
Dabney, Daniel. "The curse of Thamus: an analysis of full-text legal document retrieval." 78 Law Library Journal 5 (1986). On Course Reserve.

Survey: Searchers are Confident, Satisfied & Clueless (SearchEngine Watch)

Surfing is safer — and smarter — with flotation devices (Berkeleyan)

Optional Readings/Handouts:
Lexis: Connectors Lexis: Segments in Cases
Searching Cases on Westlaw (pdf)
Recall, Precision, Relevance and Fallout
Morville, Peter. "Information Interaction", Ch 3 in Ambient Findability.

Electronic Case Searching (Powerpoint)

01/30 — Finding Cases: Electronic and The Problems of Free Text Searching Cont'd

Topics:
Lexis and Westlaw
Boolean and Natural Language Searching
Lois
Versuslaw
Internet - Findlaw, Legal Information Institute

Readings:
FTL, p86 - 117
Dabney, Daniel. "The curse of Thamus: an analysis of full-text legal document retrieval." 78 Law Library Journal 5 (1986). On Course Reserve.

Survey: Searchers are Confident, Satisfied & Clueless (SearchEngine Watch)

Surfing is safer — and smarter — with flotation devices (Berkeleyan)

Optional Readings/Handouts:
Lexis: Connectors Lexis: Segments in Cases
Searching Cases on Westlaw (pdf)
Recall, Precision, Relevance and Fallout
Morville, Peter. "Information Interaction", Ch 3 in Ambient Findability.
Electronic Case Searching (Powerpoint)

02/04 — Citators: Shepards and Keycite

Topics:
Case Verification and Updating: Keycite and Shepard's

Readings:
FTL,p.65 - 84
William L. Taylor, "Comparing KeyCite and Shepard's for Completeness, Currency, and Accuracy", 92 Law Library Journal 2000-13
Jane W. Morris, "A Response to Taylor's Comparison of Shepard's and KeyCite," 92 Law Library Journal 2000-14

Optional Readings/Handouts:
Westlaw Keycite Tour

Lexis Shepards Tour

Lexis Shepards Tutorial

02/06 — California Cases and Depublication

Topics:
Official
National Reporter System
Daily Journal and Recorder
Lexis and Westlaw
Lois
Versuslaw
Web (free sites)
Rules on Publication

Assignment 1: (word) and (pdf) distribute 2/6, due 2/20

Readings:
Gerken, "A Librarian's Guide to Unpublished Judicial Opinions" Law Library Journal [2004-28]
California Rules on Publication - 8.516; 8.528; 8.1105; 8.1110; 8.1115 ; 8.1120 ; 8.1125
Proposition 32, 1984 Supreme Court. Transfer of Causes and Review of Decisions of 1984 (go to Ballot Propositions database and search for Proposition 32 from 1984)
9th Circuit, Rule 36-2 (Lexis)- Criteria for Publication
Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure 5th Circuit, Rule 47.5 - Publication of Opinions

Optional Readings/Handouts:
Barnett,"From Anastasoff To Hart To West's Federal Appendix: The Ground Shifts Under No-Citation Rules" 4 Journal of Appellate Practice and Process 1 (WL) or 4 J .App. Prac. & Process 1 (Lexis)
"Publication of Appellate Opinions" Ch. 11-F California Practice Guide: Civil Appeals and Writs (Rutter Group - available on Westlaw)
Anastoff 223 F.3d 898 (Westlaw)
Hart v. Massanari 266 F.3d 1155 (Westlaw)

California Case Publication (Powerpoint)

02/11 —Statutes

Topics:
Federal Statutes
California Statutes

Readings:
FTL, p119 -164
Online Sources for Federal and California Statutes
Dorsey, Tobias. "Some Reflections on Not Reading Statutes." 10 Green Bag 2d 283 (Westlaw) (Lexis)

Optional Readings/Handouts:
Searching Statutes on Westlaw (pdf)

Searching Statutes on Lexis

CALI Exercise: Forms of Federal Statutory Publication
Statutes (Powerpoint)

02/13 — Pathfinder Class

Topics:
Getting Started with a Pathfinder

Readings:
Getting Started with Pathfinder

Optional Readings/Handouts:

02/20 — Producing Judicial Decisions in California

Topics:
Ed Jessen, the Reporter of Decisions for the California Supreme Court will join us today. Mr. Jessen will describe what he does, how decisions are produced and what you should look for as a researcher. As the formats of legal information change, it will be increasingly vital to understand the root structure of the information.

Readings: FTL, p86 - 117

Optional Readings/Handouts:
CALI Exercises:
How to Find Case Law Using the Digests
American Law Reports

02/25 — Statutes Cont'd

Topics:
Federal Statutes
California Statutes

Readings:
FTL, p119 -164
Online Sources for Federal and California Statutes
Dorsey, Tobias. "Some Reflections on Not Reading Statutes." 10 Green Bag 2d 283 (Westlaw) (Lexis)

Optional Readings/Handouts:
Searching Statutes on Westlaw (pdf)

Searching Statutes on Lexis

CALI Exercise: Forms of Federal Statutory Publication

Online Sources for Federal and California Statutes

78 Law Library Journal 590 - 3 page question and answer on codification
Statutes (Powerpoint)

02/27 — Legislative History

Topics:
Legislative Histories, Statutes and Legislative History Online

Assignment 2: (word) and (pdf) distribute 2/27, due 3/12

Readings:
FTL, p166 - 200
Sources for Federal Legislative History
A Guide to Finding California Legislative History

Optional Readings/Handouts:
What's in the Congressional Record?: Anything your congressman wants (Slate, 11/21/2005)
Reporter Highlights Bush's Executive Decisions (NPR, Fresh Air 05/09/2006 - 26 minute radio interview with Boston Globe Report Charlie Savage)

Savage, Charlie. "Bush challenges hundreds of laws" Boston Globe, 4/30/2006
Gerken, Joseph L. Extracts from "What Good Is Legislative History?" On Course Reserve.
Research Federal Statutes and Legislative History on Westlaw (pdf)

Resources for Legislative History Research on Westlaw
Legislative History (Powerpoint)

03/03 — Legislative History Cont'd

Topics:
Legislative Histories, Statutes and Legislative History Online

Readings:
FTL, p166 - 200
Sources for Federal Legislative History
A Guide to Finding California Legislative History

Optional Readings/Handouts:
What's in the Congressional Record?: Anything your congressman wants (Slate, 11/21/2005)
Reporter Highlights Bush's Executive Decisions (NPR, Fresh Air 05/09/2006 - 26 minute radio interview with Boston Globe Report Charlie Savage)

Savage, Charlie. "Bush challenges hundreds of laws" Boston Globe, 4/30/2006

Research Federal Statutes and Legislative History on Westlaw (pdf)

Resources for Legislative History Research on Westlaw
Legislative History (Powerpoint)

03/05— Administrative Law

Topics:
Administrative Law

Readings:
FTL, p226 - 276
Sources of Administrative Law

Optional Readings/Handouts:
CALI Exercise: Researching Federal Administrative Regulations
Adminstrative Law (Powerpoint)

03/10— Administrative Law Cont'd

Topics:
Administrative Law

Readings:
FTL, p226 - 276
Sources of Administrative Law

Optional Readings/Handouts:
CALI Exercise: Researching Federal Administrative Regulations
Adminstrative Law (Powerpoint)

03/12 — Guest Speaker: Gary Peete, Librarian, Haas School of Business

Topics:
Business Research

Readings:

Optional Readings/Handouts: Business Information (Word)

03/17 — Guest Speaker: Paul Duguid, UC Berkeley School of Information

Topics: Information Quality

Readings:
Duguid, Paul. "Inheritance and loss? A brief survey of Google Books." First Monday, volume 12, number 8 (August 2007)

Duguid, Paul. "Limits of Self-Organization: Peer Production and the 'Laws of Quality." First Monday volume 11, number 10 (October 2006)
Duguid,Paul. "The Social Life of Legal Information: First Impressions." First Monday, volume 7, number9 (September 2002)
"Surfing is safer — and smarter — with flotation devices"

Optional Readings/Handouts: Benkler, Yochai. "Coase's Penguin, or, Linux and The Nature of the Firm." 112 Yale L.J. 369 (Lexis), 112 YLJ 369 (Westlaw), 112 Yale Law Journal 369 (Hein Online)

03/19 — Guest Speaker: Todd Bennett, Librarian, Thelen, Reid & Priest, LLP

Topics:
Legal Research in the Law Firm Environment

Assignment 3:(word) and (pdf) distribute 3/19, due 4/9

Readings:
Mark Herrmann, This is What I'm Thinking: A Dialogue Between Partner & Asssociate... From the Partner, 25 Litigation 8 (Fall 1998). Westlaw Lexis
Myriam E. Gilles, This is What I'm Thinking: A Dialogue Between Partner & Asssociate... And From the Associate, 25 Litigation 9 (Fall 1998) Westlaw Lexis

Optional Readings/Handouts:
Law Firm Presentation (Powerpoint)

03/31 —Legal Periodicals and Periodical Indexes

Topics: LegalTrac, Index to Legal Periodicals and other Periodical Indexes

Readings:
Sources for Law Reviews

Posner, Richard. "Against The Law Reviews." Legal Affairs, Nov-Dec 2004

Hibbits, Bernard J. " Last Writes? Re-assessing the Law Review in the Age of Cyberspace."

Solum, Lawrence. "Download It While Its Hot: Open Access and Legal Scholarship." Social Science Research Network, Illinois Public Law Research Paper No. 07-03

Optional Readings/Handouts:

04/02 — Foreign and International Law (Marci Hoffman)

Topics:
Foreign and International Law Materials in Paper and Electronic Format

Readings:
International Legal Research Tutorial
Is Foreign Law International Law?

Optional Readings/Handouts:

Researching International Law (Word)

04/07 —Foreign and International Law Cont'd (Marci Hoffman)

Topics:
Foreign and International Law Materials in Paper and Electronic Format

Readings:
Basic Guide to Researching Foreign Law

Optional Readings/Handouts:
Researching Foreign Law (Word)

A Primer on the Civil-Law System (pdf)

04/09— California Legal Research

Topics:
California Practice/Secondary Authority and Treatises

Readings:
FTL, p. 307 - 326
California Practice Materials Overview

Optional Readings/Handouts: None

04/14 — Court Rules

Topics:
Court Rules
Assignment 4:(word) and (pdf) distribute 4/14, due 4/28

Readings:
FTL, p277 - 306
Court Rules Handout

Optional Readings/Handouts: None

04/16 —Guest Speaker: Nell Petri, CEB

Topics:
CEB: OnLaw (best used with Internet Explorer)

Readings: OnLaw Users Guide

04/21 —Legal Research and Research Strategies; Online Update

Topics:
New Legal Research Tools and Tips

Readings:

FTL 327 - 337
Berring, Robert. Chaos, Cyberspace and Tradition: Legal Information Transmorgrified, Westlaw or BTLJ Website
Duguid,Paul. "The Social Life of Legal Information: First Impressions." First Monday, volume 7, number9 (September 2002)

Online Update

Optional Readings/Handouts:

04/23— Municipal and Local Law

Topics:
Municipal and Local Codes, Ordinances and Secondary Materials

Readings:
Egler, Peter "What Gives Cities and Counties the Authority to Create Charters, Ordinances and Codes?" 9 Perspectives 145 (pdf)
Levin, Marc."Local Law: A California Paradigm" 14 Legal Reference Services Quarterly 79 (Available on Course Reserve - Patron Services Desk)
Local Government Legal Sources

Optional Readings/Handouts:

Local Law (Powerpoint)