Udemy
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
Subscribe
Turn what you know into an opportunity and reach millions around the world.
Learn More
Your cart is empty.
Keep shopping
Legal Research 101: Secondary Authority
Rating: 4.3 out of 5(10 ratings)
90 students

Legal Research 101: Secondary Authority

Providing context in a confusing world
Created byBret Christensen
Last updated 9/2020
English

What you'll learn

  • Students will learn what is and how to navigate secondary authorities.
  • Students will be able to distinguish between primary and secondary authorities.

Course content

6 sections • 6 lectures • 1h 30m total length

  • Secondary Authority: Introduction14:39

    The purpose of this video is to become acquainted with basic terminology associated with Secondary Authority.  Also, it's a chance to get re-acquainted with terms associated with Primary Authority and how to locate cases using the digest.  Because both Primary and Secondary Authority are so intertwined, it is important to understand their respective importance.  Where Primary Authority is the law, we need Secondary Authority to put Primary Authority into context.

Requirements

  • It is helpful if students start with the first class (Primary Authorities) as there are a number of references to primary authorities, but it isn't required and with a little determination, students can figure this subject out.

Description

Finding the "law" (i.e. cases, statutes, constitutions, regulations) related to your case is one thing.  I mean, anyone can find free statutes online on any state website.  Google Scholar is full of case law from most every jurisdiction in the United States.  The problem that people run into is knowing how to use the law they've found and knowing in what context the law might be applied in their case. 

This is where secondary authorities come in.  Secondary Authorities, are those resources that help people understand the law and how it might be applied.  Secondary Authorities are "secondary" because they are not weighted as heavily as primary authorities (i.e. they are not the law and should not be cited in legal documents).  The reason people even use secondary authorities is to help provide context for the law (i.e. cases, codes, regulations) they've found.  They tell you how the law can be used in your case just by moving the facts around. 

In this program, students will be exposed to a variety of secondary authorities.  Students will also learn how to navigate these secondary authorities, and why they might be useful to you and in what context they might be useful. Designed as a beginning course, it is also helpful for the seasoned litigant as a refresher course to help jiggle latent brain cells offering suggestions on other resources that can be useful.

Who this course is for:

  • Persons who need a refresher on the basics of legal research, are presently litigating their own case, or just want a better understanding of the fundamentals of legal research.

Report abuse