Official pronouncements of the law by a government entity (i.e. the executive branch, legislative branch, or judicial branch).
What is a primary authority?
100
A written opinion that expresses the views of the minority?
What is a dissenting opinion?
100
A writer of simple, declarative sentence, I am the author to emulate when engaging in a legal writing project.
Who is Hemingway?
100
The best secondary source to start off your research with when little is known about the topic you are researching.
What is a legal encyclopedia?
100
What you must do to a case name in a citation.
What is italicize or underline?
200
The requirement that a plaintiff in a federal court case must allege actual or threatened injury.
What is standing?
200
The name of the official set of books that publishes cases from the U.S. Supreme Court.
What is the United States Reports?
200
Let's eat Grandma! or Let's eat, Grandma!
What is Let's Eat, Grandma! (aka Commas Matter) ?
200
A secondary source you may use to find a definition for an unfamiliar legal word, phrase or concept.
What is Black's Law Dictionary?
200
A.L.R.4th
What is the abbreviation for American Law Reports, 4th Series?
300
The concept of following previous cases or precedents.
What is stare decisis?
300
Comprised of 54 separate titles, this is the official, codified version of our federal statutes.
What is the United States Code?
300
Issue, rule, analysis and conclusion.
What is IRAC?
300
Law school publications; publications of bar and other associations; specialized publications for those in the legal profession who share similar interests; and legal newspapers and newsletters
What are legal periodicals?
300
A reference to a particular page on which a quotation appears.
What is a pinpoint or jump cite?
400
The most widely used means to gain access to the U.S. Supreme Court from the lower courts of appeal.
What is a writ of certiorari?
400
Written opinions by justices who agree with the result reached in a case but disagree with the reasoning.
What is a concurring opinion?
400
A search method that uses symbols, word fragments, and numbers rather than plain English. This is the method commonly used on Lexis and Westlaw platforms.
What is boolean searching?
400
A secondary source you may use to get examples and instructions on how draft an agreement or legal document.
What is form book?
400
Two citations to the same case.
What are parallel citations?
500
Cases, statutes, constitutions and administrative regulations.
What are sources of law?
500
A law that affects only one person or a small group of persons, granting them some special benefit not afforded to the public at large. These are most often associated with immigration issues.
What is a private law?
500
The best research method to use when taking a look at encyclopedias, digests, or A.L.R. articles when little is known about the topic.
What is a descriptive word search?
500
Highly authoritative legal opinions written by the chief legal advisor to the executive branch in the federal or a state government.