1. Chapter 13—Legal Research Process
Expanded Outline

2. Expanded Outline
Issue page—List all ideas and formulations of the issue.

3. Expanded Outline
Fact page—List key and background facts, sentences and ideas concerning the facts.

4. Expanded Outline
Analysis—Rule of law page—List name and citation of law, relevant contents, ideas and sentences concerning law.

5. Expanded Outline
Analysis—Case law page—List name and citation of case, relevant law/quotes, ideas, and sentences concerning case.

6. Expanded Outline
Analysis—Application—List all ideas, sentences, and so on, showing how law applies to client’s facts.

7. Expanded Outline
Counteranalysis—List any ideas, sentences, law, quotes concerning counterarguments.

8. Expanded Outline
Conclusion—List any ideas, sentences, and so on, concerning the writing of the conclusion.

9. Chapter 13— Legal Research Process
Part A—Analyze the Assignment

10. Part A—Analyze the Assignment
Assignment—An identification of the type and purpose of the research assignment

11. Part A—Analyze the Assignment
Constraints
Time: Allocate research time according to the time allotted to the assignment.
Length: If there is a page limit, organize research to ensure that each section is allotted sufficient space.
Format: Identify any format that may govern the assignment.

12. Part A—Analyze the Assignment
Organization—Prepare an outline of the assignment.

13. Chapter 13— Legal Research Process
Part B—Conduct Research

14. Part B—Conduct Research
Step 1: Preliminary preparation
Gather all information necessary to research and analyze the assignment.
Part 1: Gather information about the case.
Part 2: Identify the key terms and key facts.
Part 3: Preliminary research.

15. Part B—Conduct Research
Step 2: Issue
Identify the issue (legal question) or issues raised by the facts of the client’s case.

16. Part B—Conduct Research
Step 3: Rule
Identify the law that governs the issue.
Part 1: Locate the general law that governs the issue.
Part 2: Locate the law that interprets how the general law applies to the specific fact situation of the issue.
Part 3: Update research.