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    Darlene Lou E. Pagunsan
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    This document provides an introduction and overview of the CML 1101: Principles of Legal Research course taught by several law librarians at the University of Ottawa. It discusses the importance of legal research, an overview of print and electronic resources, the legal research process, and different types of legal materials including primary and secondary sources. Examples of legal cases where lack of proper legal research was discussed are also provided.

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    This document provides an introduction and overview of the CML 1101: Principles of Legal Research course taught by several law librarians at the University of Ottawa. It discusses the importance of legal research, an overview of print and electronic resources, the legal research process, and different types of legal materials including primary and secondary sources. Examples of legal cases where lack of proper legal research was discussed are also provided.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    83 views32 pages

    Legal Research Methodology PDF

    Uploaded by

    Darlene Lou E. Pagunsan
    This document provides an introduction and overview of the CML 1101: Principles of Legal Research course taught by several law librarians at the University of Ottawa. It discusses the importance of legal research, an overview of print and electronic resources, the legal research process, and different types of legal materials including primary and secondary sources. Examples of legal cases where lack of proper legal research was discussed are also provided.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 32

    CML 1101: Principles of Legal

    Research (Fall 2009)

    Introduction to the course and to the


    methodology of legal research

    Colleen Addison,
    Addison Alan
    Cecilia
    Fleichman,
    Fleichman
    Tellis
    Tellis, Law
    JulieLibrarian
    Lavigne
    Law Librarians, Brian Dickson Law Library
    Outline
    ƒ Introduction to the course and to me

    ƒ Importance of legal research


    ƒ Paper vs.
    vs electronic: advantages / disadvantages
    ƒ Legal abbreviations

    ƒ Pre-course
    Pre course questionnaire
    Who am I?
    ƒ Law Librarian / Instructor
    ƒ Part of the “helping professions”
    ƒ Role
    R l at the
    h Brian
    B i Dickson
    Di k L
    Law Lib
    Library
    Why this course is important
    ƒ Research is fundamental to a lawyer’s work
    ƒ But, more practically:
    – More opportunities for work/credit as a student: 
    • Ottawa Law Review
    • Law & Technology Journal
    • C di I
    Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic
    P li d P bli I Cli i
    • Internships
    • o bo o
    Pro bono
    • Legal aid clinic
    • Dean’s Legal Research and Writing Fellowship 
    Importance of legal research

    ƒ Rules of Professional Conduct


    • Rule 2: Relationship to Clients
    – “competent
    competent lawyer
    lawyer”
    Cases where (lack of) legal research
    discussed
    1 Lougheed Enterprises Ltd.
    1. Ltd v.
    v Armbruster
    (1992), 63 B.C.L.R. (2nd) 316 (C.A.).
    – counsel
    counsel has a duty
    has a duty to research all cases on point 
    to research all cases on point
    – the duty to inform the court includes a duty to 
    refer the court to cases which may contradict
    refer the court to cases which may contradict
    counsel’s argument, as well as those that may be 
    unreported
    Cases where (lack of) legal
    research discussed
    2 World Wide Treasure Adventures Inc
    2. Inc. v.
    v
    Trivia Games Inc. (1987), 16 B.C.L.R. 135
    (Sup Ct )
    (Sup.Ct.).
    – counsel’s failure to properly research and 
    understand the law may indicate negligence on
    understand the law may indicate negligence on 
    the part of the lawyer
    – here, this failure resulted in solicitor‐client costs 
    e e, s a u e esu ed so c o c e cos s
    being awarded against the lawyer
    Cases where (lack of) legal research
    discussed
    3 Gibb v.
    3. v Jiwan,
    Jiwan [1996] O
    O.J.
    J No
    No. 1370
    (S.C.J. (Gen. Div.).
    – counsel
    counsel has a duty to be competent
    has a duty to be competent and to keep 
    and to keep
    informed of developments in their area of 
    p
    practice
    – counsel must adequately research and 
    understand the law prior to giving advice to a 
    client or prior to appearing in court
    Brian Dickson Law Library website

    ƒ A quick tour of:


    www.biblio.uottawa.ca/ftx
    – Focus on the catalogue
    Focus on the catalogue
    Course Wiki
    http://legalresearchprinciples.pbworks.com
    Virtual Campus
    Virtual Campus
    The legal research process
    How legal research differs from
    research in other contexts
    ƒ You need to be:
    – Aware of legal materials; 
    – Familiar with multiple sources and different 
    Familiar with multiple sources and different
    techniques for each researching various types of 
    problems;
    – Able to search for primary authorities, as well as a 
    large range of secondary sources; and,
    g g y ; ,
    – Certain that your research is up‐to‐date.
    Information Satisfaction
    ƒ The Google approach (Eureka!)
    ƒ General info approach
    ƒ I don’t
    d ’ know
    k what
    h I want approach
    h
    Categories of legal research materials
    ƒ Primary authority
    – information in its original form
    information in its original form
    • judicial and administrative decisions, and enacted legislation
    ƒ Secondary
    y authority
    y
    – an interpretation of case law and/or legislation
    • textbooks, reports, government documents, articles, etc.

    ƒ Finding tools
    – Library
    Library catalogue, periodical indexes, search engines, legal 
    catalogue, periodical indexes, search engines, legal
    gateways/portals, case digests
    Paper vs.
    vs electronic research
    ƒ Advantages & disadvantages – your
    thoughts?
    ƒ Why you’ll need both
    ƒ When to use each method
    Paper vs.
    vs electronic research
    Print sources are good for searching for
    background information or for very broad
    terms, or simply when you don’t have a lot
    of $$$.

    Online sources are good once you have an


    idea of what you’re looking for, or when
    you have to search a very narrow term.
    But they can cost lots of $$$, so pick your
    source carefully!
    The Four C’s
    C s of good legal research:

    orrect
    omprehensive
    redible
    ost-effective
    The legal research process
    ƒ Basic steps:
    – Identify the relevant facts and the legal issue(s)
    – Work with specialized legal and non‐legal research 
    Work with specialized legal and non legal research
    tools and sources
    – Apply the law you find to solve the legal problem 
    Apply the law you find to solve the legal problem
    Types of legal research
    ƒ Research done by a legal scholar
    – Usually directed toward general conclusions
    – Broad/exhaustive searches
    – Attempt to find and discuss all relevant material
    p
    – End result: a critical piece of work
    ƒ Research done by a lawyer
    – Attempt to find and apply legal authority relevant to the precise
    question of client
    – More narrowly focused
    – Deadline‐driven
    – End result: a specific legal document, e.g. memorandum of law
    “FILAC”
    FILAC Approach
    ƒ Facts
    ƒ Issues
    ƒ Law
    ƒ Analysis/Application of law to facts
    ƒ C
    Communication
    i ti

    See Maureen Fitzgerald, Legal Problem Solving: Reasoning, Research and Writing, 3d ed. (Toronto:
    Butterworths, 2004) at 2-4.
    “FILAC”
    FILAC Approach
    ƒ Facts Correctly
    y identify
    y the relevant facts –
    sometimes obvious, sometimes not
    ƒ Issues But what if I don’t know enough about the
    ƒ Law subject at hand?
    ?

    ƒ Analysis/Application
    y pp of law to facts
    ƒ Communication
    “FILAC”
    FILAC Approach
    ƒ Facts Identify relevant issues to be
    researched. These arise from the facts,
    ƒ Issues usually stated in the form of legal
    questions that the client needs
    ƒ Law answered.

    ƒ Analysis/Application
    y pp of law to facts
    ƒ Communication
    “FILAC”
    FILAC Approach
    ƒ Facts Find
    Fi d th
    the relevant
    l t llaw.
    ƒ Issues 1) Use secondary sources – broad
    overview.

    ƒ Law
    2) Narrow in on primary sources.
    sources

    ƒ Analysis/Application
    y pp of law to facts
    ƒ Communication
    “FILAC”
    FILAC Approach
    ƒ Facts Apply the relevant law to the facts to
    analyze the way a judge would decide
    ƒ Issues the matter given the same set of facts.

    ƒ Law
    L
    ƒ Analysis/Application
    y pp of law to
    facts
    ƒ Communication
    “FILAC”
    FILAC Approach
    ƒ Facts
    ƒ Issues
    ƒ L
    Law
    ƒ Analysis/Application of law to facts
    ƒ Communication
    Communicate results of the research
    problem – be clear, accurate, concise.
    When can I stop researching?
    ƒ When you have completed the steps in
    the legal research model you’re using
    ƒ When y you have used a variety
    y of
    appropriate sources
    ƒ When you are finding the same
    authorities over and over again
    ƒ When cost exceeds benefit,
    benefit i.e.
    i e you run
    out of time
    Deciphering legal abbreviations
    ƒ What gets abbreviated?
    – Names of courts & tribunals, periodicals, 
    yearbooks, case law reporters
    ƒ McGill Cite Guide includes appendices with
    abbreviations
    ƒ Dictionaries of legal abbreviations
    ƒ Online legal abbreviation sources
    Online legal abbreviation sources

    ƒ Brian Dickson in
    in-house
    house binder
    ƒ *Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
    ƒ Liste des abréviations juridiques (U de
    Montréal)
    Summary
    ƒ Legal research…
    research
    – Can be done in print and/or online
    – Is not linear or necessarily straightforward
    Is not linear or necessarily straightforward
    – Requires an awareness of what primary & 
    secondary materials are and where they can be
    secondary materials are and where they can be 
    found
    – Can be frustrating and tedious at times
    Can be frustrating and tedious at times
    – Requires patience and practice!
    Exercises
    ƒ If we have time!

    ƒ Practice
    P i exercise
    i about
    b the
    h lib
    library:
    – Complete the first exercise in pairs.
    – Complete the second exercise individually. Hand it 
    in today OR at the beginning of next week’s class

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