Law 1104Legal Method

Electronic ResourcesCatherine FunnellNovember 2012

This weekElectronic Format

• Cases(Law Reports)• Journal Articles• Databases• Legislation

Google

• If you must use Google at least use Google Scholar or Advanced

• Allows for a much more structured search• More options than basic Google

Remember-use My UniHub!!For Logging in

Legal Citation-Journals

[2002] 61 CLJ 684

Year article was writtenJournal in which article appears

Volume of the JournalPage in the journal where article appears

(The article appears in the Cambridge Law Journal 2002,Volume 61 page 684)

Title Abbreviations?

Use this website to quickly find the full

title of an abbreviated journal or law report title

Find This

[2010] 37 Journal of Law and Society 387-411

What is the titleof the article?Hint! Use the Ebsco Link

Electronic Journals

• Have citation/title?-use the catalogue or databases

• Subject searching- Use databases

Databases-Quick Facts

Heinonline• -Used to locate journal articles• Does not provide cases(Modern) or legislation• English Reports(pre 1865 cases)Westlaw and Lexis Library• Access to legislation case law, journal articles• Also current awareness(status updates legislation

and cases)• EU legislation,cases,journal articles

Legislation-Westlaw

Searching by Title-Results

Arrangement of Act

pdf

Non-Amended Legislation

After receiving

Royal Assent

Legislation-By Subject

Status of the Law

Be awareof the staus of the

lawIn Force?

Databases/Cases

• Law Reports• Hundreds of law report series• Law library has many in print(in house use)• Electronic access-must log in to My UniHub

Legal Citation-CasesParty Names

• Party Names-Fisher v Bell

[1960] 3 WLR 919Date-Year case was reported

Law Report Series where it was reportedVolume of Law Report SeriesPage in Law Report Volume

Westlaw/Cases

BROWSE Feature-if you know the Law Series

Search Feature-Subject, Citation,Free Text

Cases-By Party Names

Case Analysis

Case AnalysisUseful for Summary

Update-Alerter

Cases-By Citation

Click on the Citation Text of the Case

Fisher v Bell

Cases and Journal Articles /Subject Searching

• Can do general searches-BROAD Results• Specific Searches-Narrow Search terms• Synonyms-Need to think of them

“fundamental rights”X The fundamental aim was to discuss her rights√ Her fundamental rights had not been upheld

Terms and ConnectorsBoolean Logic

• Most databases use terms and connectors• They help you to search more efficiently• Some of the most useful are :/p find in same paragraph/s find in same sentenceUse “ Quote marks” around a phrase BUT NOT Lexis!!Truncation employ*(employee, employer,employment)Spelling-organi?ation-organization,organisation

Cases/Subject Searching/Phrase“ Fundamental Rights”

Results

Use terms in context to

see how subject

phrase has been used

Journal Articles/Subject Searching

ResultsAbstract OR Full Text

Quiz Questions

Using Westlaw1. Regarding the Human Rights Act 1998. What does

s.6 refer to?2. Regarding the Citation (1842) 2 QB 851. Give the

names of the parties contesting the case3. Regarding the case of D&C Builders Ltd v Rees.

Where was this case reported?4. Looking at the Citation [1966] 2 QB 617 . Name the

solicitors represented

Quiz Questions

5. What is the Weekly Law Report citation for the case Collier v P&M Wright Ltd? Choose the correct one from the following

[2008 1 WLR 463[2008] 1 WLR 634[2007] 1 WLR 643[2005] 1 WLR 463[2008] 1 WLR 6436.Is the Criminal Law review indexed(Full Text) in Westlaw? In what year does

the coverage start?

Lexis/Journals

Title Name

Limit By Topic

Choose From Topics

Lexis-Journals and Subject Searching

Results

Large number of results

Add another term or phrase to Limit

results

Limiting Results

Searching the phrase civil liberty in the same paragraph as the word

terrorism

Fewer Results

Legislation and Commentary

Use Halsbury’sIs It in Force?

Status of legislationAmendments

Commencement Provisions

HeinonlineLaw Journal Library

Choose Advanced Search

Phrase in Quote Marks

HeinonlineLaw Journal Library

Choose Advanced Search

Phrase in Quote Marks

Advanced SearchingResults

Quiz Questions

Using Lexis Library1. Is the New Law Journal indexed in Lexis

Library?2. Regarding the case [1998] 3 ALL ER 876. Give

the party names contesting the case.