Top Three Picks for Legal Research Texts

By Alan Kilpatrick

Today lawyers are faced with what seems like an overwhelming number of legal research resources, textbooks, and guides.  With your busy schedule, how can you quickly and easily identify the most useful resources from this multitude of information?  That’s where the Law Society Library comes in.

Law librarians are here to aid you in selecting the most relevant resources to save you time and energy.  On Firmer Ground, a blog promoting the value of law librarians, explains that “in an era of information overload, law librarians possess the expertise to find those golden nuggets of information that allow law firm leaders to make actionable decisions that benefit firms and clients alike.”

As one of the librarians with the Law Society Library, I work with legal resources on a daily basis and am familiar with many research guides.  For those interested in learning more about the legal research process, here are my top three pick for legal research texts:

The Comprehensive Guide to Legal Research, Writing & Analysis

By Moira McCarney, Ruth Kuras, Annette Demers, and Shelley Kierstead
Emond Publications, 2013

From Emond website: Offers systematic, practical instruction, taking readers through context-based research problems. The book highlights examples and research tasks graphically and in full colour to facilitate the pedagogic experience. Screen captures of online resources are also included, assisting the researcher’s understanding.

Legal Research and Writing, 4th Edition

By Ted Tjaden
Irwin Law, 2016

From the Irwin Law website: Seeks to explain the practical skills needed for print and online legal research and for legal writing. It provides a current and comprehensive look at the topic, consolidating information on legal research and writing into one handy, easy-to-use resource. The book is written for both seasoned practitioners, seeking to add the latest sources and techniques to their research arsenals, and for beginning law students who face a bewildering array of information

The Practical Guide to Canadian Legal Research, 4th Edition

By Nancy McCormack, John Papadopoulos, and Catherine Cotter
Carswell, 2015

From the Carswell website: This essential guidebook to legal research introduces users to the various legal research materials available to lawyers, law students, law clerks and legal academics. It teaches readers efficient legal research skills, and acts as a reference source by providing some of the essential background required to research specific areas of the law. Along with detailed research strategies, a comprehensive checklist is included.