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Law Refresher IA. Part IA Homework Review – April 2 Part II – April 23. Primary Sources of Law. Cases Statutes Regulations -------------------------------- Federal State. U.S. Court System. U.S. District Courts – trial courts
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Law Refresher IA Part IA Homework Review – April 2 Part II – April 23
Primary Sources of Law • Cases • Statutes • Regulations -------------------------------- • Federal • State
U.S. Court System • U.S. District Courts – trial courts • U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal – intermediate appellate courts • U.S. Supreme Court
Case Reporters • U.S. District Courts • Federal Supplement (F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d) • U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal • Federal Reporter (F., F.2d, F.3d)
U.S. Supreme Court Case Reporters • United States Reports (U.S.) • Published by U.S. government • United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers’ Edition (L.Ed., L.Ed.2d) • Published by LexisNexis • Supreme Court Reporter (S.Ct.) • Published by West
Case Citation Form Gonzales v. Williams, 192 U.S. 1, 24 S.Ct. 177, 48 L.Ed. 317 (1904). First number = volume of case reporter Second number = page number of first page of decision
Case Digests • Organized by legal subject • West key number • Includes abstract of case and citation to case reporter • Multivolume descriptive word index • Federal Practice Digest • Atlantic Digest
Why Can’t I Find the Case? • Trial court decisions – small % published • State trial court decisions rarely published (except New Jersey and Pennsylvania); courthouse copy • Case settled – no opinion • Jury trial – jury verdict form only; not published • Unpublished opinion • Written opinion but judge decides not to publish; copy available at courthouse
Federal Statutes • United States Code (U.S.C.) • Published by U.S. government • United States Code Service (U.S.C.S.) • Published by LexisNexis • Princeton does not own print version • United States Code Annotated (U.S.C.A.) • Published by West
Statutory Citation Forms 39 U.S.C. § 3001(k)(3). 39 U.S.C.A. § 3001(k)(3) (Supp. 2002). 39 U.S.C.S. § 3001(k)(3). First number = number of title in code Second number = number of section or subsection
Federal Regulations • Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) • Published every business day • Proposed regulations, final regulations and comments • Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) • Organized by subject
Regulation Citation Form 30 C.F.R. § 57.5001 (2002). First number = no. of title in C.F.R. Second number = no. of section within title Hint: If the citation contains a period, it is likely a citation to the C.F.R.
New Jersey Court System • New Jersey Superior Court, Civil, Family, Equity and Criminal Divisions – trial court • New Jersey Superior Court Reports (N.J. Super.) • Atlantic Reporter (A., A.2d) • New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division • New Jersey Superior Court Reports (N.J. Super.) • Atlantic Reporter (A., A.2d) • New Jersey Supreme Court • New Jersey Reports (N.J.) • Atlantic Reporter (A., A.2d)
Older New Jersey Cases (prior to 1948) • New Jersey Law Reports (N.J.L.) • New Jersey Equity Reports (N.J. Eq.) • New Jersey Miscellaneous Reports (N.J. Misc.)
New Jersey Case Citation ACLU of New Jersey, Inc. v. County of Hudson, 352 N.J. Super. 44, 799 A.2d 629 (2002). Parallel citation: first to the official state reporter, then to regional reporter
New Jersey Statutes New Jersey Statutes Annotated N.J.S.A. § 18A:73-43.2 (2002). 18A = number of title 73 = number of chapter 43.2 = number of section
New Jersey Regulations • New Jersey Register (N.J. Reg.) • New Jersey Administrative Code (N.J. Admin. Code)
Verifying Law is Current • Shepard’s • Shepardizing • By LexisNexis • KeyCite • By Westlaw
Electronic Availability • All published federal and state case law since 1789 (even some unpublished) • Nearly all codified federal and state statutes since about 1990 • All federal laws since 1789 • Nearly all law reviews since early 1990’s • Major law reviews since first volume (Hein)
Why Use Print? • Statutory research • Case Digests • Legal encyclopedias
Putting It All Together • Inexperienced Researchers • Let secondary sources guide researcher through cases and statutes • Secondary Sources • Legal encyclopedias • Law Reviews and Journals • Experienced Researchers • Statutes and Regulations • Then Cases
Law Refresher – Part IIApril 23rd • Secondary Sources • Law review databases • Legal encyclopedias