LEGAL RESEARCH I

Law A598/LIS 591, Fall Quarter

Course Home Page

Syllabus & Reading Schedule

Lecturer Mary A. Hotchkiss Condon Hall, Room 125 Tuesday/Thursday 10:30-11:10 am 

Office Hours: Tuesdays 2:30-4:30 and Wednesdays 9-10 am; or by appointment (UW) 616-9333 / e-mail hotchma@u.washington.edu

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Legal Research I and Legal Research II are designed as sequential classes, taught each fall and winter. These classes are cross-listed with the School of Library and Information Science. The fall course does not require prior legal research experience. This sequence gives students an opportunity to further develop their research skills by extensive assignments and an intensive examination of legal research tools and techniques. In the fall, students examine legal materials in depth, focusing on state law materials. Finding assignments and research projects focus on case law, statutes, finding tools and computer assisted legal research (CALR) systems. In the winter, students build on the knowledge gained in the fall, and focus primarily on federal materials, in print and online; topics include federal legislative materials, looseleaf services, and specialized research tools. The fall course is normally a prerequisite but can be waived with instructor's permission. Both are graded courses, with multiple assignments but no examinations. 

Mastering any research process takes time and practice. With luck (and hard work), by the end of the quarter, you will be a more confident, competent, cost-effective legal researcher! 

COURSE STRUCTURE AND GRADING

This course uses a combination of lectures, library labs, online training sessions, and hands-on exercises to alert each of you to the variety of tools and techniques used in legal research. Students will be expected to be fully prepared for each class meeting. At a minimum that means reading the assigned materials and completing class assignments on time. There will be a total of eight written assignments due throughout the quarter. The exercises will typically take under 2 hours to complete. The research projects will involve memos of 3-5 pages plus a research log. The research projects will typically require at least 6 hours each. 

Please read the syllabus carefully for both the distribution dates and due dates of assignments! If you must miss class, it is your responsibility to arrange to turn in materials on time and/or pick up class handouts. Unless otherwise noted, all assignments are due at the beginning of the class hour (i.e. 10:30 am) on the date due. All late papers, except those excused based on illness, will be penalized. *

Students are expected to attend at least 80% of scheduled classes. In-class participation is crucial for understanding the tools and strategies of legal research. Questions and discussion are encouraged and expected. Class attendance and participation will account for 10% of the final course grade.

Your final course grade will be based on the following criteria:

* For each assignment not turned in by the time due, you will be penalized 1 full point per day.

Grading Note for Law School Students: Students who began the J.D. program before Autumn 1998 will be evaluated using the grading system of distinguished, honors, pass, low pass, and no credit. All other J.D. students will be evaluated using the grading system of A, A-, B+, B, C, D, and F. "Honors" grades will not necessarily be capped at the top 35 percent. This qualifies as a skills course. Students who turn in assignments on time, demonstrate superior academic effort, and actively participate in learning will be rewarded. Please note: I have in the past given low pass (D or F) grades. 

Grading Note for SLIS and/or LL.M. Students: You will receive a decile grade for this class, with 4.0 being the highest grade and 2.7 being the lowest grade for which academic credit is given. "Honors" grades (3.7 to 4.0) are not limited. Students who turn in assignments on time, demonstrate superior academic effort, and actively participate in learning will be rewarded. Please note: I have in the past given grades below 2.8. 

Disability-related needs: To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disabled Students Services, 448 Schmitz, (206) 543-8924 (V/TTY). If you have a letter from Disabled Student Services, please present the letter to me so we can discuss the accommodations you might need in this class. 

ACADEMIC CONDUCT

While working on your assignments, you may often have to share materials with other students. Please be considerate. Ideally, you should reshelve most materials after use. At the very least, please do not remove materials from their original area. If materials are missing, (a) look around the copy machines, (b) check the reshelving areas on the upper floors, (c) contact me and I will try to suggest alternative resources. 

You will be permitted to work collaboratively on most of the assignments. However, each assignment submitted must be your own original work, drafted and written or typed by you.

The Honor Code of the School of Law, adopted in 1981, governs student conduct. Please read carefully: 

Section 2-201: A student may not incorporate into work the student offers for credit passages taken either word for word or in substance from work of another person unless the student credits the original author and identifies the original author's work with quotation marks and footnotes or with an appropriate written explanation. 

Section 2-202: A student may not offer for credit as the student's work any work prepared by another person.

The Student Conduct Code of the University of Washington, adopted in 1972, also sets high standards of academic and professional honesty and integrity. 

Legal research and writing relies heavily on careful documentation of controlling and persuasive authority. Deliberate failure to provide proper attribution constitutes plagiarism and warrants disciplinary action. 

OFFICE HOURS

Fall office hours are Tuesdays, 2:30-4:30 pm ,Wednesdays, 9-10 am, and by appointment. 

MISCELLANEOUS

Research and writing courses are challenging. At times during the quarter it will seem as if there is more work than can be humanly done in a 24-hour day. This is true for even the most organized among us! If you are feeling overwhelmed, please schedule an appointment with me. As we go over the class assignments, we'll talk about developing efficient research habits, including ways to divide projects into smaller, conquerable tasks. Remember that we're in this learning process together! 

FALL 1999 SCHEDULE OF TOPICS, READINGS, AND ASSIGNMENTS

Thur. 11/25 NO CLASS -- HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Feedback is essential in a legal research class. All papers will be returned promptly after receipt. It is the student's responsibility to notify the instructor promptly if an assignment will not be submitted when due. 
 

Top of Page