A single comprehensive checklist to use for any Canadian research problem – fully updated and revised!
Legal problem solving is the backbone to all that lawyers do. Originally developed as a textbook for the Legal Research and Writing course taught in first year at law schools across the country, this resource provides a step-by-step framework for identifying, researching and analyzing legal problems, as well as determining and communicating the relevant solution. Equipped with this text, everyone from lawyers and law students to legal assistants and paralegals will be able to solve legal problems effectively and with confidence.
Plus, purchasers of this book will also receive the updated edition of The Ultimate Guide to Canadian Legal Research – a comprehensive checklist designed to be used for any Canadian legal research.
Features of this book
This invaluable guide to Canadian legal research provides comprehensive coverage of a wide range of research sources, and offers guidance on how to locate the law in a systematic and efficient manner. In particular, users of this reference book will discover:
- Advice on how to use both paper-based libraries and online resources (including no-fee and commercial publishers, as well as other web-based materials such as blogs and online discussion groups)
- Practical suggestions for tackling research problems and identifying and applying the law
- Direction on the skills necessary to analyze and solve legal research problems
- Helpful checklists, summaries and samples to facilitate learning
New in this Edition
This updated version of Legal Problem Solving – Reasoning, Research and Writing contains the latest insight and tips on how to find the law and legal information, including:
- Developments in online platforms and mobile apps for legal research, including substantial updates on researching legal encyclopedia and supplemented with updated illustrations and screen-shots
- Revised checklists on how to find, update and note-up statutes, as well how to find and update regulations and cases
- Increased focus on the legal problem solving process
An important resource
This book is written in an easy-to-understand way and would be a useful resource to anyone who wants to solve a legal problem, including lawyers, law students, legal assistants, paralegals and the general public. In particular, Legal Problem Solving – Reasoning, Research and Writing would be an excellent acquisition for:
- Academic institutions such as law schools and colleges offering paralegal and law clerk courses
- Law libraries who want to provide comprehensive reference materials to users
- Law firms to provide to articling students and associates to help provide solutions to legal research and writing problems they may encounter.
Authors: Maureen F. Fitzgerald, Ph.D., and Susan Barker
Maureen F. Fitzgerald, PhD, LL.M., J.D., BComm., taught legal research and writing at the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia for several years. She practised law for over 20 years in both Ontario and British Columbia and now blogs and writes on cutting edge topics including restorative justice and gender equality. She has a doctorate degree from the University of British Columbia on legal education, and a master’s degree in law from the London School of Economics, specializing in alternative dispute resolution. Dr Fitzgerald has written many articles and six books, including So you Think you Need a Lawyer (2000); Corporate Circles (2006); One Circle (2006); Hiring, Managing and Keeping the Best (2002); and Mission Possible (2003).
Susan Barker is the Digital Services and Reference librarian at the Bora Laskin Law Library, University of Toronto Faculty of Law. She holds a Master of Information Studies from the University of Toronto and a Diploma in Library Techniques from Seneca College. Ms. Barker currently teaches Legal Literature and Librarianship at the University of Toronto iSchool and is the editor of the Canadian Law Library Review.
