PRL 113 - Legal Research & Writing II

Credits: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 0
Practicum Hours: 0
Work Experience: 0
Course Type: Open

This course will cover and continue a more advanced introduction to legal research and writing including how to use a law library, perform legal research, analyze legal problems, and communicate research findings in the proper written format. Additional topics of law to locate and use both primary and secondary legal research sources, including federal and state cases, statutes, and regulations while utilizing computer-based legal research tools as well as print sources will also be included.
Prerequisite: PRL 102, PRL 103, PRL 112
Competencies

Examine Secondary Authority Resources
1. Explain Function of Legal Secondary Authority
2. Apply Use of Legal Reference Materials, Including Law Reviews and Journals, Legal Dictionaries and Legal Encyclopedias
3. Locate Information on Legal Topics in Legal Treatises, Including Hornbooks and Restatements
4. Retrieve Uniform Laws and Model Acts
5. Summarize Use of Practitioner Materials, Such as CLE Publications
6. Explain the Nature of Loose-Leaf Service Publications
7. Identify Appropriate Legal Directories
8. Retrieve Legal Secondary Authority from Print Resources
9. Retrieve Legal Secondary Authority from Electronic Resources, Including Appropriate Public-Access Internet Sources and Legal Information Services such as Westlaw
Evaluate Legal Analysis
1. Distinguish between Primary and Secondary Sources of Law
2. Cite Case Law and Statutory Law Correctly
3. Discuss Briefing
4. Locate Relevant Authority
5. Identify when a Case is on Point
Generate Appropriate Statutory and Case Law Analysis
1. Identify the Elements of a Statute
2. Find the Applicable Statute(s) when Presented with a Set of Facts
3. Summarize the Holding and Rule of Law of a Decision
4. Synthesize a Rule of Law from Several Cases
Formulate Legal Memorandum
1. Identify Irrelevant Background and Key Facts
2. Write a Concise Fact Statement
3. Describe the Legal Issues Presented by a Set of Facts
4. Write an Accurate Analysis of the Legal Issues Presented by a Set of Facts
Research Validation
1. Explain the Objective of Cite-Checking
2. Use Appropriate Legal Cite-Checking Tools, in both Print and Electronic Formats
Critique Legal Documents
1. Illustrate Appropriate Editing and Proofreading Skills
2. Demonstrate Effective and Accurate Professional Legal Writing Skills
Evaluate Federal and State Appeals
1. Describe Steps in Federal and State Appellate Process
2. Distinguish Proper Legal Documents in Federal and State Appellate Processes