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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.

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Taking the Fear and Loathing Out of Legal Research

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  1. Taking the Fear and Loathing Out of Legal Research Tracy Z. MaleeffSLA Legal Division, Chair 2012 KLA/KSMA Joint Conference Louisville, Kentucky

  2. 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. Disclaimers:

  3. 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

  4. The “Big Three” and Then Some

  5. What is this? 384 U.S. 436 • Coordinates to some place really cool • My locker combination • A legal citation

  6. 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

  7. 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 • An example of an unpublished opinion: Liebeck v. McDonald’s (The “Hot Coffee” Lawsuit) • 1995 WL 360309 • 1994 Extra LEXIS 23 • Bernalillo County,.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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. Misc. Free Online Legal Resources • Above the Law (www.abovethelaw.com) • American Bar Association (www.americanbar.org) • Blawg (www.blawg.com) • Courthouse News Service (www.courthousenews.com) • FindLaw (www.findlaw.com) • Google Scholar (http://scholar.google.com) • Jurist (http://jurist.org) • Kentucky Bar Association (www.kybar.org) • Law Librarian Blog (http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/law_librarian_blog) • Legal Information Institute (www.law.cornell.edu)

  13. Three “Must Have” Print Resources • Black’s Law Dictionary, 9th ed. • The Bluebook:A Uniform System of Citation,19th ed. • Legal Information Buyer’sGuide & Reference Manual2012 ed. ~$80.00 ~$34.00 ~$162.00

  14. Other Print Resources • 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

  15. Notes for Other Print Resources • The American Bar Association Complete Personal Legal Guide: The Essential Guide for Every Household, 4th ed. ($22.95, ISBN: 978-0-37572-302-5) • http://apps.americanbar.org/abastore/index.cfm?pid=2350246&section=main&fm=Product.AddToCart • American Lawyer Magazine. (Digital-only subscription $299/yr. Print & Online $445/yr.) • Items with a key icon mean you need a subscription, but there is some free material. • www.americanlawyer.com/current_issue.jsp • Kurt X. Metzmeier. Kentucky Legal Research Manual (3d ed). Lexington: University of Kentucky , 2005. ($128 used on AbeBooks, ISBN: 1587570459) • Kentucky State Documents: A Bibliography of Legal and Law-Related Material. ($30 print / $20 PDF, ISBN: 978-0-8377-1860-6) • https://www.wshein.com/catalog/345270 • The Legal Assistant’s Complete Desk Reference: A Handbook for Paralegals and Assistants. ($199.95, ISBN: 978-1-61632-880-1) • Covers court systems and procedures, in addition to having other reference material. • http://apps.americanbar.org/abastore/index.cfm?pid=1620467&section=main&fm=Product.AddToCart • Legal Research in a Nutshell. ($39/Kindle price $15, ISBN-13: 9780314264084) • http://store.westlaw.com/cohen-olsons-legal-research-in-a-nutshell-10th/163402/41004035/productdetail • Legal Researchers Desk Reference ($109, ISBN 978-0-9842214-8-6) http://www.infosourcespub.com/book1.cfm

  16. 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/internationalforeignbasics.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)

  17. That’s (Legal) Entertainment! • The Smoking Gun • Los Angeles Times – Entertainment/Company Town • The Hollywood Reporter – Hollywood, Esq. • Variety • The Wall Street Journal – Speakeasy • UCLA Entertainment Law Review

  18. Notes for That’s (Legal) Entertainment! • The Smoking Gun www.thesmokinggun.com – free • 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 • The Hollywood Reporter – Hollywood Esq. www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/thr-esq - blog is free • Variety www.variety.com – most parts of website are free, some website access may require a subscription • The Wall Street Journal – Speakeasy http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy - blog is free, some website access requires Wall Street Journal subscription • UCLA Entertainment Law Review http://theentertainmentlawreview.com - subscription is $20 per year

  19. THANK YOU, KENTUCKY! Slides will be posted on LibrarySherpa.com @LibrarySherpa on Twitter SLA Legal Division legal.sla.org

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