Legal Research and Writing - Teaching Legal Research and Writing

This page sets out the following resources on teaching legal research and writing (LRW):

1)   LRW online video tutorials
2)   LRW journals, newsletters, and selected articles
3)   LRW associations and blogs
4)   LRW general teaching resources

1) LRW online video tutorials [top]

For visual learners, there are a number of online video tutorials talking about legal research and writing or explaining how to use a particular database:

General LRW Video Tutorials

Vendor-specific Video Tutorials (A to Z)

In addition, the following legal research and writing DVD is available for purchase:

Robert Berring & Michael Levy, The Legal Research Survival Manual with Video Modules, 2d (DVD) (West)

2) LRW journals, newsletters and selected articles [top]

There are a number of journals that often include articles on legal research and writing:

Canadian Law Library Review (also on HeinOnline)
Legal Communication & Rhetoric (JALWD)
Legal Information Management
Legal Reference Services Quarterly

There are also a number of newsletters focusing on legal research and writing:

Journal of the Legal Writing Institute
Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing (Thomson Reuters Westlaw)
The Second Draft (LWI Newsletter)
The Scribes Journal of Legal Writing
The Scrivener

In addition, there is no lack of journal literature on teaching legal research and writing. Set out below is a selected list of recent articles (for a list of some of the older, classic journals articles on LRW, see the articles in note 1 in Chapter 1 of my book):

Sarah Sutherland, "Exploration of Attributes Associated With User Behaviour in Online Legal Research" (2020) 45:2 Can. L. Libr. Rev. 10.

Jonathan De Vries, "Legal Research, Legal Reasoning and Precedent in Canada in the Digital Age" (Feb. 2018) 48 Adv. Q. 1.

Svetlana Kochkina, "Teaching Legal Research and Government / Legal Information: Yes, We Do It, But How?" (2018) 43:3 Can. L. Libr. Rev. 9.

Guillaume Laganière, "Beyond the Textbook: Assessing the Value of Scholarship in Undergraduate Legal Education" (2017) 48 Ottawa L. Rev. 391.

Benjamin Alarie et al., "Computational Legal Research and the Advocates of the Future" (Winter 2017) 36:3 Adv. Soc. J. 12.

Mark Gannage, "Who Cares About Legal Research? An Update" (Nov. 2015) Toronto L.J. (Online).
Patrick Meyer, "Law Firm Legal Research Requirements and the Legal Academy: Beyond Carnegie" (2014) 35 Whittier L Rev 419 (HeinOnline version).

Patricia Morgan, "Stop Me If You've Heard this Before: Transitions in Teaching Legal Research" (Sept/Oct 2014) 19 AALL Spectrum 21.

Bryan Garner, "Stop Before You Hit Send: Why It's Crucial to Report Your Research Intelligibly" (September 2014) 2014 ABA Journal 24.

Bob Berring, "Legal Research Training's End" (31 October 2011), Blog post: SLAW.ca (www.slaw.ca/2011/10/31/legal-research-training's-end/).

Ted Tjaden, "Legal Research and Writing Skills in Law School" (14 September 2011), Blog post: SLAW.ca (www.slaw.ca/2011/09/14/legal-research-and-writing-skills-in-law-school/).

Paul Figley, "Teaching Rule Synthesis with Real Cases" (2011) 61 J Legal Educ 245 (here).

Nancy Johnson, "Should You Use a Textbook to Teach Legal Research?" (2011) 103 Law Libr J 415 (HeinOnline version).

David Armond & Shawn Nevers, "The Practitioners' Council: Connecting Legal Research Instruction and Current Legal Research Practice" (2011) 103 Law Libr J 575 (HeinOnline version).

Dennis Kim-Prieto, "The Road Not Yet Taken: How Law Student Information Literacy Standards Address Identified Issues in Legal Research Education and Training" (2011) 103 Law Libr J 605 (HeinOnline version).

Sarah Valentine, "Legal Research as a Fundamental Skill: A Lifeboat for St.udents and Law Schools" (2010) 39 U Balt L Rev 173 (HeinOnline version)

John Eaton, "Teaching Legal Research in Canadian Law Schools: Are We Meeting the Needs of the Profession?" (2010) 10 Leg Info Man 98.

Michael Slinger & Rebecca Slinger, "The Law Librarian's Role in the Scholarly Enterprise: Historical Development of the Librarian/Research Partnership in American Law Schools" (2010) 39 J Law & Educ 387 (HeinOnline version).

Agustin Parise, "The 13 Steps of Successful Academic Legal Research" (2010) 38 Int'l J Legal Info 1 (HeinOnline version).

Volume 28: Legal Reference Services Quarterly: Special Edition:

Barbara Bintliff, "Legal Research: MacCrate's 'Fundamental Lawyering Skill' Missing in Action" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 1 (available here by subscription).

Michael Chiorazzi & Shaun Esposito, "Commentaries on Hicks' 'Teaching Legal Bibliography' (with an addendum by Robert Berring)" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 9 (available here by subscription).

Paul Callister, "Thinking Like a Research Expert: Schemata for Teaching Complex Problem-Solving Skills" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 31 (available here by subscription).

Robert Berring & Kathleen Vanden Heuvel, "Teaching Advanced Legal Research: Philosophy and Context" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 53 (available here by subscription).

Kris Gilliland, "A Motivational Perspective on First-Year Legal Research Instruction" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 63 (available here by subscription).

Nancy Johnson, "Best Practices: What First-Year Law Students Should Learn in a Legal Research Class" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 77 (available here by subscription).

Christopher Knott, "On Teaching Advanced Legal Research" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 101 (available here by subscription).

Mary Rumsey, "The Skills They Need: International and Foreign Legal Research" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 133 (available here by subscription).

Victoria Trotta & Beth DiFelice, "State-Specific Legal Research Instruction: Curricular Stepchild or Core Competency?" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 151 (available here by subscription).

Allen Moye, "Best Practices in Teaching Legal Research Tubs, Buckets, and a Variety of Lumber: Developing a Strategic Approach to Legal Research" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 181 (available here by subscription).

Simon Canick, "Assessment and Technique Legal Research Assessment" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 201 (available here by subscription.

Susan Phillips, "'Like Sands Through the Hourglass ... ' How to Develop a Good Legal Research Problem" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 219 (available here by subscription).

Susan Herrick & Sara Kelley Burriesci, "Teaching Legal Research Online" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 239 (available here by subscription).

Richard Leiter, "Certification and Bar Exam Teaching Who Gets to Be the Expert? Legal Research Skills Certification in Legal Education" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 271 (available here by subscription).

Steven Barkan et al, "Testing for Research Competency on the Bar Exam: The Next Steps" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 281 (available here by subscription).

Jill Brooks, "Great Expectations: New Associates' Research Skills from Law School to Law Firm" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 291 (available here by subscription).

Duncan Alford, "The Development of the Skills Curriculum in Law Schools: Lessons for Directors of Academic Law Libraries" (2009) 28 Legal Ref Serv Q 301 (available here by subscription).

Sabrina Sondhi, "Should We Care If the Case Digest Disappears? A Retrospective Analysis and the Future of Legal Research Instruction" (2008) 27 Legal Reference Serv Q 263 (online here by subscription).

Nolan Wright, "Standing at the Gates: A New Law Librarian Wonders About the Future Role of the Profession in Legal Research Education" (2008) 27 Legal Reference Serv Q 305 (online here by subscription).

Nancy McCormack & Michael Silverstein, "Is Taxonomy Dead? Some Observations on Teaching and Learning How to do Legal Research in Canada at the Start of the 21st Century" (2007) Can Legal Educ Ann Rev 145.

Natasha McLeod, "Designing a Legal Research Course for Graduate Students: Notes from a Recent Grad" (2007) 32 Can L Libr Rev 217 (HeinOnline version).

Diane Murley, "Innovative Instructional Methods" (2007) 26 Legal Reference Serv Q 171 (online here by subscription).

3) LRW associations and blogs [top]

Set out below is a list of selected LRW associations and blogs:

Associations

Blogs