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Introduction to Legal Research for 1L's

This guide will provide an overview of legal research and strategy for First-Year Law Students

Why Use a Research Log?

Research Logs are useful for Legal Research because it:

  • Helps you organize, avoid duplication and save time
  • Provides a list of words and phrases that are useful in searching other materials
  • Facilitates construction of Bluebook or ALWD citations
  • Speeds your return to a specific resource as your research progresses
  • Allows someone who is familiar with the topic to confirm that you searched the relevant sources OR that you missed critical sources

Example Template

Research Log (Sample Template)

Facts:

Preliminary Analysis from Step 1 of Legal Research Strategy:

Jurisdiction:

Key terms:

Legal concepts:

Question:

Source

Title & author / Case name / Statute title / Website /

Database name

 

Date

of case or law or article / Date website was accessed

Location

Web site address

Citation  to case or statute or regulation or article

Best Search Terms

Results and Next Steps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Westlaw and Lexis - Search Commands