DEFINITiON OF LEGAL RESEARCH the process of identifying and retrieving inforation necessary to s!pport "ega" decision#a$ing In its %roadest sense& "ega" research inc"!des each step of a co!rse of action that %egins 'ith an ana"ysis of the facts of apro%"e and conc"!des 'ith the app"ication and co!nication of the res!"ts of the investigation( p!rpose of "ega" research is to )nd *a!thority* that 'i"" aid in )nding a so"!tion to a "ega" pro%"e +riary a!thorities are the r!"es of "a' that are %inding !pon the co!rts& governent& and individ!a"s( E,ap"es are stat!tes& reg!"ations& co!rt orders& and co!rt decisions( They are generated %y "egis"at!res& co!rts& and adinistrative agencies( Secondary a!thorities are coentaries onthe "a' that do not have %inding e-ect %!t aid in e,p"aining 'hat the "a' is or sho!"d %e(NECESSIT. OF LEGAL RESEARCH Finding the "a' is an iportant part of "ega" research& %!t the a%i"ity to ana"y/e 'hat yo! have fo!nd and reach a conc"!sion or for!"ate an arg!ent %ased on it is 0!st asessentia"( correct"y assess the "ega" 'ea$nesses of the Eancipation +roc"aation rea"i/e that a constit!tiona" aendent 'as the %est so"!tion avai"a%"e Today1s "a'yers contin!e to !se "ega" research on a dai"y %asis to prepare the toadvise c"ients& negotiate 'ith opposing co!nse"& or pers!ade a 0!dge or 0!ry( research 'i"" he"p yo! )nd& !nderstand& andapp"y the "a'( +erforing good "ega" research in this 'ay 'i"" provide yo! 'ith the fo!ndation yo! need to proceed con)dent"y and achieve the %est res!"t for yo!r c"ient( Good "ega" research& ho'ever& is !ch ore than a research syste2 it1s a process Good "ega" research is intert'ined 'ith ana"ysis& !nderstanding& and app"ication 3one has not tr!"y fo!nd the "a' !nti" he !nderstands itSO4RCES OF LEGAL RESEARCHFinding too"s ena%"e a researcher to )nd and interpret "ega" a!thority( Initia""y& any researcherst!rn to too"s that provide s!aries of a partic!"ararea of the "a'( Soe e,ap"es are "ega" encyc"opedias& treatises& and the Aerican La' Reports 5ALR6( La' revie's and "ega" periodica" artic"es provide interpretation of the "a' as 'e"" as detai"ed artic"es on partic!"ar "ega" topics( These interpretations ay %e fo!nd thro!gh inde,es s!chas the Inde, to Lega" +eriodica"s( Restateents provide detai"ed s!aries of 'hat the "a' genera""y is or 'hat the restateent 'riters %e"ieve the "a' sho!"d %e( The citations to other a!thorities and annotations provided in "ega" encyc"opedias& treatises& Aerican La' Reports& "a' revie's& and "ega" periodica"s are an iportante"eent of their va"!e in the research process(There are a"so a n!%er of specia"i/ed )nding too"s that ena%"e one to search for re"evant ateria"s in priary a!thorities( The inde, vo"!es for stat!tes and reg!"ations copi"ations provide a 7!ic$ g!ide to re"evant r!"es and reg!"ations( There are a"so private"y p!%"ished version of stat!tes that are annotated( Case reporters contain the decisions in cases that have %een deeed iportant eno!gh to p!%"ish( Case digests ena%"e a researcher to "oo$ !p a partic!"ar area of the "a' and )nd a "ist of case decisions thatare *reported* in re"evant case reporters( If one has the coon nae of a "a' 5e.g.,The Lanha Act6& a pop!"ar nae ta%"e can provide a 7!ic$ reference to 'here the "a' can %e fo!nd in the stat!te copi"ation( There are a"so conversion ta%"es that a""o' one to "in$ a stat!te to the %i"" fro 'hich it deve"oped and the coentary s!rro!nding it8s approva"( Shepard8s Citations provides references to 'hen cases and "a' revie' artic"es 'ere cited %y another so!rce(Cop!ter data%an$s have provided the "ega" profession 'ith 7!ic$ and e9cient too"s to do research( LE:IS and ;ESTLA;& t'o proinent "ega" search engines& provide data%ases that have case reporters& stat!tes& "ega" periodica"s& "a' revie's and vario!s secondary a!thorities( State and specia"ty "a' co""ections p!""ing together diverse types of a!thority are no' appearing on CD#RO< and the Internet(SO4RCES OF LA;Sources of law eans the origin fro 'hich r!"esof h!an cond!ct coe into e,istence and derive "ega" force or %inding characters(It a"so refers to the sovereign or the state fro 'hich the "a' derives its force or va"idity(=ASIC A++ROACH TO LEGAL RESEARCHRegard"ess of ho' the 7!estion is phrased& the !ser is !"tiate"y as$ing 'hat "a' or "a's app"y to his or her sit!ation( .o!r )rst tas$& asin any reference intervie'& is to ana"y/e the inforation provided in order to identify the re"evant facts and to 'eed o!t the irre"evant( To deterine the re"evant facts& yo!'i"" !s!a""y need to as$ additiona" 7!estions( At this point& it is appropriate to %rie>y address concerns a%o!t the !na!thori/ed practice of "a'(? 4sing the TAR+