Materials from this week’s training for Fall 2013 externs are available:

• Slides – Approaching New Research Projects  LawNet ID required.
• Research Note-taking Template  LawNet ID required.
• UCI Law Library – Legal Treatises by Subject

Here’s a summary of our May 10 Legal Research in Practice Workshop, as well as selected material from the small group sessions.

Materials

• Model research paths for the hands-on examples: PDF (lawnet google account required)

When: 9:00 a.m. to noon
Where: EDU 1111

On May 10, the Law Library will offer students Legal Research in Practice (formerly known as “Boot Camp”), a half day of legal research training in preparation for their summer jobs.  The program will include plenty of hands-on experience and tips for dealing with common summer assignments.  

RSVP by filling out our online form to guarantee your spot. Space is limited. 

For students who are interested in tax and related issues, here are some research pointers based on a the Law Library presentation to students enrolled in Professor Lawsky’s Fall 2012 Federal Income Tax class. Highlights from the presentation include:

• Essential primary and secondary sources – see our Tax Research Guide
  • Hat tip to NYU Law Library’s Federal Tax Research for Beginners, with its useful descriptions of most primary tax sources
• Online research tools for tax include:
  • Checkpoint (RIA)
  • CCH
  • IRS.gov
  • HeinOnline
• VPN – required for many tax resources – is supported by UCI Law IT Services.

Related links: Slides and research assignment.

For students who are interested in IP issues, here are some pointers based on a the Law Library presentation to students enrolled in Professor Burk’s Fall 2012 Seminar on Author’s Rights.

• Develop a research plan and keep detailed notes about your search terms. See our sample IP Research Checklist, but note that you’ll need to customize your plan to fit your topic.
• Take advantage of Research Guides. Two favorites for IP are from Duke and Minnesota.
• UCI Law Library has a solid collection of IP Treatises in print and online.
• There is much more than Lexis and Westlaw! Don’t forget to check the Help screens in new research systems before you try searches because they don’t all work the same way.
• VPN is required for many specialized legal resources, and supported by UCI Law IT Services.

Here’s a short summary of the program, with links to selected documentation.

• Approaching New Research Projects: Preliminary Analysis and Secondary Sources. [slides]
• Off-campus access to UCI Law databases using VPN. Related link: Law Library Password FAQ.
• Tips: Bloomberg Law, Lexis, and Westlaw.
  • Request a Bloomberg Law password – form. (Updated link 7/30/2012)
• Hands-on research examples  [ Note-taking template ]
• Lunch and panel. Panelists were: Sheila Neville, Senior Attorney at Legal Aid Foundation Los Angeles; Michael Torres, Acting Assistant City Attorney at City of Newport Beach; Nathan Scott, Senior Attorney at California Court of Appeal, 4th District.
• Primary Sources
• Common Summer Research Projects [slides] Check the slides for starting tips on:
  • Dockets
  • Multi-jurisdiction surveys
  • Legislative History
  • Updating – taking an earlier brief, memo, etc. and checking for developments
  • Issue research
• Externship Program remarks from Laura Fry