Secondary Sources

Presented by Dolores Noga

McLennan Ross LLP

June 18, 2010

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Goals

Goals: - 3 r’s:

• Review• Reclaim• Remind

Classic six questions: • What, Why, Where, When, Who, and How

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What are Secondary Sources?

• Definition• Types• Attributes

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Why Use Secondary Sources?

• When• Who

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Where do I find out about them?

• Online portals:– http://www.llrx.com/features/ca.htm An online guide to doing

legal research in Canada, prepared by Ted Tjaden, a lawyer/law librarian in Toronto

– http://legalresearch.org/index.html Best Guide to Canadian Legal Research

– http://jurist.law.utoronto.ca/guides.htm A portal for research guides

• Recommended lists:– http://legalresearch.org/docs/gehlen.html

• Library catalogues

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How to Access Secondary Sources

• In print• CD-Rom• Online

– Commercial services– Free sites– E-reference– Google Books

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Focus on Specific Examples: Encyclopedias

• Halsbury’s Laws of Canada• CED - the Canadian Encylopedic Digest

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The C.E.D.

• The Key: – 11B is the volume– 55 is the title– 199 is the paragraph

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CED online

• Westlaw Canada in LawSource – http://home.westlawecarswell.com/

• Browse Tables of Contents or Custom Search Templates

• Browse works through a series of drop-down menus

• Search using template

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Focus on Specific Examples: Dictionaries

• Specific jurisdictions• Specific subjects• Specific types

– http://www.legalabbrevs.cardiff.ac.uk/– http://www.library.dal.ca/law/Guides/canabb.html– http://www.nyprr.com/

latin_for_lawyers_bookmarked.pdf

• Canadian Online Legal Dictionary– http://www.irwinlaw.com/cold

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Focus on Specific Examples: Rules, Procedural Guides

• Alberta Rules of Court– 2 vols. in print; also on QP website

http://www.qp.gov.ab.ca/display_rules.cfm; courts website for practice notes http://www.albertacourts.ab.ca

• Alberta Rules of Court Annotated • Alberta Civil Procedure Handbook

– http://www.juriliber.com/MAINHB2007.htm

• Civil Procedure Encyclopedia– http://www.juriliber.com/MAINCPE.htm

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Focus on Specific Examples: Forms and Precedents

• Alberta Court Forms– Available in print and CD from LESA– Courts website http://www.albertacourts.ab.ca

• O’Brien’s Forms– Print and online

http://www.obriensforms.com/nxt/gateway.dll/OBRIENS/obintro/1?f=templates$fn=obhome.html$3.0&vid=obriens:ob

• Specialized forms for industry groups such as insurance, sites for business forms

• Westlaw Canada

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Focus on Specific Examples: Style Guides, Research / Writing Manuals

• Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation• Sullivan and Dreidger on the Construction of Statutes • Legal Writing and Research Manual• Just Writing: Grammar, Punctuation, and Style for the

Legal Writer• Making Your Point: A Practical Guide to Persuasive

Legal Writing• The Globe and Mail Style Book

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Texts

• Can be introductions, annotations, treatises; are often in a looseleaf format

• Prepared by authorities• Have useful aids to their use – tables,

indexes, lists of cases, bibliographical footnotes, etc.

• Must evaluate each title• Identified through a library catalogue, list of

recommended texts, or referral

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Texts continued

• May be available online as part of a print subscription or through a service such as Quicklaw.

• E-Books• May have an accompanying newsletter or

email news service

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Periodical Material

• Newsletters, journals, reviews, etc.• Generally, are:

– Current– May be general or industry focused– Cover specialized topics

• Published by commercial publishers, industry associations, law schools, etc.

• Find where indexed– Eg. Canadian Bar Review on CBA website

• HeinOnline

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Papers

• Seminar materials– Sources include LESA, CBA, commercial

conference providers

• Law Reform Commission Reports• Websites• Firm’s Memo/Opinion Research Bank

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Case Law Summaries/Digests

• Comprehensive abridgement• Summary digests• Topical case reporters• Check for e-updates for various services

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Goals

• 3 r’s:– Review– Reclaim– Remind

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Questions?