Question 1

Annotations in American Law Reports can be found using the _________________________________.

Accepted Answer

A.L.R. Quick Index. The A.L.R. Quick Index is the primary guide for finding annotations on a particular topic in American Law Reports. It covers A.L.R.3d and A.L.R.4th.

Question 2

The American Law Reports series that covers federal cases is called _________________________________.

Accepted Answer

The American Law Reports series that covers federal cases is called A.L.R. Federal. The other answer choices do not list the correct name of the series.

Question 3

The Restatements of Law are _________________________________.

Accepted Answer

Produced by the American Law Institute and provide systematically organized sets of rules in major areas of law. The American Law Institute publishes the Restatements of Law on many legal topics, such as contracts, torts, agency, and judgments. The drafters of the Restatements consider cases from many states and synthesize rule statements for the rules in each area of law and organize the rules in a systematic way.

Question 4

Under The Bluebook, an Internet citation provides the Internet address (the "Uniform Resource Locator" or "URL"). The URL may be used exactly as it appears in the web browser's address bar ______________________________________________________.

Accepted Answer

If the URL is straightforward and relatively short. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation R. 18.2.1(a), at 154 (Columbia Law Review Ass'n et al. eds., 18th ed. 2005) ("If the URL is straightforward [and does not contain non-textual characters], then cite the entire URL as it appears in the address bar of the browser.").

Question 5

One of the most well-known legal dictionaries is _________________________________.

Accepted Answer

Black's Law Dictionary. The two most well-known law dictionaries are Black's Law Dictionary and Ballantine's Law Dictionary.

Question 6

A treatise is _________________________________.

Accepted Answer

A treatise is a term used to refer to a single-volume text on an area of law. The other answer choices do not correctly describe a treatise.

Question 7

Law reviews and legal journals are _________________________________.

Accepted Answer

Law reviews and legal journals are a source of articles, usually written by law professors, that can provide persuasive authorities. The other answer choices do not correctly describe law reviews and legal journals.

Question 8

Performing legal research requires _________________________________.

Accepted Answer

Technical skills in finding and citing the law and substantive skills in briefing cases and summarizing legal authorities. Both technical skills and substantive skills are necessary to perform legal research and prepare legal memoranda.

Question 9

Which of the following uses a correct citation format for Title 26, Section 501(c)(3) with an explanatory parenthetical phrase?

Accepted Answer

26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) (authorizing tax-exemption for non-profit organizations). Explanatory phrases may be used to show the title and section number where a session law is codified, useful dates, whether invalidated, repealed, or amended, and "any other relevant information." The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation R. 12.7, at 106-7 (Columbia Law Review Ass'n et al. eds., 18th ed. 2005). Answers A and B are incorrect because they do not include the year. Answer C is incorrect because the parenthetical information is not relevant. The Internal Revenue Code is codified under Title 26 of the U.S. Code. Citations to Title 26 may (and often do) use "I.R.C." in place of "26 U.S.C."

Question 10

For purposes of understanding case law, a majority opinion is an _______________________.

Accepted Answer

Opinion issued by more than one-half of the judges hearing an appeal. "[M]ajority opinion. An opinion joined by more than half the judges considering a given case." Black's Law Dictionary 502, 503 (2d Pocket Ed. 2001).

Question 11

Two essential steps at the beginning of any legal research project are ________________________ and ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Identifying the facts of the client's case; identifying the legal issues of the client's case. Since one of the major purposes of legal research is to find law that is relevant to the client's case, two essential steps in finding law relevant to the client's case are identifying the facts of the client's case and identifying the legal issues of the client's case.

Question 12

Two basic approaches to finding the law are ________________________ and ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The topic method; the case method. The topic method uses a research tool, such as a digest, to find cases and statutes related to a topic or issue. The case method starts with a case that the researcher already has or knows is relevant to the client's case.

Question 13

Under The Bluebook, the word "Company" when used in a case name is abbreviated as ________________.

Accepted Answer

Co. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation tbl. 6 (Columbia Law Review Ass'n et al. eds., 18th ed. 2005).

Question 14

A headnote is a(n) ____________________.

Accepted Answer

A brief summary of a point of law as discussed in a judicial opinion and printed before the opinion in a case reporter. Headnotes are useful research aids that help researchers identify cases and issues discussed within cases that are relevant to the researcher's research project.

Question 15

Headnotes are organized by topic in ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Digests. Digests are organized under an outline of the law and systems, such as West's Topic and Key Number System, to allow researchers to locate cases relevant to a topic or issue.

Question 16

Digests are ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Compilations of the headnotes prepared for judicial opinions that are organized under an outline by topic and subtopic. Digests are research tools that allow researchers to identify cases that are relevant to the topics and issues in a client's case.

Question 17

Legal publishers create digests for ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Every case law reporter series. Legal publishers compile digests of the headnotes for cases in every case law reporter series.

Question 18

Under The Bluebook, a parallel citation to an Internet source may be used ______________________________________________________.

Accepted Answer

If the Internet citation will substantially improve access to the source. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation R. 18.2.2(a), at 155 (Columbia Law Review Ass'n et al. eds., 18th ed. 2005). An example would be a newsletter mailed to members of an organization and posted on the organization's website.

Question 19

As an additional research tool, most digests include a(n) ___________________ and a(n) ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Table of cases; descriptive word index. Most reporters include a table of cases, which allows a researcher to find cases by the names of parties, and a descriptive word index, which aids in identifying the topic area. Some digests include a words and phrases section, which provides the meanings of words used in the digest, but words and phrases sections are less common than tables of cases and descriptive word indexes. Thus, Answer B is a better answer choice than Answer A.

Question 20

Under The Bluebook, a direct citation to an Internet source may be used ____________________________________________.

Accepted Answer

If the source does not exist in printed format or on a commercial database. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation R. 18.2.3(a), at 156 (Columbia Law Review Ass'n et al. eds., 18th ed. 2005).

Quiz 8: Research