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. Typical case reporter






2. Statutes at Large






3. The three branches of government that make up each legal system- legislative - judicial and executive






4. Anew on the record - the appellate court must base its decision on the record (no new testimony can be received) but may reach an independent factual finding if the facts from the trial court are 'clearly erroneous' based on the record as a whole






5. 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






6. Official publication






7. Law that establishes and defines the basic rights and duties that govern a society. It consists of constitutions - legislative enactments - common law - and certain executive actions.






8. Published by West






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






10. Secondary authority






11. Encyclopedias that are arranged alphabetically and contain narrative - expository information on a variety of legal topics. published by West and Lawyers Co-op






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






13. Rule of law for which the case is cited as precedent; it is the legal effect of the facts of the case






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






15. Is used in the first 50 volumes of the United States Reports plus all unofficial reporters of Supreme Court decisions






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






17. 88 C.J.S. Trial A 107 (1980).






18. The date upon which the decision was rendered






19. Federal Cases






20. Result or disposition of the case






21. Reviews the record for errors of law and reaches its own factual finding.






22. F.Supp






23. Restatement (of law)






24. The process used to synthesize legal principles from all prior cases with similar facts and similar issues of law to arrive at a decision in a specific case






25. 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






26. Seven






27. Contains recent decisions of the United States Supreme Court






28. American Digest System






29. Avery v. Exxon Co. - 397 U.S. 812 (1991).






30. The West key number system






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






32. Alabama - Florida - Louisiana - and Mississippi






33. Summarize statute topics






34. Congressional Record will provide the most direct access to the text of the statute






35. Persuasive legal authority that consists of law from other jurisdictions - legal encyclopedias - American Law Reports - restatements of law - dictionaries - treatises and periodicals






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






37. Primary authority






38. Is used in legal memoranda and briefs to indicate the full citation for the case follows at a later point in the memorandum or brief






39. An explanatory note






40. Statutes that are collected into a statutory code that are arranged by topic






41. Supplement volumes or pocket part supplements should be used






42. When an official body authorizes and directs the collection and publication of law






43. Digests






44. Arkansas - Kentucky - Missouri - Tennessee - Texas - and Indian Territories






45. 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






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






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






48. Advance sheet published weekly by the Bureau of National Affairs






49. Published by the American Law Institute - it collects and distills the primary - general rules in a given legal topic area- what the rules are and sometime what the committee believes they ought to be. It also provides explanations of the rules and g






50. S.Ct.