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Mastering Federal Statutory Research

Mastering Statutory Research is a guide designed to demystify the world of statutes, providing readers with essential tools and knowledge needed to conduct effective legal research.

Annotated vs Official Codes

Annotated Code are great sources since by consulting these you will be provided editorial references to other sources.

An Annotated Code is an attempt to pull together all the information in the legal universe.  Editorial Enhancements: administrative code section, encyclopedias, law review, treatises.  References to judicial/administrative decisions.  For the most part, the annotated code is where an attorney whishes to begin their research.  at you will use.

What are Editorial Enhancements?  Administrative code section, encyclopedias, law review, treatises.  References to judicial/administrative decisions.

Historical Notes.  The section entitled ‘Historical Notes’ details the subsequent history of the constitutional provision.

Cross References.  The ‘Cross References’ section cites to other constitutional provisions or statutes which impact the Jurisdiction of the Courts.

Library References.  Under the heading ‘Library References’ there are approximately one page of references to other publications by West Publishing. These references are grouped under the subheadings: ‘Administrative Law’, ‘Forms’, ‘Law Reviews’, and ‘Texts and Treatises’. There are numerous references to law reviews and treatises such as Wright, Miller and Cooper, Federal Practice and Procedure and West’s Federal Practice Manual.

Westlaw Electronic Research.  Under the heading, ‘Westlaw Electronic Research,’ you are referred to the Westlaw guide at the beginning of the volume, where you are given very generally advice.

Notes of Decisions.  The ‘Notes of Decisions’ section arranges decisions by subject. Each subject is assigned a number that facilitates finding cases in the supplement. After the table and before the decisions are two sections: ‘American Digest System’, which gives you one of the more useful references, the Subject Heading and key number and ‘Encyclopedias,’ which refers to Corpus Juris Secundum.