Insurance Law Research Marin Dell, JD MLIS FSU Law Research Center Workshop

How Do I Get Started? Online Research Guides:  Guide to Legal Research (University of Maryland School of Law’s Thurgood Marshall Law Library) LLguide/index.asp  Research Road Map (Boston University Law Library)

Boston U Research Road Map 1. Select a topic 2. Conduct a preemption check 3. Research primary and secondary sources 4. Update your research paper/

1. Select A Topic Pick a topic that you are excited about! Insurance Law is an important issue in many areas of law…  Environmental Law  Estate Planning  Real Estate/Planned Communities

How Do I Find a Topic? Supreme Court Docket Current awareness materials Newspapers and magazines Professors, attorneys and industry specialists

The Supreme Court Docket BNA US Law Week  Current Alerts, The Supreme Court Docket and Legal News Access through BNA All or in print Medill School of Journalism (Northwestern University)

BNA All (Bureau of National Affairs) Database of publications/newsletters in many different practice areas Subscribe to alerts to keep abreast of any new developments in your topic area E.g.  Biotech Watch  Toxics Law Daily

2. Conduct A Preemption Check Search your topic in an index such as Current Index to Legal Periodicals, LegalTrac or IndexMaster What has been written on your topic? Can you add anything to the legal scholarship already written on your topic?

3. Research primary and secondary sources Insurance Law Background Journals and Law Reviews Case Law Administrative Materials

For Background on Insurance Law Consult Secondary Materials Appropriate To Your Beginning Level of Knowledge  Very basic background information: Insurance Law in a Nutshell by John F. Dobbyn  More scholarly, but still very readable: Understanding Insurance Law by Robert H. Jerry, II  The classics: Appleman on Insurance 2d by Eric M. Holmes Couch on Insurance 3d by Lee R. Russ

HeinOnline Law Reviews and Journals in PDF format Insurance Law Journal Insurance Counsel Journal The Forum AKA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Journal 1965 – 2004; volumes 1 – 39 (Westlaw coverage begins in 2003, vol. 38)

How To Choose A Resource: Different Coverage Different Formats Different Search Capabilities

4. Update your research Search the index services for new articles Keep up with current awareness materials in your topic area Ask for a last update from the professionals in your topic area Search recent case law on your topic by using the search form’s date restriction option Shepardize your case law!

Questions? Talk to a librarian at the FSU Reference Desk: In person By phone By

Thanks for coming and good luck!