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Advanced Legal Research
Prof. Elizabeth M. McKenzie, Ms. Susan Sweetgall,
2 credits day; 2 credits evening. This is a 2 credit hour class, limited to 20 students because there
are 2 hands-on workshops in 20-seat computer labs. The class requires: * 1 shorter paper,
reviewing a website * 1 long paper, a research guide, on a topic of your choice (can be on the
same topic as a seminar paper in a different class, a law review article, or a project. But it must
be approved by the professor. The research guide requires you to select, describe and review the
best resources for doing research on the topic you have chosen. * 1 research log listing all the
different materials you looked at and steps you took in preparing the research guide. You may
have looked at a number of resources that you declined to list in the Research Guide, which
includes only the true gems; this lists them ALL, briefly. * 9 worksheets through the semester,
and readings for class. You are expected to discuss in class the work you did in completing each
worksheet, which you complete before the class. The worksheets are the foundation of the class.
At this time, the required text is Where the Law is: An Introduction to Advanced Legal Research,
3rd edition (or most recent ed.) by J.D.S. Armstrong & Christopher A. Knott (Thomson/West).
Samples of both website reviews and research guides are on reserve in the library if you wish to
see what they are like. Be sure to ask for those on reserve for this class, as there are some guides
that are created by librarians that are quite different.
This course is designed to introduce upper class law students to sources and methods of legal
research that lie beyond those covered in the first year of law school, e.g., legislative history,
administrative law, etc. Attention will also be devoted to effective uses of computer assisted
legal research and to extralegal research tools and techniques that are such a significant part of
modern legal practice. Students will be required to write/develop a Pathfinder, a research log and
a brief database review on a topic of interest.
Enrollment is limited: 20
Elective Course
Meets Skills Menu Requirement
Meets Civil Litigation Concentration Requirements
Final Project Required