Massachusetts Legal Research

Massachusetts Legal Research is a concise guide to researching Massachusetts law and to the general process of legal research. Its intended audience includes law students as well as practitioners and paralegals. Extensive treatment of the research process—with Massachusetts and federal examples—makes this book suitable as a stand-alone text for an introductory legal research course. Chapters discussing how to locate and use specific Massachusetts sources make this book a useful quick reference guide for the Massachusetts lawyer or paralegal.

Massachusetts Legal Research begins with a detailed discussion of a research process that integrates online and print media. The book then addresses secondary sources, the entry point for most research projects. Subsequent chapters address researching primary authority—case law, statutes, administrative law, constitutions, and rules. The book includes a chapter on legislative process and history. Use of citators to update research is emphasized at appropriate points throughout the book. Chapters focusing on Massachusetts sources include brief discussions of cognate federal materials. Appendices address citation form and constructing searches in full-text databases.

This book is part of the Legal Research Series, edited by Suzanne E. Rowe, Director of Legal Research and Writing, University of Oregon School of Law.