Legal Research

The end of the semester is approaching quickly, and many students are starting to look for summer jobs.  If you will be doing legal research this summer, it's a good idea to boost your research skills before you start your summer job so that you can hit the ground running.  CALI's online, interactive tutorials are a great way to improve your legal research skills.  Here are a few great CALI lessons that can help you shine in your summer job:

• California Secondary Sources:  This lesson covers how to use core California secondary materials, such as treatises, legal encyclopedias, and practice guides.

• Citation Form for Briefs and Legal Memoranda:  This lesson covers proper Bluebook citation formats for briefs and legal memos.

• Finding Statutes: This lesson will teach you the basic approaches to locating relevant statutes and includes review exercises to reinforce your understanding.

• Hold 'em, Fold 'em, Walk Away or Run: When to Stop the Search:  This lesson will help novice researchers recognize when it's time to wrap up a legal research project.

• Introduction to Search Logic and Strategies:  If you feel like you've forgotten most of the "terms and connectors" instruction from January, this lesson will help you remember how to devise a solid, relevant terms and connectors search on Lexis and Westlaw.

• Researching Federal Administrative Regulations:  If you've never researched federal regulations, this lesson will help you figure out how to manage a federal regulatory research project in a jiffy.

• Updating/Validating Case Law Using Citators:  This lesson covers how to determine if your cases are good law using KeyCite or Shepard's. 

If you're feeling nervous about your legal research skills, these lessons should help to steady your nerves and boost your confidence.  If you don't have a CALI account, stop by the reference desk and ask any librarian for the USF student CALI registration code.  You can also call us at 415-422-6773 or email ajwright@usfca.edu.