Legal Research: Citation & Sources
Bluebook citation, primary vs secondary sources, and legal research methodology.
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What is the fundamental difference between primary and secondary legal sources?
Primary sources are the actual law (e.g., statutes, cases, constitutions), while secondary sources explain, analyze, or summarize the law (e.g., treatises, law reviews).
What are the two major citator services used on Westlaw and LexisNexis to verify if a case is still good law?
The two major citator services are KeyCite (on Westlaw) and Shepard's (on LexisNexis).
In Bluebook citation, what short-form citation is used when citing the immediately preceding authority?
"Id." is used to cite the immediately preceding authority in Bluebook format.
What do the letters in the IRAC legal writing method stand for?
IRAC stands for Issue, Rule, Application (or Analysis), and Conclusion.
What is a pinpoint citation (or "pincite") in legal research?
A pinpoint citation directs the reader to the specific page, paragraph, or section of a source where the referenced information is located.
What type of secondary source provides a comprehensive, multi-volume summary of general legal principles across all U.S. jurisdictions?
Legal encyclopedias, such as American Jurisprudence 2d (Am Jur 2d) or Corpus Juris Secundum (CJS), provide comprehensive summaries of general legal principles.
What are the standard components of a full Bluebook citation for a published appellate court case?
A full case citation includes the case name, volume number, reporter abbreviation, first page of the case, and a parenthetical containing the deciding court and year of decision.
What are Restatements of the Law, and how do courts treat them?
Restatements are highly persuasive secondary sources published by the ALI that distill common law rules; courts frequently adopt them, effectively turning them into primary law.
When is it appropriate to use "supra" as a short-form citation under Bluebook rules?
"Supra" is used to refer back to previously cited secondary sources, legislative materials, or books, but generally cannot be used for cases, statutes, or constitutions.
Where are proposed and final federal administrative regulations first published chronologically before being codified?
Federal administrative regulations are first published chronologically in the Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) before being codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.).
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