Overview of Legal research

Legal research is the process of locating information to solve a legal problem, verify laws, and read cases or statutes. It involves identifying, finding, and cite-checking information and laws needed to support legal decision-making. Legal research can be challenging, as one must ensure that the case law uncovered is relevant and authoritative to the matter at hand. There are various approaches to legal research, including analytical, inter-disciplinary, comparative, and historical methods. Annotated codes are a useful starting point for legal research, as they combine statutory language with citations to cases, regulations, and other relevant sources. The five steps of legal research typically involve recording the facts of the case, gathering primary and secondary law, analyzing the information, updating research as needed, and communicating the findings. Legal research is crucial for lawyers, law students, and legal professionals to build strong cases, understand legal issues, and make informed decisions.