Fall 2017 Law Library “Legal Research Seminars”

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image of superhero womanThis Fall 2017 semester, the C|M|LAW Library is conducting seven live Legal Research Seminars.  We will also offer each of these live Seminars in an online format approximately two weeks after the Seminar‘s live date.  Special prize for live Seminar attendees – we will have a drawing for a $10 Starbucks gift card at the end of each live Seminar.

Key points about Fall 2017 Law Library Legal Research Seminars:

  • Law Library Legal Research Seminars are for C|M|LAW students, including LLM/MLS students.
  • You do not need to register to take a live Seminar – simply come to the Seminar(s) you want to attend.  We take attendance at each live Seminar, to be sure you are credited points as you earn them.
  • All of the live Seminars will take place on Thursdays, in Law Library Room A059.  All but one of the live Seminars will be 30-minutes; one will be 60-minutes.
  • Each of the live Seminars will be available online, via Westlaw’s TWEN platform, approximately two weeks after the Seminar‘s live date.  Toward the end of September, connect to TWEN, then click the “Add Course” button, then add the C|M|Law Library Legal Research Seminars course to your “My Courses” list.
  • You earn 12.5 points for attending a 30-minute live Seminar, and 25 points for attending a 60-minute live Seminar.  You earn points for “attending” an online Seminar by correctly answering 3/4 of the questions on that Seminar‘s quiz.  Your Seminar points are good for the entire time you are here at C|M|LAW.  [You cannot earn points for attending the same Seminar twice.]
  • When you earn 100 points, you will be awarded a Law Library Legal Research Letter of Recognition, and you can earn multiple Letters of Recognition.

Complete list of Fall 2017 Law Library Legal Research Seminar topics, dates & times:

  • Starting Research with Secondary Sources – September 7, 4:30pm-5pm – Why recreate the wheel? Secondary sources can help you get a leg up on your legal research. You’ll examine key secondary sources, and explore best practices for their use.
  • Bluebooking – September 21, 4:50pm-5:50pm – You and The Bluebook can be friends. Learn to effectively use it for faster legal drafting. As you practice writing citations, you’ll discover how to apply citation & style rules, and abbreviation & jurisdiction tables.
  • Terms & Connectors Searching – September 28, 4:30pm-5pm – Learn powerful key search techniques beyond natural language searching. As you practice constructing searches using connectors in Lexis Advance & Westlaw, you’ll see amazing results.
  • Westlaw Overview – October 12, 4:30pm-5pm [1L geared; see description immediately below.]
  • Lexis Advance Overview – October 26, 4:30pm-5pm – Leap beyond Google and harness the power of these two legal research giants. You’ll practice big box & pre-filtered searching, and see how to print/download/email search results.
  • Shepard’s – November 2, 4:30pm-5pm [See description immediately below.]
  • KeyCite – November 9, 4:30pm-5pm – Why is a red stop sign different from a yellow flag, and what should you do when you see either one? You’ll examine components of reports in Shepard’s (on Nov 2) and KeyCite (on Nov 9), and discover the power of these legal citator services.
  • Zotero – bonus online Seminar – available in late September – Do you have a big research project? Get organized with reference management software. You’ll practice how to save database records & web pages, and create & export records, in the freely-available Zotero.

Again, special prize for live Seminar attendees – we will have a drawing for a $10 Starbucks gift card at the end of each live Seminar.

Questions?  Contact Laura Ray, Outreach & Instructional Services Librarian, 216-687-6880, l.ray@csuohio.edu.

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