This exciting course is designed to teach advanced and specialized approaches to utilize the legal resources available in a law library, and elsewhere. The conceptual differences between computer-assisted legal research and hard copy research will be taught. You will also learn how to formulate WESTLAW search queries and effectively and efficiently use WESTLAW and other online legal research methods as time-saving devices in legal research and legal writing.

This course is designed to examine more thoroughly advanced and specialized approaches to utilizing the legal sources available in the law library and online.

Successful graduates of this non-credit course will be awarded a Certificate of Completion from the college or university of their choice.

Lesson 1: Legal Authorities and Citations

Lesson 2: Legal Analysis

Lesson 3: Westlaw® online legal research

Lesson 4: The Legal Memorandum of Law

Lesson 5: Manual Legal Research

Lesson 6: Types of Legal Writing

Course Objectives:

• How to conduct manual legal research
• How to conduct electronic legal research
• How to find, interpret and use various types of legal authorities
• How to shepardize legal authorities
• How to write a legal analysis
• How to draft a Memorandum of Law
• How to brief case opinions
• How to engage in various types of legal writing

Participants will be expected to complete reading and homework assignments and will be assigned an advanced legal research project and legal writing assignment. Final research and writing projects will be presented for grading to the instructor or The Center for Legal Studies as a prerequisite of course completion.

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The Center for Legal Studies features in a live lecture format the same Advanced Legal Research & Writing Certificate Course that has been offered online at colleges and universities throughout the nation. Classes are held on campus and instruction in a law library is included. This course is designed to examine more thoroughly advanced and specialized approaches to utilizing the legal sources available in the law library and online.

• View the Course Syllabus
• Hands on practical application research exercises to hone your research skills
• Instruction in the law library and Westlaw® tutorials
• Students benefit from direct interaction with the instructor and other students.
• Schools offering the Live format - Schedule and Tuition
• Financial Aid Information
• Order Books Online

The Center for Legal Studies features in an online format the same Advanced Legal Research & Writing Certificate Course that has been offered via live lecture at colleges and universities throughout the nation. Classes are available from any computer with Internet access. This course is designed to examine more thoroughly advanced and specialized approaches to utilizing the legal sources available in the law library and online.

• View the Course Syllabus
• Hands on practical application research exercises to hone your research skills
• Instruction in Westlaw® tutorials
• Students benefit from direct interaction with the instructor and other students.
• Schools offering the Online format - Schedule and Tuition
• Financial Aid Information
• Order Books Online

Required textbooks for the Live Lecture or Online formats are:

• Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing, 2nd edition, by William H. Putman
• Legal Research and Writing Across the Curriculum: Problems and Exercises, by Michael D. Murray and Christy H. DeSanctis
• Westlaw® online legal research access, available for the course duration from The Center for Legal Studies for only $75.
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• Order Books Online

Highly Recommended Legal Resources:

• Oran’s Dictionary of the Law, 4th Edition, $35
• Order Online