Florida Legal Research

This book fulfills the need of beginning legal researchers—and experienced researchers new to Florida sources—for concise explanations of Florida's essential legal resources. It combines information about specific sources with an introduction to research methods that will enable researchers to move beyond the sources described in the text as new legal research tools emerge.

This fourth edition expands the treatment of online research using WestlawNext and Lexis Advance, as well as free or low-cost providers and governmental websites. The text emphasizes sources of Florida state law and includes references to analogous federal sources, making it a compact reference for planning both state and federal law research. The chapters have been reorganized so that the process of legal research is covered at the beginning of the book, along with concrete suggestions for organizing research in different media. A chapter on looseleaf services has been replaced with a new chapter covering a variety of practice tools, including blogs. The text also provides an overview of current citation rules for Florida sources.

A new co-author, Jennifer LaVia, teaches at Florida State University College of Law, bringing insights to the needs of current Florida law students.

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.

"Barbara J. Busharis and Suzanne E. Rowe have written a fine book to teach [the] basics. It should be in every library that supports Florida research. Overall, their book is excellent. It is well-written, well-planned, and extremely useful." — Legal Information ALERT, on the second edition

"[A] concise, no-nonsense book that will both educate lawyers anew as well as remind them about what they once knew on everything from the basics to the truly obscure… [T]his book is well-written, clearly organized, and truly a gem." — Trial Advocate Quarterly, on the second edition