As an aspiring legal professional, you would know the immense importance of gaining mastery in legal research skills. You may need it to prepare for a career in litigation or corporate law. Hence, it is covered in depth in advanced law degrees. Proficiency in these skills will lay the path to success in a legal career. 

In this blog, we check some reasons to master legal research. We also give practical tips for sharpening these skills when pursuing law degrees.

Importance of Legal Research in Law Degrees

Legal research is the foundation of sound legal analysis and decision-making. It involves identifying and finding relevant legal sources. You then analyze these statutes and regulations for your specific case. 

Some legal research also spans locating case law and secondary research materials. Effective legal research allows lawyers to understand the applicable law. With it, they can properly identify relevant precedents. This lets them craft persuasive arguments to support their clients’ positions in front of a judge. As a result, they will be better equipped to defend their client and counter the opposing party. 

Tips for Effective Legal Research

[1] Understand the Research Task

Before diving into legal research, carefully review the research task or question. When you are careful, you can better understand the scope and objectives of this task needed in advanced law degrees. You can break down complex issues into manageable components to ease the research. It will help you identify key legal concepts and keywords to guide your search.  

[2] Use Primary and Secondary Sources

Legal research often involves consulting both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources include statutes and case law. They give the authoritative law on a particular issue. For secondary sources, you can check legal treatises and law review articles. They offer analysis and commentary to help you interpret and apply the law.

[3] Use Online Legal Research Tools

You can also use online legal research databases and tools. Some good examples include LexisNexis and Bloomberg Law. They help you efficiently access a vast array of legal resources. These platforms offer advanced search capabilities. They have an exhaustive case law database. Their specialized research guides facilitate your research process.

[4] Evaluate and Analyze Sources Critically

When conducting legal research, you should critically evaluate the source’s credibility and relevance. This will help you determine the authority of the sources. Check the reasoning and holdings of relevant cases and existing statutes. This will help you verify their applicability to your research question.

To conclude

Legal research is an indispensable part of your education for advanced law degrees. Make sure to know about these tips. They will come in handy for doing legal research in an effective manner. 

Cameron Martin is the author of this article. To know about Online LLM degree options please visit our website: lsac.org