Fundamentals of US Legal Research

This online asynchronous class teaches students the key documents of the American Legal System and how to find and use these documents both in traditional legal research databases like Lexis and Westlaw and in the many free websites available on the internet. The class will also discuss secondary sources like periodical literature and legal treatises that assist in understanding and interpreting laws, court opinions, and administrative regulations. Students will learn how to use all of these sources in academic projects like seminar papers as well as in students’ everyday professional lives. Students will also learn to employ strategies to conduct their research efficiently and effectively. The course is designed for professionals and students (no JD/LLM/LLCM) who want to gain a thorough understanding of U.S. legal research methods to inform their work and studies.