Advanced Citations
On the Case!
Writing Pros and Cons
Secondary
Sources
The Statutes of Liberty
100
The source to consult when you want to know the proper way to cite when practicing in an Ohio court.
What is the Supreme Court of Ohio's Writing Manual?
100
Written opinions by justices who agree with the result reached in a case but disagree with the reasoning.
What is a concurring opinion?
100
Usually the best way to present facts in a case brief, legal memorandum, or trial brief.
What is chronologically?
100
The best place to start any legal research project when little is known about a legal topic.
What is a Legal Encyclopedia? Also acceptable, other secondary sources such as Restatements or American Law Reports. . .
100
Comprised of 54 separate titles, this is the official, codified version of our federal statutes.
What is the United States Code, or U.S.C.?
200
Do not cite to Lexis or Westlaw unless you find yourself looking at a case with this characteristic.
What is 'not print published'?
200
The name of the official set of books that publishes cases from the the U.S. District Courts.
What is the Federal Supplement?
200
Name the problem with the following phrase: "To emphatically argue"
What is a split infinitive?
200
The best secondary source to use when you need a definition for an unfamiliar legal word, phrase, or concept.
What is a legal dictionary, such as Black's Law Dictionary?
200
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 or grants allowing people to utilize federal lands.
What is a private law?
300
A great short form citation to use, provided it refers back to the citation immediately preceding it (i.e. there is no intervening citation).
What Id.?
300
The official case reporter for Ohio trial level decisions.
What is the Ohio Miscellaneous Reporter?
300
Name the issue with the following sentence: Having read the warning in the newspaper, my cat will stay indoors until there are no more coyotes.
What is a Dangling Participle?
300
The best source in the law library for locating case law that is on point. This system utilizes West's Key Number system to cross reference similar cases.
What is a legal digest?
300
The official publication for the Ohio Revised Code.
What is there is no official publication of the Ohio Revised Code?
400
A list of citations used to support a legal argument. Their use is disfavored in legal writing, unless you are attempting to demonstrate a broad acceptance of a legal proposition.
What is a string citation?
400
When an appellate court disagrees with the lower court's ruling and wants the lower court to reconsider the issues presented by the case, the appellate court will likely do this.
What is reverse and remand?
400
Lawyers have a tendency to use this when writing legal documents. It is not something laypeople can easily understand and often complicates your documents. You should avoid using it.
What is legalese or legal jargon?
400
A secondary source where you might find analysis of various legal issues written by law students, professors, and scholars.
What is a law journal or law review?
400
While not statutes per se, these federal rules are set forth by administrative agencies and mirror the Titles of the United States Code. These rules supplement our federal statutory system.
What is the Code of Federal Regulations?
500
Using the Supreme Court of Ohio's Writing Manual, this is the order of sources you should use to when citing an Ohio Court of Appeals case decided after May 1, 2002, that has been published in an official reporter, and has a WebCite.
What is (1) Ohio Appellate Reporter cite, (2) WebCite Number, and (3) West Regional North Eastern Reporter cite?
500
When a judge engages in discussion of law that is not officially a part of the holding of a case. Many times this discussion includes hypothetical situations.
What is dicta?
500
Attempting to restate the same concept over and over using different words to describe the concept each time.
What is elegant variation?
500
Highly authoritative legal opinions written by the chief legal advisor to the executive branch in the federal or a state government.
What are attorney general opinions?
500
The name of the statutory code in Kentucky.
What are the Kentucky Revised Statutes?
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