Federal Legal Print Materials Legal Writing Prof. Glassman - - Spring 2011
Federal Sources Include - Secondary Sources Statutes, Constitutions, Court Rules Regulations Cases
Similar Ohio and Federal Resources –Primary Ohio Revised Code, Annotated United States Code Annotated (or USCS) Ohio Administrative Code Code of Federal Regulations Ohio St., Ohio App. And Ohio Misc Reporters U.S. Reports, Federal Reporter,Federal Supplement
Similar Fed & Ohio - Secondary Ohio JurisprudenceFederal Procedure, Lawyers Ed., (AmJur, CJS – states & fed) Ohio DigestFederal Digest Practice Books – ex. Baldwin's Ohio Practice Practice Books – ex. Wright and Miller, Federal Practice & Procedure ALR (all states)ALR Fed
Research Issue Whether an illegal alien is entitled to refugee status based on his fear of persecution and is entitled to asylum in the United States?
Public Law (Slip Law) (“Act”) Statutes at Large U.S.Code
Codification The public law then changes the statutory code to: bring all laws on the same topic together eliminate all repealed or expired statutes unite amendments with the original statute This process is called codification Visual example - Patriot ActVisual example
United States Code divided into 50 titles, often called codes Title 17 is the Copyright law Title 26 is the Tax Code
Official United States Code (USC) Issued every six years with annual update NO references to interpreting case law, regulations
Cross-references (to other USCA sections) Law review and journal commentaries Library references (to many secondary sources) References to topic and key numbers Texts and treatises Annotated Codes: USCA (West), USCS (Lexis)
History and Notes of Decisions Citation to Statutes at Large, historical notes Notes of decisions, summaries of cases interpreting the statute. For some statutes, decisions notes may be hundreds of pages long.
See sample documents, starting at page 2
Print Research Aids General Index Popular Name Table
United States Code Annotated Updates Cumulative pocket parts Interim pamphlets & statutory supplements include new public laws, recent notes of decisions (case summaries).
Administrative Sources – Regulations - Federal Register Published every week day, except federal holidays Contains Proposed and Final Regulations, arranged chronologically Lists CFR parts affected Federal Register
Code of Federal Regulations Regulations from the Federal Register are codified and arranged by subject in the CFR A regulation is cited by title, part, and section, i.e., 37 CFR (Title 37, Part 2 Section 167) CFR
Updating Regulations in Print LSA: List of CFR Sections Affected –Issued monthly –Indicates final and proposed changes made since the last publication of the CFR set –Free E-CFR on the web, current within one dayE-CFR CFR
See page 16 of the pdf document for an example of CFR
US Supreme Court - Print United States Reports – Official –Citation format :410 US 113 Supreme Court Reporter (West’s) –Citation format: 93 S. Ct. 705 United States Supreme Court Reports (Lawyer’s Edition) –Citation format 35 L.Ed.2d 147
Federal Reporter and Federal Supplement 13 U.S. circuit courts of appeal The decisions of the circuit courts are published in the Federal Reporter ® Citation format: 37 F.3d 300 Federal district (trial) level courts selectively published in Federal Supplement, Citation format: 75 F. Supp.2d 881
Other Federal Cases Federal Appendix Federal Rules Decisions Bankruptcy Reporter and Digests
Print Finding Tools for Federal Cases Federal Practice Digest (for all federal cases) US Supreme Court Digest; Digest of US Supreme Court Reports, Lawyer’s Ed References in treatises, encyclopedias, annotations in codes Shepard’s US Citations U.S. Law Week (Google Scholar or other free web database)
Federal Court Rules - Print Supplement to Title 28 USCA (civil), Title 18 USCA (criminal) Rules volumes USCS Federal Local Court Rules Soft cover annual compilations Federal Practice treatises
Agency Decisions, Orders Opinions Publication patterns vary – check for official reporter Commercial looseleaf services Agency websites – e.g.: National Labor Relations Board Decisions and Orders ;National Labor Relations Board Decisions and Orders - US Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Appeals Board DecisionsUS Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Appeals Board Decisions
Federal Secondary Sources Finding tools Commentary and analysis Persuasive authority Forms and practice aids
Legal Encyclopedias Broad overview of a topic Cites to primary and secondary materials Arranged Alphabetically Index, Table of Contents Table of Laws & Rules volumes
Corpus Juris Secundum (C.J.S.)
“Annotation” often called an ALR article There are annotations focusing on various narrow and specific questions of law Also, Annotations dealing with particular cases There is not an article for every legal issue, but the issues that are covered are very detailed and in depth AMERICAN LAW REPORTS; ALR FED
Federal Series (ALR Fed. ALR Fed 2d), 1969-, analyzes only federal issues. -- Sixth Series (ALR6th), Fifth Series (ALR5th), Fourth Series (ALR4th), 1980 – to date, analyze only state issues –Third Series (ALR3d), Second Series (ALR2d), First Series (ALR) analyze both state and federal issues
Finding Aids ALR Indexes Multivolume ALR Index –lists articles by subject matter –includes all ALR volumes, except those in the First Series ALR Federal Quick Index ALR Quick Index for ALR 3d, 4th, and 5th series
ALR articles Have jurisdictional table of cases – lists cases for each state or federal jurisdiction Also an outline, research references, index, table of laws and rules.
See pdf example at page 19
Updating ALRs: Step One: Check the Table of Laws, Rules and Regulations volume (Annotation History Table) to see if the article is superseded Step Two: ALR3rd-ALR6th and ALRFed - check the pocket part. ALR2d - Later Case Service. ALR - Check the Bluebook of Supplemental Decisions.
Treatises/Practice Books Focus on particular legal topic Examples: Wright and Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure Nimmer on Copyright:
How to find Treatises Library Catalog, ScholarScholar Library Research GuidesResearch Guides Major Legal Treatises and Services by Subject Ask the Librarian
See pdf – example of practice book at page 28
Research Guides Federal Legal Materials Legislative History Research Guide Civil Procedure Resource Guide Evidence Law Resource Guide