Massachusetts Practice ResourcesPrepare for PracticeSpring 2015

Class Outline

Getting Started

Practice sets & treatises

Continuing Legal Education materials

“The Red Book”

Staying Current

Bar Journals

Newspapers

Finding Practice Documents

Forms

Jury Instructions

Court Rules

Library Resources

Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries

Social Law Library

Research Guides

Workshop

Getting Started: Practice Sets & Treatises

Massachusetts Practice Series

Massachusetts Legal Practice Library

LexisNexis Practice Guides

Specialized publications

Handbook of Massachusetts Evidence

Handbook of Civil Procedure in the Massachusetts District Court

Massachusetts Proof of Cases

Massachusetts Practice Series • Print: KFM 2480 .M3

• Title List (Social Law Library)• Online: Westlaw

• 30 topics• References to primary

sources• Forms• Practice tips

Massachusetts Legal Practice Library

• Print: KFM 2930 P7…• Online: Lexis

• 8 topics• Corporations & Other Business

Entities• Criminal Practice• Domestic Relations• Elder Law• Guardianship &

Conservatorship • Landlord-Tenant Law• Real Estate• Tort Damages

• References to primary sources

• Forms• Practice tips

LexisNexis Practice Guides

• Print • Online: Lexis

• 8 topics• Administrative Law• Alternative Dispute Resolution• Civil Pretrial Practice• Civil Trial Practice• Criminal Law• eDiscovery & Evidence• OUI Law• Workers’ Compensation

• References to primary sources

• Practice tips

Handbook of Massachusetts Evidence(aka Liacos on Evidence)

• Print: Reserve KFM 2940 .H36

• Comprehensive guide to Massachusetts evidence law

• Covers evidence from opening statement to closing argument

• Extensive references to MA & federal evidence cases, statutes, and rules of court

Handbook of Civil Procedure in the Massachusetts District Court

• Print: Reserve KFM 2930 .P48

• Comprehensive guide to all aspects of civil practice before the Massachusetts District Court

• Citations to statutes and cases

• Tips on how to avoid “traps for the unwary”

Massachusetts Proof of Cases • Print

• Online: Westlaw

• “Two-volume encyclopedic treatment of the elements of substantive law that must be proved in order to prevail in civil or criminal cases in Massachusetts”

Getting Started: Continuing Legal Education Materials

MCLE New England

Massachusetts Bar Association

Boston Bar Association

MCLE New England • Print

• Search WebCatalog• List by subject (Social Law)

• Online: Bloomberg Law, Lexis, Westlaw

• Over 120 titles in 20 areas of law

• Program materials and texts• References to primary

sources• Forms• Practice tips

MassachusettsBarAssociation • Publications from CLE

programs for members• Search publications on their

website• Print or eBook

Boston Bar Association • Publications from CLE

programs• “Over 150 titles in 19+

practice areas”• Coursebook + CD recording

of the program

Getting Started: “The Red Book”

Massachusetts Lawyers’ Diary and Manual

Massachusetts Lawyers’ Diary and Manual

• Print: Reference KFM2470 .L35 

• Online (subscription): https://www.lawdiary.com/products/massachusetts.aspx

• “Bar directory of Massachusetts”

• The Legal Pages including Massachusetts courts, maps and judges supplement provides directory and other useful information for attorneys practicing in the Commonwealth.

Staying Current: Bar Journals and Newspapers

Massachusetts Law Review

Boston Bar Journal

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

Massachusetts Law Review • Print: Periodicals

• Online: Westlaw• Web: MBA website

• Lead articles, Case comments, Book reviews

Boston Bar Journal • Online: HeinOnline, Lexis,

Westlaw• Web: BBA website

• Articles, Point/Counterpoint, Legal analysis, Case focus, Practice tips

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly • Print: Reserve

• Online: Lexis, Westlaw, others

• Web: MLW website (subscribers)

• Recent decisions, opinion service, jury verdicts and settlements, FAST reporting of changes to court rules, statutes, regulations.

Finding Practice Documents

Forms

Jury Instructions

Court Rules

Compilations

Secondary Sources

Source: http://www.mass.gov/courts/docs/sjc/docs/court-sys-chart-2012.pdf

Forms• Practice sets

• MCLE publications

• Listing by topic (Suffolk University Law Library)

• Free forms! (Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries)

Jury Instructions

• Civil Practice• Massachusetts Superior Court

Civil Practice Jury Instructions (MCLE)

• Massachusetts Jury Instructions—Civil

• Criminal Practice• Massachusetts Jury Instructions

—Criminal • Massachusetts Superior Court

Criminal Practice Jury Instructions (MCLE)

• Criminal Model Jury Instructions for the Use of the District Court *• Web (PDF)• eBook• Lexis, Westlaw

* The only official jury instructions

Court Rules:Compilations

• Massachusetts Rules of Court (unannotated with reporter’s notes)

• Annotated Laws of Massachusetts (also Lexis)

• The Rules

• Massachusetts General Laws Annotated (also Westlaw)KFM2430 1958 .A42

• Massachusetts Rules of Court, State and Federal (2 vols.)KFM 2430 1958 .A42

• Rules of Court (via the Massachusetts Court System)

Court Rules:Secondary Sources

• Civil/Appellate• Civil Practice (MaPrac 9-9A)• Handbook of Civil Procedure…• Massachusetts Pleading & Practice:

Forms and Commentary (Lexis)• Rules Practice (MaPrac 6-7)

• Criminal• Criminal Practice & Procedure

(MaPrac 30-30B)

• Evidence*• Annotated Guide to Massachusetts

Evidence (MaPrac 20A)• Evidence Law & Practice

(MaPrac 19-20)• Handbook of Massachusetts

Evidence • Massachusetts Guide to Evidence

• Via the Court System website

MaPrac = Massachusetts Practice

Library Resources

Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries

Social Law Library

Research Guides

Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries • Website

• Laws by Subject• Laws by Popular name

• Laws by Source: Statutes, Cases, Regulations, Rules of Court, Executive Orders, Municipal Law, Agency opinions

• Databases!

Social Law Library • Website

• Research Guides• Researcher’s Toolkit• CLE Programs & Publications• Services for attorneys• Databases!• Massachusetts

Substantive Law• Massachusetts

Adminstrative Law

Library Resources: Research Guides

Handbook of Legal Research in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Legal Research

Law School Library Research Guides

Handbook of Legal Research in Massachusetts

• Print: Reference KFM2475 .H36

• Online: Bloomberg Law, Lexis, Westlaw

• The definitive legal research work for Massachusetts law.

• Sources, their history, and publications

• Helpful charts• Chapter 11 lists selected

resources by legal topic

Massachusetts Legal Research

• Print: KFM 2475 .B58 2010

• Basic legal research guide covering print and online resources

• Provides instructions on how to use the sources

• Helpful tips on specific topics in Massachusetts law, e.g. Jury Instructions, Court Rules

Law School Library Research Guides

• BC Law: Massachusetts Legal Research

• BU Law: Massachusetts Law Research Guide

• Harvard Law: Massachusetts Legal Research

• New England Law: Massachusetts Resources

• Northeastern Law: Massachusetts State Law

• Suffolk Law: Massachusetts Legal Research

• Western New England Law: Researching Massachusetts Law

Workshop