Researching Texas Law

Case Citation Question: Petition Granted, Case Remanded by Agreement

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:49:34 +0000

Chapter 4 of The Greenbook: Texas Rules of Form lists 13 different petition notations that a court of appeals case might have. One of the abbreviations appears as follows (#11): pet. granted, judgm’t vacated w.r.m. Researchers use this when the Texas Supreme Court has granted a petition and then vacated judgment without reference to the

Research Strategies for Civil Litigation and Appeals

admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:51:12 +0000

1. Identify, Narrow, and Frame Issues to Identify Research Needs The skill of identifying, narrowing, and framing issues is critically important in preparing legal documents, and this skill is equally important in both trial advocacy and appellate advocacy. Counsel must usually conduct some initial legal research in order to identify the legal issues in a

Researching Litigation Issues vs. Researching Transactional Issues

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:03:55 +0000

Attorneys engaged in transactional practice often have different research needs than those engaged in litigation. A transactional lawyer generally solves different types of problems than a trial lawyer, often resolving potential issues prospectively. For instance, the transactional attorney representing a company that is preparing for its initial public offering may focus his or her research

Using Practice-Oriented Materials in Civil Litigation and Appeals

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:32:44 +0000

Legal resources are often categorized by their intended purposes, and publishers generally market books based on these purposes. Some materials are intended simply as reference sources, which contain basic information and guidance that can be used to answer basic questions or to direct the researcher to other resources. The most common example of a reference

Planning for Costs Associated with Legal Research

admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:20:22 +0000

Discussion of legal research within the context of an attorney’s preparation for litigation often focuses on the costs of legal research. Online databases, such as Lexis and Westlaw, are quite expensive, even though many law firms subscribe to these systems through flat-rate pricing plans. The abundance of legal information that is available through both print

Legal Research Textbooks for Paralegals

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:24:14 +0000

Paralegal are often asked to perform legal research and writing tasks similar to those performed by law clerks and new associates. There are two legal research (and writing) books aimed specifically towards paralegals, and both were updated in 2011. Both are published by Wolters Kluwer as part of the Aspen College Series. Both of these

Online Resources for Texas Court Rules

admin — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:30:20 +0000

Chapter 3 of Researching Texas Law mentions several sources for Texas rules of court. Many of these rules are relatively easy to locate, though researchers may have to consult different resources to find the rules. Supreme Court of Texas The site of the Supreme Court of Texas provides access to most of Texas court rules.

The Old Revised Civil Statutes are Available Online

admin — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:01:21 +0000

On pages 126-127 of Researching Texas Law, we discuss the revised Texas statutes that were approved by the Texas Legislature in 1879, 1895, 1911, and 1925. The revised civil statutes are available in a variety of old print resources and are now available through the website of the Texas State Law Library. The links are available after

Updates for the New Edition of Researching Texas Law

admin — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:15:17 +0000

We have completed the manuscript for the Third Edition of Researching Texas Law. Below is a brief summary of changes we have made for the new edition. Generally Update Web addresses throughout the book. Several of those in the second edition are outdated. Update electronic resources throughout, including HeinOnline databases and other subscription databases. Provide