Louisiana Legal Research

Louisiana Legal Research assists attorneys, law students, paralegals, librarians, and others in researching legal materials effectively and efficiently. While focused on Louisiana law, the book provides the reader with the information necessary to research federal law as well as the law of other jurisdictions. The book is user-friendly, providing information about legal research in a straightforward, practical format. The book is a must for anyone conducting legal research in Louisiana and is an excellent guide to legal research novices.

In addition to discussing research techniques, sources, and strategies, the book explains the primary legal traditions in the United States and the basic structure of court systems in the United States. Against this backdrop, the book highlights the unique characteristics of the Louisiana legal system, including the State's reliance on the Civil Code and statutory law and the value of precedent in Louisiana.

The book also provides specific information on both print and electronic sources for locating law and gives guidance to the researcher on which sources are most efficiently used to research various types of information. The book touches on strategies for presenting legal arguments and provides information on citing legal sources in accordance with Louisiana custom as well as The Bluebook and the ALWD Citation Manual.

The book even provides its readers with a bit of lagniappe (lanyap), a word used in Louisiana to mean something extra or an unexpected gift. Louisiana lagniappe text boxes found throughout the book provide readers with interesting, historical facts relevant to the sources being discussed.

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.

"The tone of Louisiana Legal Research is right on target for new, harried law students, telling them precisely what they need to know… Louisiana Legal Research is an easy-to-use guide for those new to Louisiana legal research…making the book worthy of consideration as a text-book in first-year legal research courses or by those teaching legal research to other Louisiana audiences. Louisiana Legal Research is recommended for all law and public libraries in Louisiana. Louisiana colleges and university libraries with prelaw or paralegal programs will also find it a worthy addition to their collections." — Law Library Journal