A Practical Guide To Legal Research And Analysis For Paralegal And Legal Studies Students

Phillips's A Practical Guide to Legal Research and Analysis for Paralegal and Legal Studies Students distills legal analysis and research to a series of concrete skills that can be acquired chapter-by-chapter. The approachable writing style invites students to engage in active thinking and questioning. The text introduces skills and patterns of legal analysis in small pieces so students can master them bit by bit, with ample opportunity to practice using the creative end-of-chapter exercises. Students are guided step-by-step through an analysis exercise so that they can replicate the process. Students then practice the process in an end-of-chapter exercise, and later use the skill in drafting a memo or a motion as explained in the last two chapters. The book's conversational style makes it easy to read and makes legal analysis easy to grasp.

Designed as a comprehensive resource, The Pocket Guide to Legal Research is a desk reference for use by paralegal students, practicing paralegals, legal assistants, and attorneys. The easy to understand format allows the user to quickly obtain the answer to many commonly encountered research questions regarding case, statutory, secondary authority, Internet research, and legal citation. Complete with a glossary of relevant legal research, and appendices covering court opinion, elements of statute, and a research source chart; The Pocket Guide to Legal Research is the most comprehensive guide available on legal research. Written in a non-technical manner, this book will ease the transition from student to professional, and will remain a valuable resource in a legal setting.

The completely revised and updated fourth edition of the most trusted paralegal desk references on the market. Now fully revised and expanded: the bestselling desk reference for paralegals at any level. Each chapter has been completely updated to include the latest step-by-step instructions for every aspect of a paralegal's job, with new procedures, checklists, and resources throughout. Topics covered include: ? Paralegal ethics ? Training programs ? Court systems and court procedures ? Federal court practice and procedures ? Pretrial practice and procedure ? Legal research tools ? Electronic trial preparation procedures In addition to the general resources that will be of value to every paralegal, this guide also includes detailed information on practice and procedures for working in specialty law firms.

ALERT: Before you purchase, check with your instructor or review your course syllabus to ensure that youselect the correct ISBN. Several versions of Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products exist for each title, including customized versions for individual schools, and registrations are not transferable. In addition,you may need a CourseID, provided by your instructor, to register for and use Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products. Packages Access codes for Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products may not be included when purchasing or renting from companies other than Pearson; check with the seller before completing your purchase. Used or rental books If you rent or purchase a used book with an access code, the access code may have been redeemed previously and you may have to purchase a new access code. Access codes Access codes that are purchased from sellers other than Pearson carry a higher risk of being either the wrong ISBN or a previously redeemed code. Check with the seller prior to purchase. -- LEGAL RESEARCH, ANALYSIS, AND WRITING, 4/e fully integrates the basics of legal research, analysis, and writing, bringing together all the basic knowledge and tools students need to research and analyze a legal problem and communicate the results in diverse forms of legal memoranda. It provides many highly realistic research and writing exercises, as well as new tools designed to help students become more effective writers. Throughout, it clarifies the interrelationships among legal research, analysis, and writing, enabling students to experience the total process as it is performed in practice. Reflecting today's new realities, this edition also contains extensive new coverage of Internet-based research on both free and fee-based sites.

KEY BENEFIT: Legal Research and Writing: A Practical Approach for Paralegals introduces readers to the process of legal research and writing with a very readable, yet thorough, step-by-step approach. Students will become proficient in legal research through easy-to-understand text and helpful visual aids, the application of learned concepts to a recurring case study, as well as many practical and engaging problems and fact-based exercises. Utilizing both print and online sources, students will learn how to conduct legal research with maximum results. The text provides a unique guided approach to Westlaw® and Lexis® instruction and a comprehensive case study where students must apply the skills they've learned throughout the course. They will learn where to find the law, as well as how to effectively read, understand, analyze, and apply the law to any given fact pattern. In addition, detailed instruction is provided on the rules for quality writing and the important and practical skills of legal analysis, proofreading, editing, and cite-checking. In short, this book will equip the student with all the necessary tools needed to complete any basic legal research assignment. KEY TOPICS: Practical Approach, Research Fundamentals, Step-by-Step Process, Comprehensive, Case Study, My Law MARKET: For courses in legal research and writing.

The second edition of this popular text provides students with in-depth knowledge of the fundamentals divided into four parts: Introduction to Research Analytical Principles and the Legal Process; Legal Research; Legal Analysis; and Legal Writing. This approach meets the challenge that Paralegals and law clerks are increasingly faced with when called upon to perform substantive legal research, analysis, and writing tasks. Comprehensive coverage of the difficult areas of legal research, analysis, and writing, such as: conducting statutory research and analysis; how to cite authority; how to identify the key facts in a case; how to conduct counteranalysis; and how to prepare an interoffice memorandum and court brief are included. Numerous hypotheticals, examples, and exercises engage students, and make the subject matter easier to comprehend. The setup of this text allows for use in separate research and writing courses, or where both researching and writing are combined in one course, instructors can select the chapters deemed appropriate.

Bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world, A Practical Introduction to Paralegal Studies offers a thorough exploration of the entire paralegal profession. In a logical three-part organization, experienced author Deborah Bouchoux covers the fundamentals of the paralegal profession and the American legal system, along with the paralegal skills essential for success in the workplace. This engaging and well-written text provides the pragmatic and realistic information students need to hit the ground running. New to the Third Edition: All new Case Illustrations, Discussion Questions, and Internet Closing Arguments. New forms provided throughout the text. Up-to-date information on trends in regulation of the paralegal profession, including overview of innovative limited licensing programs in Washington and Utah as well as other proposals to close the access-to-justice gap. Updated coverage of ethics, including new trends such as alternative business structures, and cutting-edge developments such as nonlawyer ownership of law firms, litigation financing, use of social media, and whether internet-accessible advice and forms constitute the unauthorized practice of law. New developments in computer-assisted legal research, including the use of artificial intelligence and using free tools such as Google Scholar, GovInfo, Congress.gov, and CourtListener to access American law are discussed in Chapter 5. Significantly expanded section on e-discovery in Chapter 8, including a sample privilege log. New section in Chapter 11 on current disruptions to legal services, including alternative legal service providers and other trends. New tips and approaches to getting a job, setting “SMART” goals, handling tricky interview questions, and future-proofing your career, as well as an expanded discussion of soft skills needed to succeed on the job in Chapters 10 and 12. Professors and students will benefit from: Topical coverage that closely adheres to the nature of paralegal work Pedagogical devices that enhance learning, such as chapter overviews, key terms, marginal definitions, website references, case illustrations, practice tips, and chapter summaries Research exercises and Internet-based exercises in each chapter that mirror those performed by the working paralegal Charts, graphs, sample forms, and other aids to enhance learning