LGL RSRCH FOR NON-LAWYERS

Catalog description

Legal Research for Non-Lawyers. This course will introduce you to the skills and resources used to research legal issues. Although most of you will not choose to become lawyers, you may be called upon to research and explain a legal issue in your professional capacity. This course will teach you how to develop and implement strategies for researching the law using free online tools. Learning Outcomes: Students who complete this course should be able to: 1) Explain the structure of the American legal system at both the federal and state level, 2) Compare and contrast sources of law, including statutes, regulations, and judicial decisions, 3) Assess the relative weight of legal authorities in relation to a research issue, 4) Distinguish between primary and secondary, and mandatory and persuasive legal authorities, 5) Develop strategies for finding reliable legal information online, 6) Use free and reliable Internet resources to locate and update the law. This course is offered only to MLS and CLS candidates.