New York Legal Research

New York Legal Research provides an alternative to the excellent, but often lengthy, legal research books that take a bibliographic approach to this dynamic lawyering skill. The goal of the second edition continues to be to explore concisely both the sources of New York state law research and the process of conducting research using those sources. New to the second edition is a chapter on New York City law.

The book begins with an overview of the legal research process and an introduction to research techniques using print and online media. Then the book turns to secondary sources, recognizing these sources as the entry point for most new research projects. Next, New York Legal Research addresses primary authority, with chapters dedicated to case law, enacted law (statutes, constitutions, local law, and court rules), and administrative law. Additional chapters cover legislative history, updating with KeyCite and Shepard's, legal ethics research, and research strategies and organization. An appendix explains legal citation, with information on the national citation manuals, the ALWD Citation Manual and the Bluebook, and on citation by New York courts following the New York Law Reports Style Manual.

Most chapters contain outlines with step-by-step guidance for research in various types of legal resources. The book also includes short excerpts and screen shots from important sources. Discussions of legal analysis are kept brief but included as necessary to show the crucial connection between research and analysis. While the concentration of New York Legal Research is state research, concise descriptions of federal resources are included throughout.

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.