Whether for self-representation, to be an informed consumer of legal services, or to learn the U.S. legal system, more people than ever are using the library to obtain legal information and legal research advice. The new edition of Finding the Answers to Legal Questions is a comprehensive guide to help librarians confidently assist users in finding the legal information they need. Newly revised and updated, this timely, clearly organized, and easy-to-use resource is packed with guidance to help librarians answer questions that span the gamut of the law. An ideal book for practicing librarians looking to better serve users' legal needs, as well as for students preparing for careers as librarians, it provides an overview of fundamental legal information, including the basic structure of the U.S. legal system and primary law;how-to instructions for finding primary law in print sources, free websites, and pay-for-view databases;information on how to evaluate the trustworthiness of online and print resources;tips for conducting a legal reference interview;guidance for handling common legal questions, such as lawsuits, family law, landlord-tenant disputes, wills and estate planning, debt, bankruptcy, employment, and criminal law; andadvice on how to build a basic legal reference collection. This book will help librarians connect users to the most accurate, up-to-date legal information.

This book will help librarians connect users to the most accurate, up-to-date legal information.

With coverage of all the issues of the day—filters, fair use, copyright, Web publishing and Internet use, software sharing, ADA compliance, free speech, privacy, access, and employment and liability issues—you will have a "librarian's J.D." in short order!

A solid reference for both the everyday and the unexpected legal issues, written by practicing attorneys Law 101 is an essential reference that explains: How laws are made How the court system works How each area of the law impacts your daily life Key information for important questions: How does a lawsuit begin? How do civil and criminal law differ? When do state laws trump federal laws? What makes a contract solid? What can you expect if called as a juror? What can you expect if called as a witness? And other complex areas of the law that you need to know. No home reference shelf is complete without this indispensible guide. The new edition also includes information on legal subjects that have become more important recently, including alternative dispute resolution, privacy rights, and Internet law.

Legal Research Demystified offers a real-world approach to legal research for first-year law students. The book guides students through eight steps to research common law issues and ten steps to research statutory issues. It breaks down the research steps and process into "bite-size" pieces for novice researchers, minimizing the frustration often associated with learning new skills. This text also gives students context, explaining why and when a source or finding tool should be used when researching the law. The process of legal research, of course, is not linear. This book constantly reminds students of the recursive nature of legal research, and it identifies specific situations when they may deviate from the research steps. Through the book's step-by-step approach, students will connect seemingly unrelated tools (e.g., citators and the Key Number System) and understand how to leverage them to answer legal questions. Every chapter includes charts, diagrams, and screen captures to illustrate the research steps and finding methods. Each chapter concludes with a "summary of key points" section that reinforces important concepts from the chapter. This book provides students and professors with multiple assessment tools. Each chapter ends with true-false and multiple-choice questions that test students' understanding of chapter content. These questions are replicated on the book's companion website, Core Knowledge. Students may answer these end-of-chapter questions, as well as more advanced questions, on Core Knowledge and receive immediate feedback, including an explanation of why the answer is correct or incorrect. Professors can generate reports to track students' performance. Based on students' performance, professors will know whether to review a topic in more detail or to move to the next topic. (New books contain an access code to Core Knowledge; students purchasing used books can buy an access code separately.) Core Knowledge offers yet another assessment tool: interactive research exercises. These online exercises walk students through the research steps on Westlaw and Lexis Advance, giving professors the option to "flip" the classroom. Through many screen captures and tips, students can navigate both research platforms outside of class, allowing students and professors to dig deeper into the material during class. Each research exercise simulates a real-world research experience and contains self-grading questions. For example, in one exercise, students research on Westlaw to determine whether the client could recover damages against a neighbor for the emotional distress for the death of the client's dog. To answer the client's question, students must complete the research steps, including finding and reviewing secondary sources on Westlaw, using the Key Number System and KeyCite, and performing keyword searches. Professor support materials include a Teacher's Manual, sample syllabi, and sample research exams.

Steve Emanuel's First Year Questions and Answers consists of 1,144 short-answer questions, covering the six subjects usually taken by first year law students. Each question gives you a fact pattern, and then asks you to make a conclusion, usually a yes/no conclusion (e.g., "Is there an enforceable contract?"). Within each subject, the questions are arranged in approximately the order that the topics they cover occur in the Emanuel Law Outlines for that subject. Thus the Civil Procedure questions begin with questions involving personal jurisdiction, proceed to subject matter jurisdiction, then to pleading, and so on.