Three weeks ago I asked law-lib subscribers who teach Advanced Legal
Research ("ALR") courses what topics they cover. I
sincerely appreciate the several helpful responses I received.
Here is an unscientific summary of the responses I received plus the
results of my Internet search for syllabi:
Most courses cover secondary sources, including looseleafs,
a variety of practice materials, and non-legal directories and
business sources. The courses also cover advanced case
and statute finding, legislative history, administrative law (about
half covered regulations and decisions), CD-ROMs, the Internet, Lexis
and Westlaw. Frequently professors integrate print and electronic
formats by topic rather than holding separate electronic
classes--i.e. how to find cases in print and online versus how to do
legal research on Westlaw classes.
Most courses also cover one or more specific legal research topics
such as tax, foreign and international law, employment law, labor
law, bankruptcy, enivironmental law, criminal law, immigration law,
probate, indian law and mediation. I noticed that some professors
allow students to choose which topics will be covered or offer team
taught breakout sessions where small groups of students are
simultaneously taught about different types of topical research.
Many courses have some sort of guest speaker class. Usually
the guest speaker(s) is an attorney(s), who talks about legal
research in the real world.
A few courses cover state specific sources, medical sources and
public records. A few have classes about research and
professional responsibility.
A few professors ask students to keep journals or research logs.
Sometimes the professors ask students to answer very specific
questions about research. Other professors let the students
free write about their research. I also saw combination specific
question and free write journals.
I discovered a variety of syllabi on the Internet, so if you are
teaching Advanced Legal Research and are wondering what other
professors are teaching you might try an Internet search for
"Advanced Legal Research." Try more than one search engine. A
collection of ALR syllabi is available at
http://lawlib.wuacc.edu/syl/.
I also discovered several law review articles on Lexis and Westlaw
about teaching legal research. Ron Huttner told me about a
particularly interesting article by Lucia Ann Silecchia titled,
"Designing and Teaching Advanced Legal Research and Writing Courses,"
33 Duq. L. Rev. 203.
Again, thank you to all who responded to my e-mail. Good luck to all
of you who are teaching ALR for the first time (or the first time in
a while) during the Spring of 1999.
Felise Thorpe-Moll
S. J. Quinney Law Library
Unversity of Utah College of Law
thorpef@quinney.law.utah.edu
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