Research and writing in the disciplines: Law
Writing
Legal writing should be:
- Accurate--make sure your facts are correct
- Brief or "spare"--no extraneous details
- Clear and precise--use simple, common words and avoid "legalese," but be precise in your use of standard legal terminology
- Honest
Law also has its own specialized citation system, called the "Blue book."
The BluebookCall Number: Reference KF245 .B58 2015Publication Date: 2015This edition of The Bluebook retains the same basic approach to legal citation established by its predecessors. The layout of the Bluebook has been updated to make the information easier to access. Some citation forms have been expanded, elaborated upon, or modified from previous editions to reflect the ever-expanding range of authorities used in legal writing and to respond to suggestions from the legal community.
Research sources
Some writing about legal issues including a few law review journals are included in:
- Legal Information Reference Center This link opens in a new window
(Ebsco) Designed to assist the general public in legal matters of all kinds, it includes full text for many top consumer legal reference books, as well as thousands of legal forms. - Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
(Ebsco) Periodical database. This multi-disciplinary database covers most disciplines taught at TCC. Most articles are scholarly. - ProQuest Periodical Databases This link opens in a new window
Multiple periodical databases providing coverage of a wide range of topics, with a mix of popular and scholarly sources. Particularly good for current events.
In addition, TCC paralegal students (within certain courses) have access to Westlaw.
- Westlaw This link opens in a new window
[TCC Paralegal students only] Primary and secondary legal sources. If you are a paralegal student without your own password, please ask your paralegal instructor for assistance.
Links to research guides
These are links to research guides created here at TCC either for a specific discipline or program or for a specific assignment. They will give you a little deeper understanding of what instructors might require.
A research guide for legal research:
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