Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing

Joanne Banker Hames is an attorney and paralegal educator who has been actively involved in paralegal education since 1977. She is an instructor in and the former coordinator for the ABA-approved paralegal program at DeAnza Community College in Cupertino, California, as well as an adjunct instructor at Santa Clara University's School of Law. She earned her JD from Santa Clara University Law School and has been an active member of the California Bar since 1972. As an attorney, she has been involved in research and writing for legal memoranda and appellate briefs. Among the classes she teaches are Legal Research and Writing, Advanced Legal Research and Writing, Advanced Legal Research Using Westlaw and Advanced Legal Research Using Lexis. She is the co-author of Civil Litigation, Introduction to Law, and Constitutional Law: Principles and Practice.
Yvonne Ekern is an Associate Clinical Professor of Law at Santa Clara University's School of Law and a full-time member of the Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing faculty. For seven years she was the chairperson of the West Valley College Paralegal Program (ABA approved). Prior to attending law school, she taught high school English and math in California and Missouri. She graduated from the University of Idaho School of Law in 1985. While working in criminal and family law offices, she taught part-time in several Silicon Valley paralegal programs. Among the classes she teaches are Legal Research and Writing, Advanced Legal Research and Writing, Appellate Advocacy, Advanced Legal Research and Writing Using Lexis, and Legal Analysis. She has over 25 years' teaching experience. She is the co-author of the texts Introduction to Law, and Constitutional Law: Principles and Practice.

1. Introduction to Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis
2. The Starting Point: Analyzing Facts and Identifying Legal Issues
3. Finding and Analyzing Case Law
4. How To Read and Summarize a Case Law Decision
5. Constitutions, Statutes, and Administrative Regulations
6. Statutory and Constitutional Analysis
7. Secondary Sources
8. Digests
9. Validating Your Research: Using Shepard's, KeyCite, and Other Citators
10. Computer-Assisted Legal Research (CALR): Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law
11. Computer-Assisted Legal Research (CALR): The Freely Accessible Internet
12. Basic Legal Writing Skills
13. The Memorandum of Law: Predictive Legal Writing
14. Writing to the Court: Persuasive Writing
15. Motion Practice: Research and Writing Issues
16. Legal Correspondence

Appendices A. Research Case Files B. Research and Writing Problems Based on Short Stated Fact Patterns C. Legal Citation D. Research Strategies: An Overview E. Case Briefing Practice F. Supplemental Cases G. Answer Key to "Test Yourself" H. U.S. Court System