Legal Research Made Easy: A Roadmap Through The Law Library Maze

A 2 1/2 hour lecture is definitely not my idea of a rousing good time. Said lecture being on the subject of legal research in the law library frankly makes the alternative of clipping one's toenails sound like a lark. Yet under the more than able guidance of Professor Robert C. Berring, author and Director of the Law Library at the University of California, Berkeley, learning the basic tenets of legal research seems almost fun. Don't get me wrong. This is not a stand-up comedy act that's all empty calories, and no nutrition. You will, by god, learn to navigate your way with confidence through the murkiest of legal reference materials: whether it's the Corpus Juris Secundum (favorite of Perry Mason) or the cryptic Shepard's Citations. You will also know how to find and cross-reference your way through the four primary levels of law: constitutional, legislative, administrative rules and regulations, and case law--as well as the secondary sources relating to the law, such as indexes, digests, and citations. The particular genius of Berring's presentation is that he teaches viewers the most economical and efficient approaches to legal research--which is going to be a great aid to that legion of people who stand around the stacks in the law library sucking their thumbs, and vaguely looking as if they're in need of a diaper change. And understanding case law can't be much more fun than listening to Berring's hypothetical case of his being struck in a cross-section by a car operated by Oprah Winfrey--and all the legal ramifications thereof. An excellent 40-plus page handbook accompanies the video. Highly recommended. (Available from: Nolo Press, 950 Parker St., Berkeley, CA 94710.)