Test your basic knowledge |

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. Shepard's Citators






2. Case law






3. The cited authority contradicts the proposition stated in the memorandum






4. The cited authority states a proposition that is different from the proposition stated by the writer - but the proposition stated in the cited authority is sufficiently similar to lend support to the writer's proposition






5. 1. volume number of Fed. Reg. 2. abbreviation for Federal Register 3. page number where administrative rule begins; and 4. year of publication






6. Ratio decidendi- court's reasoning or basis for it sholding and decision






7. Opinion issued by the majority of the judges of the appellate court; the holding of this opinion may be cited as precedent if all other criteria are met. There is only one in a case






8. Published by West






9. Ballantine's Law Dictionary 41 (3rd ed. 1969).






10. The cited authority directly supports the proposition; other authorities also could have been cited but were not cited to avoid duplication






11. 1. U.S. Constitutional provision and amendments 2. Federal statutes 3. Federal procedural rules 4. Federal cases (U.S. - F.3d - the F.Supp.) 5. State cases (official reporter - then regional reporter) 6. Federal administrative rules and regulations 7






12. Unofficial U.S. Supreme Court case reporter published by West






13. 1. number of the Code title 2. abbreviation for the United States Code 3. section symbol - followed by the number of the Code section; and 4. date of the Code volume in which the most recent version of the section can be found






14. The cited authority presents helpful background information about the proposition






15. But they are required for home state cases when parallel citations exist






16. The appellate court reviews the record for prejudicial legal errors committed in the trial court but gives great deference to the findings of fact; factual findings are generally reversed only when they are 'arbitrary or capricious'






17. Brief summary of a legal rule discussed in the opinion; headnotes are numbered. key numbers are used in West publications






18. 88 C.J.S. Trial A 107 (1980).






19. United States Reports (U.S.) - Supreme Court Reporter (S.Ct.) - United States Supreme Court Reports - Lawyers' Edition (L.Ed. or L.Ed.2d)






20. An unofficial publication of law that uses the key number system to aid the researcher






21. Federal Reporter - Third Series (F.3d) - Federal Reporter - Second Series (F.2d) - Federal Reporter (F.) - Federal Cases (F. Cas.) - all unofficial and all published by West






22. An unofficial publication of law that is known for its extensive use of annotations






23. What federal session laws are codified and published in






24. United States Reports






25. Freedom of Information Act - 46 U.S.C. A 89 (1973).






26. Contains recent decisions of the United States Supreme Court






27. Federal Supplement (F. Supp.) - Federal Reporter - Second Series (F.2d) - Federal Reporter (F.) - Federal Cases (F. Cas.) - all unofficial and all published by West






28. Explanation of the subject






29. Decennial Digest






30. Virginia Koerselman - Comment - Worker's Compensation - 15 Creighton L. Rev. 415 (1981).






31. 1. full name of author 2. designation of type of article (required only if written by student); 3. title of article (italicized or underscored) 4. volume number of law review 5. abbreviated name of law review 6. page number where article begins; and






32. Connecticut - Delaware - D.C. (Court of Appeals) - Maine - Maryland - New Hampshire - New Jersey - Pennsylvania - Rhode Island - and Vermont






33. Headnotes in the American Digest System are cataloged in this manner: Thing - Action - Relief - Parties






34. Statutes at Large






35. U.S. Const. amend. XIV - A 1.






36. Legal publisher noted for its extensive use of annotations.






37. A prior case within a particular jurisdiction that has 1. facts and legal issues substantially similar to the facts of the case before the court and 2. it was decided by a majority decision of a higher court of that jurisdiction and 3. the case was r






38. Govern the way in which a defendant is charged - tried - and sentenced for a federal crime






39. If the same case is published in another case reporter - the volume and page number of that reporter is shown






40. Statutes at Large






41. Pleadings - transcript of trial testimony - and exhibits






42. Identifies the court issuing the opinion - the parties - and the docket number assigned to the case






43. When a federal case first decides a case. a single opinion of the court issued without headnotes and without indexing.






44. Alaska - Arizona - California - Colorado - Hawaii - Idaho - Kansas - Montana - Nevada - New Mexico - Oklahoma - Oregon - Utah - Washington - and Wyoming






45. Published by Lawyers Co-op






46. Summarize statute topics






47. A bill that has been adopted into a law but has been printed singly rather than as a part of a group of laws






48. Primary authority






49. Digest topic






50. Official case reporter for the U.S. Supreme Court