Legal Research and Writing in Government and Public Service

Legal encyclopedias are secondary sources of law, which provide summaries and explanations of the law, but are not binding on courts.

A legal memorandum is a written document that analyzes a legal issue and provides recommendations for how to address it. It is often used by lawyers to provide advice to clients or to prepare for litigation.

Law review articles are scholarly articles that discuss legal issues, but they are not considered to be legal writing in the same way that legal memoranda, briefs, and opinions are.

Statutes are passed by legislatures, while regulations are issued by administrative agencies. Statutes are more general, while regulations are more specific. Statutes are binding on courts, while regulations are not.

Legal citations serve all of these purposes. They identify the source of a legal rule or principle, provide a brief summary of a legal case, and indicate the court that decided the case.

Internet research is not a type of legal research. Legal research involves finding and analyzing legal sources, such as statutes, case law, and regulations. Internet research is not a reliable source of legal information.

Civil cases involve disputes between private parties, while criminal cases involve disputes between the government and an individual. Civil cases are resolved through a trial, while criminal cases can be resolved through a plea bargain. Civil cases can result in a monetary judgment, while criminal cases can result in imprisonment.

A legal brief is a written document that is submitted to a court in order to persuade the court to adopt a particular legal position. It is typically used in appellate cases.

A memorandum opinion is not a type of legal opinion. It is a short, informal opinion that is issued by a court without a full explanation of the reasoning behind the decision.

Legal statutes serve all of these purposes. They create or modify laws, interpret laws, and enforce laws.

Google Scholar is not a legal database. It is a general academic search engine that includes some legal materials, but it is not a comprehensive source of legal information.

Primary sources are binding on courts, while secondary sources are not. Primary sources are created by the government, while secondary sources are created by private individuals. Primary sources are more reliable than secondary sources.

Legal dictionaries serve all of these purposes. They define legal terms, provide examples of how legal terms are used, and explain the legal principles that apply to particular terms.

MLA is not a type of legal citation format. It is a citation format that is used in the humanities.

A legal research memorandum is a written document that summarizes the results of a legal research project. It typically includes a discussion of the legal issue, the relevant legal authorities, and the researcher's conclusions.