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Legal EncyclopediasA Crash Course
Stephanie A. Huffnagle
Review of primary sources/authority
• The law
• Binding on courts
• Examples
– Court cases
– Statutes
– Administrative rules & regulations
What is a secondary source?
• Persuasive authority
• Summary, analysis & critique of the law
• User-friendly language
• Cross references to primary authority
Examples of Secondary Sources
• Legal Encyclopedias
• Treatises & Hornbooks
• Legal Periodicals
• Restatements
• American Law Reports
Why should you consult a secondary source?
• Unfamiliarity with topic
• Broad overview (e.g. encyclopedia)
• In-depth analysis (e.g. treatise)
• Persuasive
• Cross reference to primary authority
What are Legal Encyclopedias?
• Broad overview
• Summary of law
• References to primary sources
Types of Legal Encyclopedias
• National
– American Jurisprudence 2d
– Corpus Juris Secundum
• State
– New York Jurisprudence 2d
• Subject Specific
– Encyclopedia of the American Constitution
Basic Format of a Legal Encyclopedia
• Main volumes
• Table of contents
• Detailed general index
• Various Tables
• Entries include narrative text with footnotes
• Pocket parts and/or replacement volumes
Before searching…
• Print vs. electronic
• National or State-specific?
The Fact Pattern
Searching a Legal Encyclopedia
• General index
• Table of Contents
• Entries
• Pocket parts
• With electronic editions, browse the table of contents or perform a keyword search
Example: NY Jur 2d (print)
Example: Am Jur 2d (electronic)
• Westlaw
The Next Step…
• Analyze entry
• Locate primary authority
• Find additional secondary sources
• Narrow or expand your search
Review
• So what did we learn?
Wrap-up
• Worksheet due next class
• Next time – more secondary sources
• Any questions?
References
• Putman, W. H. (2008). Pocket guide to legal research. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning.
• Gibson, E. M. (2004). Gibson’s New York legal research guide (3rd ed.). Buffalo, NY: W.S. Hein.