Legal research

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An IntroductionAn Introduction

The Fabric of LawConstitution, Common Law, Statutory, Administrative, Executive, Treaties, etc.

Federal, State, Local

The law leaves a “paper trail”

•Need to be able to figure out what has been decided/passed before (precedent)

•Need to know how current decisions/laws fit into that history

•Need to be able to find out if a 1945 court decision is still valid

•Increasingly, the “paper trail” is digital . . . .but the paper organization is still important

Reporters and Digests

Reporters = Chronological

Digests = By Topic

Reporters = usually one court (system), agency, or body

Digests = often combining of multiple courts, statutes, etc.

Federal Court Reporters

Supreme Court

U.S. Reports (U.S.)

Circuit (Appeals) courts

Federal Reporter (F., F.2d, F.3d)

District (Trial) courts

Federal Supplement (F.Supp, F.Supp.2d)

Federal Statutory Law

“Reporter” = Statutes at Large (STAT)

“Digest” = U.S. Code (U.S.C.) (U.S.C.A.)

Federal Administrative Law

“Reporter” = Federal Register (FR)

“Digest” = Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.)

Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo, 418 U.S. 241 (1974).

Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo, 418 U.S. 241 (1974).

Name of Case

Party initiating case (Plaintiff or Appellant) listed first

Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo, 418 U.S. 241 (1974).

Name of Case

Party initiating case (Plaintiff or Appellant) listed first

Book Series

(Reporter/Digest)

Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo, 418 U.S. 241 (1974).

Name of Case

Party initiating case (Plaintiff or Appellant) listed first

Book Series

(Reporter/Digest)

Volume Number

Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo, 418 U.S. 241 (1974).

Name of Case

Party initiating case (Plaintiff or Appellant) listed first

Book Series

(Reporter/Digest)

Volume Number

Start Page Number

Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo, 418 U.S. 241 (1974).

Name of Case

Party initiating case (Plaintiff or Appellant) listed first

Book Series

(Reporter/Digest)

Volume Number

Start Page Number

Date

Sidis v. F-R Publishing Company, 113 F.2d. 806 (2d Cir. 1940).

Lower Court Cases add indication of what court decided case.

Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn, 420 U.S. 469 (1975)

Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn, 420 U.S. 469 (1975)

Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn, 420 U.S. 469 (1975)

Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn, 420 U.S. 469 (1975)

Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn, 420 U.S. 469 (1975)