Lexis.comLexis.com: :

Advanced Legal ResearchAdvanced Legal Research

Mar. 2005, Taiwan

By Jensen Wang

For educational purposes only

All products and brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Looney Tunes characters and all related slogans and indica are trademarks of Warner Bros. Inc. The use of such material falls under Fair use provisions.

Retrieval and Application of Legal MaterialRetrieval and Application of Legal Material

AGENDA OF PRESENTATIONAGENDA OF PRESENTATION

1. Objective of Legal Research1. Objective of Legal Research 2. Definition of Scope of Research 2. Definition of Scope of Research

3. Skills on Search and other Functionalities 3. Skills on Search and other Functionalities

4. Exact Search 4. Exact Search

5. Conceptual Search5. Conceptual Search

6. Questions & Answers6. Questions & Answers

Objective of Objective of LegalLegal Research Research

Step One: Identification of objectiveStep One: Identification of objective

• Finding authorities

• Searching filing information

• Analysis of legal issues

• Updating and monitoring

• Specific Research

e.g. Arbitration, Discrimination, Freedom of Expression

Finding AuthoritiesFinding Authorities

Finding Authorities

Authorities includes primary and secondary legal sources:

Primary sources – legislation, cases, treaties, rules and releases

Secondary sources – journals, commentaries, text-books and news.

Lexsee – Citation Search

Analysis of Legal IssuesAnalysis of Legal Issues

Legal Analysis

1. Case Analysis / Shepard’s

2. Topical Search – Search Advisor

3. Academic Discussion on some new legal problems (Journals)

4. Keyword Search on a specific issues – Terms & Connectors

Updating & MonitoringUpdating & Monitoring

Eclipse – the technology of automatic regular search

1. Eclipse on law – all the laws enacted against international terrorism

2. Eclipse on cases – cases involving Inter-American Convention on International Commercial Arbitration

3. Eclipse on wire news – statements of President Chen Shui-bian

4. Eclipse on journals – article of Prof. Elena Kagan

5. Eclipse on legal topic –enforcement of arbitral awards

Specific ResearchSpecific Research

Specific Research: (examples)

1. Whether choice-of-law clauses in an international commercial contract is enforceable by the Court ?

( Reference: Batchelder v. Nobuhiko Kawamoto, 147 F.3d 915  )

2. Whether the President of U.S. has the authority to detain a suspected terrorist by military order? Can the suspect file a habeas petition to the Court to challenge the order?

(Reference: Rumsfeld v. Padilla, 124 S. Ct. 2711  )

Definition of ScopeDefinition of Scope

Step Two: How to define the scope of research?Step Two: How to define the scope of research?

Width – Jurisdictions

e.g. Comparative study on legal principles between New York and California

Depth – coverage (time and contents)

e.g. Search all federal case law and state regulations for 10 years

Search TechniquesSearch Techniques

Step 3 – Find the search templates and be trained with Step 3 – Find the search templates and be trained with appropriate skills to conduct the research effectively.appropriate skills to conduct the research effectively.

Basic Skills:

1. Access

2. Find the path to the relevant databases

3. Exact Search - Use Citation to find the document

4. Conceptual Search – Use Terms & Connectors

5. Expansion of Search to other jurisdictions – More Like this

Lexis.com

www.lexis.com

Lexis.com

www.lexis.com

Lexis.com

www.lexis.com

Search Terms

Terms & ConnectorsNatural Language

Segment Search

Date Restriction

Search TechniquesSearch Techniques

The Techniques Required and be illustrated on online demo:

1. Navigation method

2. Customization

3. Database Selection and Combination

4. Exact Search by Get A Document

5. Conceptual Search by Keywords

6. Natural Language / Terms & Connectors

7. Focus and Expanded Search

8. Eclipse

Exact Search TechniquesExact Search Techniques

Segment Search by defining the nature of information:

Title (Illusion and Reality in the Compensation of Victims of International Terrorism)

Name (Alejandre v. Republic of Cuba)

Author (Myres S. McDougal)

Cite (112 Yale L.J. 1625)

Court (Supreme Court of the United States)

Judge (Marshall)

*The above can be improved by Terms & Connectors

Exact Search TechniquesExact Search Techniques

Exact Search TechniquesExact Search Techniques

Exact Search TechniquesExact Search Techniques

ConceptualConceptual Search Techniques Search Techniques

Natural Language:

Free-style Search by relevance

Like searching in Yahoo!

Terms & Connectors:

Exhaustive Search – giving definite results

AND OR

W/S W/P

W/N ATLEAST

Keyword Search TechniquesKeyword Search Techniques

Problem of English keyword search:

1. Difference Forms e.g. negligent, negligence, negligently

Using “!” - negligen!

2. Plurals & Singulars e.g. damages or damage

Using “Plural” – Plural(damage)

Using “Singular” – Singular(damage)

3.Short Forms e.g. ERA

Using “Allcaps” – Allcaps(ERA)

Terms & Connectors

Land Trust and Ohio

Terms & Connectors

Takeover or Take Over

Terms & Connectors

Rule 11 /p sanction

Circumstances /s mitigat!

e.g. mitigation, mitigating, mitigated, mitigate

Terms & Connectors

Atleast10(liquidated damages)

Allcaps(ERA)

“Equal Right Amendment” not the English word era

Terms & Connectors

Fair /5 plural (toys)

Singular (damage)

Must be “Damage” not “Damages”

Exact Search TechniquesExact Search Techniques

Improvement on Segment Search:

Title (Compens! w/s Victims and (Terrorism or Terrorist attack))

Name (Alejandre and Republic of Cuba)

Author (Myres w/3 McDougal)

Cite ((112 or 113) w/2 Yale w/2 1**5)

Court (Supreme Court or Court of Appeal)

Judge (Marshall or White or Wilkins!)

Search Techniques - StepsSearch Techniques - Steps

Whether the principle of res judicata is modified in criminal cases in U.S. especially in the first degree murders?

Keywords extraction:

• Principle or rule or common law

• Res judicata

• Modified or Modification or Modify

• Criminal or Crime

• Murder

• First Degree or 1st Degree

Search Techniques - StepsSearch Techniques - Steps

Whether the principle of res judicata is modified in criminal cases in U.S. especially in the first degree murders?

Formulation Method:

(Principle or rule or common law) w/s Res judicata and Modif! w/p Core-terms (Criminal or Crime) and Murder

w/s (First Degree or 1st Degree)

Verification

Step 4 – Verification

There are several methods to verify the results before making conclusion:

1. Shepard’s (for US cases)

2. Case Analysis (for commonwealth cases)

3. Eclipse

4. Cross-checking with secondary sources

5. Appropriate consultation

Start of Online DemonstrationStart of Online Demonstration

1. Whether choice-of-law clauses in an international commercial contract is enforceable by the Court ?

( Reference: Batchelder v. Nobuhiko Kawamoto, 147 F.3d 915  )

2. Whether the President of U.S. has the authority to detain a suspected terrorist by military order? Can the suspect file a habeas petition to the Court to challenge the order?

(Reference: Rumsfeld v. Padilla, 124 S. Ct. 2711  )

Q&As

Any Questions?

Retrieval and Application of Legal MaterialRetrieval and Application of Legal Material

Thank You!