Legal Research
Legal Research is a fundamental skill in the legal profession where professionals find, analyze, and interpret laws, court decisions, and other legal documents to support legal work. It's like being a detective who searches through laws and previous court cases to build strong arguments or give sound legal advice. Lawyers and paralegals use both traditional law libraries and modern online databases like LexisNexis or Westlaw to conduct this research. This skill is essential for writing legal documents, preparing for cases, and ensuring all legal work is based on current laws and precedents (previous court decisions).
Examples in Resumes
Conducted Legal Research to support complex corporate litigation cases
Utilized Legal Research skills to analyze state and federal regulations
Performed extensive Legal Research and Case Law Research for patent infringement cases
Typical job title: "Legal Researchers"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Legal Researchers
Professional Associations
Job Boards
Online Networks
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How do you approach researching a complex legal issue that spans multiple jurisdictions?
Expected Answer: A senior researcher should explain their systematic approach to organizing research across different state and federal laws, discussing how they prioritize sources and manage conflicting precedents, and mention strategies for efficient use of legal databases.
Q: How do you ensure your legal research stays current with changing laws and regulations?
Expected Answer: Should discuss using legal update services, setting up alerts for relevant case law and statutory changes, and maintaining a system to regularly review and update previous research findings.
Mid Level Questions
Q: What legal research tools do you use most frequently and why?
Expected Answer: Should demonstrate knowledge of major legal databases like Westlaw and LexisNexis, explain when to use different resources, and show understanding of both digital and traditional research methods.
Q: How do you determine if a case is still good law?
Expected Answer: Should explain the process of checking if legal decisions are still valid using tools like Shepard's Citations or KeyCite, and understanding how to interpret citation history.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What is the difference between primary and secondary legal sources?
Expected Answer: Should explain that primary sources are actual laws and court decisions, while secondary sources are materials that explain or analyze the law, like legal encyclopedias and law review articles.
Q: How do you start researching a legal topic you're unfamiliar with?
Expected Answer: Should describe beginning with secondary sources like legal encyclopedias to understand basics, then moving to primary sources, and using proper citation formats.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic database searching
- Understanding legal citations
- Finding primary legal sources
- Using legal encyclopedias
Mid (2-5 years)
- Advanced database searching
- Analysis of complex legal issues
- Legislative history research
- Creating research summaries
Senior (5+ years)
- Managing large research projects
- Training others in research methods
- Expert database searching
- Cross-jurisdictional research
Red Flags to Watch For
- Unable to differentiate between primary and secondary sources
- Lack of familiarity with major legal databases
- Poor citation skills
- No experience with legal citation formats
- Limited knowledge of legal terminology
Related Terms
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