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Legal Research: New Jersey Case Legal Research: New Jersey Case LawLaw

Legal Reference in the Digital AgeLegal Reference in the Digital Age

Documents Association of New Jersey Documents Association of New Jersey (DANJ)(DANJ)

Fall Conference, 2010Fall Conference, 2010

Caroline Young, J.D., Caroline Young, J.D., M.L.I.S.M.L.I.S.

Rutgers Law Library-Rutgers Law Library-NewarkNewark

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What is Case Law?What is Case Law?

Cases are Reports Cases are Reports of judicial decisions of judicial decisions Primary authorityPrimary authorityPublished cases are Published cases are precedential: courts precedential: courts are bound to follow are bound to follow earlier decisionsearlier decisions

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Where can I find New Jersey Where can I find New Jersey cases?cases?

LexisNexis ($$$)LexisNexis ($$$)**-all-all

Westlaw ($$$)Westlaw ($$$)**-all-all

LoisLaw (www.loislaw.com) ($$)-1923-presentLoisLaw (www.loislaw.com) ($$)-1923-present

VersusLaw (www.versuslaw.com) ($)-1948-VersusLaw (www.versuslaw.com) ($)-1948-present (partial 1930-1948)present (partial 1930-1948)

Rutgers -Camden Law Library web site: free Rutgers -Camden Law Library web site: free archive 1995-presentarchive 1995-present

Google Scholar Legal-1950-presentGoogle Scholar Legal-1950-present

**Cost may be free if accessing through a libraryCost may be free if accessing through a library

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Where can I find New Jersey Where can I find New Jersey cases forcases for FREEFREE??

Best BetsBest Bets

NEW JERSEY COURTS SEARCH PAGE NEW JERSEY COURTS SEARCH PAGE (RUTGERS-CAMDEN Law Library) (RUTGERS-CAMDEN Law Library)

Google Scholar LegalGoogle Scholar Legal

Opinions on the Judiciary web site Opinions on the Judiciary web site

LibrariesLibraries

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NEW JERSEY COURTS SEARCH PAGENEW JERSEY COURTS SEARCH PAGE (RUTGERS-CAMDEN Law Library) (RUTGERS-CAMDEN Law Library)

http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/search.shtmlhttp://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/search.shtml

Supreme Court from March 1994 forwardSupreme Court from March 1994 forward

Appellate Division and Tax Court from Appellate Division and Tax Court from Sept. 1995 forwardSept. 1995 forward

unpublishedunpublished Appellate Division opinions Appellate Division opinions from Sept.20, 2005 forward. from Sept.20, 2005 forward.

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What’s the Difference between a What’s the Difference between a PublishedPublished CaseCase and an and an Unpublished CaseUnpublished Case?!?!

A published case is a case that is published in A published case is a case that is published in the official reporter and is the official reporter and is precedentialprecedential

All NJ Supreme CourtAll NJ Supreme Court decisions are published decisions are published

Some Appellate DivisionSome Appellate Division decisions are published decisions are published

Only a small percentage of Trial CourtOnly a small percentage of Trial Court opinions opinions submitted for publication are approved submitted for publication are approved

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Why Does it Matter if a Case is Why Does it Matter if a Case is Published?Published?

Unpublished opinions are not Unpublished opinions are not considered precedent in New Jerseyconsidered precedent in New Jersey

Note: Under the Federal Rules of Note: Under the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure unpublished Appellate Procedure unpublished decisions issued after 1/1/2007 can decisions issued after 1/1/2007 can be cited as persuasive authoritybe cited as persuasive authority

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NEW JERSEY COURTS SEARCH PAGENEW JERSEY COURTS SEARCH PAGE (RUTGERS- (RUTGERS-CAMDEN Law Library) CAMDEN Law Library)

http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/search.shtmlhttp://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/search.shtml

Enter keywords: “foreclosure and “predatory lending practices””

Enter Citation or Docket Number

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5 Results

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Google Scholar LegalGoogle Scholar Legal

1.Select Scholar in the drop-down menu under “more”

2. Select “Legal Opinions and Journals”

OR go straight to “Advanced Search”

*New Jersey case law 1950 forward

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Advanced Google Scholar LegalAdvanced Google Scholar Legal

Go to Go to Advanced Advanced Scholar searchScholar search: : http://scholar.google.cohttp://scholar.google.com/advanced_scholar_sem/advanced_scholar_search?arch?

Under “Under “Legal opinions Legal opinions and journals”and journals”, select , select “Search only court “Search only court opinions from the opinions from the following states:” and following states:” and choose New Jersey choose New Jersey

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Search Results: Google ScholarSearch Results: Google Scholar

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Published vs. UnpublishedPublished vs. Unpublished

Note this search is limited to New Jersey and we Note this search is limited to New Jersey and we only got 2 hits only got 2 hits

we got 5 on the Rutgers-Camden Law Library we got 5 on the Rutgers-Camden Law Library sitesite

Does anyone know why?Does anyone know why?

Google Scholar only has Google Scholar only has publishedpublished cases cases

Rutgers Law Library-Camden has Rutgers Law Library-Camden has published published cases and unpublishedcases and unpublished cases since 2005 cases since 2005

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Modern NJ State Court ReportsModern NJ State Court Reports

2 categories of reporters- official and unofficial2 categories of reporters- official and unofficial

New Jersey ReportersNew Jersey Reporters– OfficialOfficial

New Jersey ReportsNew Jersey Reports (N.J.) (N.J.) (Supreme Court decisions)(Supreme Court decisions)(1948-)(1948-)

New Jersey Superior Court ReportsNew Jersey Superior Court Reports (N.J. Super.) (N.J. Super.) (Appellate (Appellate Division and trial court decisions)(1948-)Division and trial court decisions)(1948-)

New Jersey Tax Court ReportsNew Jersey Tax Court Reports (N.J. Tax (N.J. Tax)(1979-))(1979-)

– UnofficialUnofficialAtlantic ReporterAtlantic Reporter – – contains the cases found in contains the cases found in N.J.N.J. and and N.J. N.J. Super. Super. (and other states: CT, DE, DC, MA, MD, NH, PA, RI, (and other states: CT, DE, DC, MA, MD, NH, PA, RI, and VT) (1885-)and VT) (1885-)

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New Jersey Earlier Court ReportsNew Jersey Earlier Court Reports

New Jersey Law Reports (N.J.L.) New Jersey Law Reports (N.J.L.) (1789-(1789-19481948New Jersey Equity Reports (N.J. Eq.) New Jersey Equity Reports (N.J. Eq.) (1830-1948)(1830-1948)New Jersey Miscellaneous Reports (N.J. New Jersey Miscellaneous Reports (N.J. Misc.) Misc.) (1923-1949)(1923-1949)– Includes cases not found in the two official Includes cases not found in the two official

seriesseries

Many “nominative” reportsMany “nominative” reports

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Basic Citation FormatBasic Citation Format

BrenmanBrenman v.v. DemelloDemello, , 191191 N.JN.J.. 1818 (2007)(2007)

Firstparty

Second party

ReporterAbbreviation (N.J. Reports)

“v.” for versusReporter volume no.

First page of case

Date of decision(no court is listed because it is clear from reporter name

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Sample Case from Google Scholar Sample Case from Google Scholar LegalLegal

Parallel citationsParallel citations

Star PaginationStar Pagination

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N.J. Court System/StructureN.J. Court System/Structure

Seven million new cases are filed in New Jersey's state-Seven million new cases are filed in New Jersey's state-level courts annually level courts annually (http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/process.htm)(http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/process.htm)New Jersey Supreme Court New Jersey Supreme Court ((New Jersey Reports)New Jersey Reports)Superior Court (trial court) Superior Court (trial court) ((New Jersey Superior Court New Jersey Superior Court Reports) Reports) ((Appellate Division and trial court decisionsAppellate Division and trial court decisions))– Appellate Division (intermediate level court of appeal)Appellate Division (intermediate level court of appeal)– Trial Court (right to one (1) appeal)Trial Court (right to one (1) appeal)– Tax Court Tax Court ((New Jersey Tax Court Reports) New Jersey Tax Court Reports)

NJ Courts webpage: http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/NJ Courts webpage: http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/

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Opinions on the Judiciary web Opinions on the Judiciary web site: site: http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/

Generally, recent opinions published in the last 10 days, published/unpublished

2020

Judicial WebsiteJudicial Website

Links to PDFs of OpinionsNote: These are Slip opinions

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LibrariesLibraries

New Jersey State Library: New Jersey State Library: http://www.njstatelib.org/Research_Guides/Law/Historicahttp://www.njstatelib.org/Research_Guides/Law/Historical_New_Jersey_Laws.php#reportersl_New_Jersey_Laws.php#reporters

Rutgers Law Library-Newark: Rutgers Law Library-Newark: http://law-http://law-library.rutgers.edu/library.rutgers.edu/

Any Public Library (or library YOU have Any Public Library (or library YOU have access to) with Westlaw Campus or access to) with Westlaw Campus or LexisNexis AcademicLexisNexis Academic

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New Jersey State Library: New Jersey State Library: http://www.njstatelib.org/Research_Guides/Law/Historical_http://www.njstatelib.org/Research_Guides/Law/Historical_

New_Jersey_Laws.php#reportersNew_Jersey_Laws.php#reporters

links to (mainly older) links to (mainly older) volumes of volumes of N.J.Law N.J.Law ReportsReports, , N.J. Equity N.J. Equity ReportsReports, and , and Atlantic Atlantic ReporterReporter available available through Google through Google BooksBooks

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Rutgers Law Library-Newark: http://law-Rutgers Law Library-Newark: http://law-library.rutgers.edu/library.rutgers.edu/

1. Click here for New Jersey Law

2. Go to the NJ Internet Law Guide

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Databases at LibrariesDatabases at Libraries

Westlaw Campus (Rutgers University Westlaw Campus (Rutgers University Libraries)Libraries)– Federal and state cases, statutes, and regs.Federal and state cases, statutes, and regs.– ALR ALR case-finding systemcase-finding system– KeyCite KeyCite citator systemcitator system– American Jurisprudence 2d (legal American Jurisprudence 2d (legal

encyclopedia)encyclopedia)– Law reviewsLaw reviews

LexisNexis AcademicLexisNexis Academic

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Westlaw CampusWestlaw Campus

Boolean Search capabilities

Lots of Databases

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What Free Sites Don’t HaveWhat Free Sites Don’t Have

1. Headnotes are summaries of all points of law discussed in an opinion

2. Case History-Is this case still good law?•Westlaw: KeyCite•Lexis: Shepard’s

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Case History on WestlawCase History on Westlaw

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NJ ORAL ARGUMENTSNJ ORAL ARGUMENTS

Supreme Court ArgumentsSupreme Court Argumentshttp://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/webcast/index.htmhttp://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/webcast/index.htmLive webcast Live webcast thirty-day archive of arguments in streaming video. thirty-day archive of arguments in streaming video. includes the opinions under appealincludes the opinions under appeal

Supreme Court of N.J. Oral Arguments Archive (at Supreme Court of N.J. Oral Arguments Archive (at Rutgers-Newark Law LibraryRutgers-Newark Law Library))

http://njlegallib.rutgers.edu/supct/http://njlegallib.rutgers.edu/supct/Archive of arguments older than thirty days, starting Archive of arguments older than thirty days, starting January 2005. January 2005. includes the opinions under appeal. includes the opinions under appeal.

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Thank You!Thank You!

Questions?Questions?

Caroline YoungCaroline Young

cyoung@kinoy.rutgers.educyoung@kinoy.rutgers.edu