Law that is issued by a government entity. Examples might include case law, statutes, and executive orders.
What is a primary authority?
100
A written opinion that expresses the views of the minority?
What is a dissenting 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
What you must do to a case name in a citation.
What is italicize or underline?
200
The requirement that a plaintiff in a 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
Time to eat children! or Time to eat, children!
What is Time to eat, children! (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
The format you should always use in the Discussion or Analysis portion of a legal memorandum.
What is IRAC?
300
The best source in the law library for locating case law that is on point.
What is a legal digest?
300
A reference to a particular page on which a quotation appears.
What is a pinpoint cite?
400
The individual Barack Obama just nominated to take a place on the United States Supreme Court.
Who is Merrick Garland?
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 or more citations to the same case.
What are parallel citations?
500
The place where you might look for Public Laws in the library BEFORE they are codified in the U.S. Code.
What is Statutes at Large?
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
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.