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Legal Research

Subject : law

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. The cited authority presents helpful background information about the proposition
see generally
If a researcher wants to check the current status of a case - he or she should use...
if a researcher knows the date when a federal statute was adopted the
United States Law Week (U.S.L.W)

2. A system where every topic and subtopic is assigned its own key number
The National Reporter System divides the country into _____ regions.
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
key number system
date of decision

3. The court's ruling or disposition of the case (whether affirmed - reversed - remanded - or dismissed)
de novo
court decision
to update the status of a particular case
to update the status of a particular statute

4. Digests
American Jurisprudence is a...
_______ are compilations of case law for a particular reporter or a particular group of reporters.
correct citation of Statutes at Large
contra

5. United States Supreme Court Reports - Lawyers' Edition
A decision of an administrative agency is classified as...
indexes typically
components of a legal encyclopedia citation
reporter of Supreme Court decisions that contains summaries of the briefs of counsel

6. Federal Cases
Before 1924 - cases from the U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court were combined in
the signal infra
Statutes at Large (Stat.)
see generally

7. Selected decisions
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
The signal '_____' is used in law review articles and other textual material (but not in legal memoranda and not in briefs) to indicate that the full citation for the case was given previously.
incorrect case citation
The Federal Supplement contains only ________________ of federal district courts across the country.

8. 15 U.S.C. A 7 (1988).
correct citation of Statutes at Large
per curiam opinion
_______________ are published in the Statutes at Large.
correct citation of United States Code

9. An index
on the record
Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure
The primary finding tool for statutory law - either state or federal - is...
In a petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court - the _______________ appears first in the case caption - regardless of how the caption may have been shown in the lower courts.

10. Statutory law
Federal rules and procedures are...
U.S. Reports contains
Until 1932 - cases from the U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court were combined in...
United States Law Week (U.S.L.W)

11. 1. full name of author; 2. the word 'Annotation'; 3. title of annotation (underscored or in italics); 4. volume number of A.L.R. series 5. abbreviation for Annotated Law Reports 6. page number where the annotation begins; 7. year of publication
when a case has been affirmed - reversed or modified on appeal
a secondary authority which is not the law itself but is - rather - a persuasive presentation by legal scholars of what the law is or what it should be in a particular topic are
headnote or syllabus
components of and A.L.R. citation

12. Statutes that are collected into a statutory code that are arranged by topic
codified
precedent
restatement of law - encyclopedia - law review article - treatise: all represent...
Digests summarize judicial decisions - while indexes...

13. When an official body authorizes and directs the collection and publication of law
unofficial publication of law
concurring opinion
procedural law
official publication of law

14. Digest topic
American Jurisprudence - Second Series (Am. Jur. 2d)
American Law Reports
A scope note tells a researcher coverage of a particular...
on the record

15. Mandatory legal authority that consists of constitutions - statutes - case law - rules of procedure - rules of evidence - administrative rules - court rules - executive orders
Until 1932 - cases from the U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court were combined in...
concurring opinion
South Western Reporter (S.W. or S.W.2d)
primary authority

16. Unofficial U.S. Supreme Court case reporter published by West
Case law concerning federal rules of procedure is collected in
treatise
Supreme Court Reporter
dissenting opinion

17. Precedent
the principles stated in opinions of judges - to be followed in future cases - are called
separation of powers
correct Federal Register citation
An annotation is

18. Secondary authority
a secondary authority which is not the law itself but is - rather - a persuasive presentation by legal scholars of what the law is or what it should be in a particular topic are
Executive orders are...
Southern Reporter (So. or So.2d)
restatement of law - encyclopedia - law review article - treatise: all represent...

19. 88 C.J.S. Trial A 107 (1980).
Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Company (Lawyers Co-op)
correct legal encyclopedia citation
Before 1924 - cases from the U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court were combined in
reporter of Supreme Court decisions that contains summaries of the briefs of counsel

20. Court's explanation; includes the holding - rationale - and dicta
incorrect legal dictionary citation
When an appellate court reviews a case de novo on record - it...
opinion
Pacific Reporter (P. or P.2d)

21. Shepard's Citations is used
to update the status of a particular case
annotations
correct Federal Register citation
when a case has been affirmed - reversed or modified on appeal

22. Health Care Act - Pub. L. 92-117 - 83 Stat. 624 (1987).
The _______________ contains either a separate section or a separate volume devoted to a table of cases and a descriptive word index.
TARP method
dicta
correct citation of Statutes at Large

23. Often provide case citations upon which a definition is based. A couple of them are Black's Law _____ and Ballantine's Law _____.
treatise
components of and A.L.R. citation
United States Reports
legal dictionaries

24. 1. case name 2. case reporter in which the case is published (include volume number - abbreviation of case reporter - and page where case begins); 3. identity of court issuing the opinion 4. year in which the decision was issued; and 5. subsequent hi
correct citation of Statutes at Large
parallel citation
contra
components of a standard case citation

25. Explanation of the subject
A decision of an administrative agency is classified as...
Secondary authorities are those that contain a general commentary on or...
U.S. Supreme court case reporters
slip law

26. Sometimes called adjective law - it prescribes the manner in which substantive laws must be enforced.
A decision of an administrative agency is classified as...
procedural law
The Federal Supplement contains only ________________ of federal district courts across the country.
F.R.D. contains...

27. Illinois - Indiana - Massachusetts - New York - and Ohio
North Eastern Reporter (N.E. or N.E.2d)
advance sheets
United States Code Service (U.S.C.S.)
An unofficial publication is any publication

28. The publication where rules and regulations of administrative agencies are codified
session laws
cf.
Southern Reporter (So. or So.2d)
Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.)

29. Compiled by topic
United States Code is
on the record
Executive orders are...
if a researcher knows the date when a federal statute was adopted the

30. Obiter dictum- comments of the court about minor issues or concerns other than the specific holding - rationale - and decision. Never cited as precedent
dicta
de novo on record
components of a Code of Federal Regulations citation
Supreme Court Reporter

31. Ratio decidendi- court's reasoning or basis for it sholding and decision
rules of procedure - local court rules - executive orders - administrative regulations: all represent...
Federal rules and procedures are...
dicta
rationale

32. American Digest System
A Decennial Digest is part of the..
United States Reports
When an appellate court reviews a case de novo on record - it...
In a petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court - the _______________ appears first in the case caption - regardless of how the caption may have been shown in the lower courts.

33. A very brief opinion; a cursory opinion; an opinion so abbreviated that it is hardly an opinion at all
If a researcher wants to check the current status of a case - he or she should use...
parallel citations generally are not provided for federal cases
A.L.R. is filled with...
memorandum opinion

34. Govern the form and procedure for appeals from the U.S. District Court to the Court of Appeals within the federal system
Until 1932 - cases from the U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court were combined in...
Federal Rules of Evidence
Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure
Federal rules and procedures are...

35. Anew - from the beginning - the case is tried in the appellate court as if it had not been tried previously - and witness are allowed to testify.
rules of procedure - local court rules - executive orders - administrative regulations: all represent...
de novo
the reporter in which federal trial court opinions are contained
opinion

36. Encyclopedias that are arranged alphabetically and contain narrative - expository information on a variety of legal topics. published by West and Lawyers Co-op
Federal Register (Fed. Reg.)
en banc
legal encyclopedias
to update the status of a particular statute

37. An unofficial publication of law that uses the key number system to aid the researcher
These represent secondary authority
North Western Reporter (N.W. or N.W.2d)
separation of powers
West Publishing Company (West)

38. F.Supp
incorrect citation of a law review article
components of Statutes at Large citation
An annotation is
the reporter in which federal trial court opinions are contained

39. Opinion issued by one or more judges of the appellate court which agrees with the result reached by the majority but disagrees with the reasoning of the majority opinion. There can be more than one.
slip opinion
concurring opinion
TARP method
North Eastern Reporter (N.E. or N.E.2d)

40. Official case reporter for the U.S. Supreme Court
star paging
see - e.g.
United States Reports
components of a standard case citation

41. 1. the title (chapter) number 2. abbreviation for the Code of Federal Regulation 3. section number symbol and the section number; and 4. year of publication
components of a Code of Federal Regulations citation
official publication of law
South Eastern Reporter (S.E. or S.E.2d)
components of a legal encyclopedia citation

42. (primary law - secondary law - encyclopedia - or other) issued by a private - non-government publisher.
United States Code Service (U.S.C.S.)
An unofficial publication is any publication
en banc
Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Company (Lawyers Co-op)

43. A single-volume text written by a legal scholar in a given topic area
substantive law
constitutional law
Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure
treatise

44. When a federal case first decides a case. a single opinion of the court issued without headnotes and without indexing.
en banc
sequence of citations
American Jurisprudence - Second Series (Am. Jur. 2d)
slip opinion

45. Opinion of the entire court (all judges who heard the case) - as opposed to an opinion written by a specific judge
per curiam opinion
When an appellate court reviews a case de novo on record - it...
___________ is an official publication that includes all laws enacted by Congress.
The signal '_____' is used in law review articles and other textual material (but not in legal memoranda and not in briefs) to indicate that the full citation for the case was given previously.

46. At the close of each legislative term
C.J.S uses...
holding
Statutes are published as session laws...
U.S. Supreme court case reporters

47. 22 C.F.R. A 145.6 (1992)
In a petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court - the _______________ appears first in the case caption - regardless of how the caption may have been shown in the lower courts.
correct Code of Federal Regulations citation
common law
date of decision

48. Virginia Koerselman - Comment - Worker's Compensation - 15 Creighton L. Rev. 415 (1981).
correct law review citation
The National Reporter System and the American Digest System are...
_______________ are published in the Statutes at Large.
The record of a court case includes

49. U.S. Const. amend. XIV - A 1.
digests typically
Digests summarize judicial decisions - while indexes...
common law
correct citation of a Constitutional amendment

50. Slip opinions collected and published periodically
advance sheets
A Decennial Digest is part of the..
Southern Reporter (So. or So.2d)
United States Code is