California Legal Research

California Legal Research fills a unique niche in the literature available for California state law research. This book explains not just the sources of California law but the process of conducting research using those sources. The book should be valuable to a wide range of audiences—from first-year students to seasoned veterans.

After introductory chapters devoted to the basic research process and fundamental research techniques, California Legal Research explores judicial opinions, the state constitution, statutes and legislative history, and administrative law. The book then turns to updating research with Shepard's and KeyCite, using secondary sources and practice guides, and planning a research strategy. A final chapter explains legal citation, with information on the California Style Manual, the ALWD Citation Manual, and the Bluebook.

Print and online resources are introduced simultaneously, with guidance on when each medium is likely to be most effective in solving legal problems. Outlines of the research process and focused excerpts from key state sources make the book easy to use. Brief discussions of legal analysis are included throughout, recognizing the interplay between research and analysis.

California Legal Research supplements its primary discussion of state research with brief discussions of federal research. Thus, it can be used as the sole text in a research course or in conjunction with texts focusing on topical or federal research.

This book is part of the Legal Research Series, edited by Suzanne E. Rowe, Director of Legal Research and Writing, University of Oregon School of Law.