Conquering Your First Legal Assignment with LexisNexis

This session will equip you with the skills and strategies to tackle your first legal assignment using LexisNexis. We'll guide you through the research process step-by-step, ensuring you find the most relevant and reliable information to support your arguments.

Understanding Your Assignment

• Identify the legal issue(s): What specific question or problem are you addressing?
• Determine the type of law involved: Is it case law, statutes, regulations, or a combination?
• Know your jurisdiction: What laws and precedents are applicable to your assignment?

Crafting Effective Search Queries

• Keywords: Identify the key terms and phrases related to your legal issue.
• Boolean operators: Use AND, OR, and NOT to combine and refine your search terms.
• Filters: Narrow down your results by jurisdiction, date, or source.

Navigating and Analysing Search Results

• Relevance: Evaluate the relevance of each result to your legal issue.
• Authority: Determine the weight and credibility of each source.
• Up-to-date: Ensure you're relying on the most current information.

Using Cases Effectively

• Facts: Understand the key facts of each case and how they relate to your issue.
• Holding: Identify the court's decision and the legal reasoning behind it.

Citing Your Sources

• Proper citation format: Follow the OSCOLA style guide.
• Accurate information: Ensure you cite the correct source, including page numbers or paragraph numbers.

Additional Tips

• Start with secondary sources: Use legal encyclopedias, treatises, or law articles to gain background knowledge on your topic.
• Consult with your lecturer or librarian: They can provide guidance and additional resources.
• Practice makes perfect: The more you use LexisNexis, the more confident and proficient you'll become.

Key Takeaway: Your first legal assignment can be a daunting task, but with the right tools and strategies, you can succeed. LexisNexis is a powerful resource that can help you find the information you need to craft a strong and persuasive argument. By following the steps outlined in this session, you'll be well on your way to legal research mastery.