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Legal Research Cornell Certificate Program

Overview and courses.

The path to a legal solution travels many roads and can often take a detour depending on the information lawyers uncover as they search for answers. Whether you’re a paralegal, law clerk, or business leader, this certificate program from Cornell Law School will help you explore strategies and resources that lawyers use to find law and legal precedent and identify how they apply that information to find solutions for their clients.

Cornell Law School Professor Kim Nayyer will guide you as you discover legal resources that even nonlawyers can access in libraries or online, for free, including a template for developing a research strategy. You will also explore how lawyers across practice areas use specialized knowledge management systems, tools, and artificial intelligence products in their quest for legal solutions.

By the end of the program, you will be able to see a legal question from a lawyer’s perspective, understand how they develop a strategy for approaching legal research, and determine the best resources for the specific legal information a lawyer needs.

The courses in this certificate program are required to be completed in the order that they appear.

Course list

• Creating a Legal Research Strategy

What is legal research all about? There are more steps than you may think, and in this course you will discover all of them. You will explore how the skills of legal research and legal analysis fit into every lawyer's work. You'll then examine the particular features of legal information that make it unique and applicable in specific legal situations, including legal jurisdictions and the implications of where legal information originates.

By exploring terminology specific to legal information, such as primary sources of legal information or legal authority and secondary legal information, you will identify how these kinds of legal information relate to each other. You'll also consider how a lawyer would choose to use different information sources and why. Through this knowledge, you'll be able to understand the valuable skill of strategizing legal research as well as the way lawyers develop efficient legal research strategies to achieve accurate results while staying within timelines and budgets.

• Selecting Legal Research Sources

The world is filled with misinformation, making it difficult to determine what is useful and what isn't. In this course, you will develop skills to help you assess what is valuable legal information. You'll examine how to find credible, reliable legal resources, even on the open web, and you'll develop skills to recognize certain hallmarks of reliable, authoritative information. You'll also discover ways to distinguish these viable sources from lower-quality information and identify the unique advantages of specialized legal research databases.

Throughout this course, you will gain a deeper understanding of the influence that artificial intelligence has on legal information by analyzing specific sources that are useful in explaining legal terminology and discussing legal subjects for court rulings and legislation. You'll also explore the ways that lawyers and researchers can safely use knowledge management systems while recognizing their limitations, and you'll consider the unique advantages of subscription legal resources that lawyers often use.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

Applying Strategic Legal Research

Legal research often begins by taking a step back. Lawyers know it's important to not rush in but to first identify the specific question they need to address before gathering the relevant information. In this course, you will explore the specific strategies and processes a lawyer uses to solve legal problems in practice. By studying the ways in which a lawyer leverages their legal expertise to identify the facts salient to a client's problem, you'll discover how the lawyer is able to identify specific legal issues that emerge, along with which steps to take.

You will also examine the preliminary information a lawyer will establish before beginning their legal research, and you'll have the opportunity to see and use a legal research planning tool. You'll investigate how a lawyer can ensure that they're not missing important issues or sources of legal information while they navigate large, complex webs of legal information efficiently and without repetition. Finally, you'll delve into how a lawyer concludes the research process for a given problem.

How It Works

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Faculty Author

• Certificates Authored

Before joining Cornell University in May 2019, Kim Nayyer was Associate University Librarian for Law and Adjunct Associate Professor at University of Victoria in Canada. There, her administrative responsibilities included direction of the law library and participation in the administration of the university’s copyright office. Within that law school, Professor Nayyer taught Advanced and Introductory Legal Research and Writing in the Canadian context, along with a program in comparative legal research. She planned that law library’s role in the world’s first J.D./JID dual degree program, which combines education in Indigenous legal orders and Canadian common law.

Professor Nayyer contributes time to various legal education and legal information professional communities, including the Association of American Law Schools (Vice Chair, North American Cooperation Section); American Association of Law Libraries (member, Spectrum Editorial Board); Canadian Association of Law Libraries/L’Association Canadienne des Bibliothèques de Droit (Vice President; founder, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization Committee; past co-chair, Copyright Committee); and the Canadian Federation of Library Associations/Fédération Canadienne des Associations des Bibliothèques (member, Copyright Committee).

Professor Nayyer’s research interests span legal studies and information studies. They include the ethics of big data and artificial intelligence in legal information; critical information literacy in machine-manipulated environments of legal information, non-legal information, and the media; digital citizenship, privacy, and data ownership issues and their regulation in intersections with legal and non-legal public online participation; technological innovations in legal education, pedagogy, and practice; access to direct and legal information and machine-manipulated legal information and access to justice; comparative U.S. and Canadian legal information topics and research methods; comparative copyright and other intellectual property law and their intersections with Indigenous knowledge; comparative copyright and licensing issues and solutions in libraries and of primary legal information; and inclusive library, legal, and educational leadership in environments of diversity and accelerated change.

Professor Nayyer holds a B.Sc. from the University of Alberta, an LLB from York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School, and an MLIS from the University of Alberta. She clerked for the late Associate Chief Justice Jerome at the Federal Court of Canada/Cour Fédérale du Canada in a bilingual position and was called to the bars of Alberta and Ontario. In her law practice career, Professor Nayyer worked as a litigation and research attorney for large and small law firms in Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto, and she served as legal counsel for the Alberta Court of Appeal in Edmonton and Calgary.

Legal Research

Key course takeaways.

• Develop an understanding of the legal research process and strategy that lawyers use
• Discern information from misinformation
• Access legal information through tech tools and knowledge management resources
• Use general and specialized resources to identify the issues a lawyer would examine in a case and strategize a legal research process
• Discover limitations in legal research and analysis for people who aren’t lawyers and don’t have access to specialized databases, tech tools, and knowledge management resources

Download a Brochure

What You'll Earn

• Legal Research Certificate from Cornell Law School
• 48 Professional Development Hours (4.8 CEUs)

Watch the Video

Who should enroll.

• Paralegals and legal assistants
• Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
• Pre-law students
• Managers, executives, and professionals who work with counsel
• Compliance and risk management professionals
• Professionals working in highly regulated industries
• Founders and entrepreneurs
• Librarians and aspiring law librarians
• Legal publishers and editors
• Journalists

“Cornell Law’s program helped me do a better job in my current position AND helped me advance in my career. The courses do a great job of walking you through high-level and mid-level legal concepts — which has been beneficial for both my professional and my personal life.”

“cornell law’s certificate programs are worth it i learned a lot in a very short amount of time. the structure gave me a great amount of flexibility to do the work, and it was easy to fit into my super busy schedule. great experience”.

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Request Information Now by completing the form below.

Home » Opportunities & Events » Courses and Workshops » Online Certificate Course on Legal Research and Writing by Lawctopus Law School [Aug 1 – Sept 30]: Register by July 20!

Online Certificate Course on Legal Research and Writing by Lawctopus Law School [Aug 1 – Sept 30]: Register by July 20!

• Jul 20, 2024
• 94 Comments

About the Lawctopus Law School

Lawctopus Law School has taught over 18,000+ learners and our online certificate courses have an average rating of 92/100. 

Our LIVE courses come with weekly live lectures, rigorously prepared reading modules, recorded lectures, practical assignments, personal feedback, and a 100%, no questions asked money back guarantee!

Each batch has a Learning Manager who ensures that all learners have a quality learning experience in the course.

How the course will help you:

Legal research and writing are core skills that all types of legal professionals require. You cannot do away with these skills.

Corporate lawyers, litigators, academicians, judges…everyone just has to be a quality researcher and writer!

The knowledge and skills you learn from the course will help you:

• Develop excellent research and writing skills. Know how to start, how to choose a topic
• Write excellent, publishable research papers that improve your ‘self’ and your ‘CV’
• Write prize-winning moot court memorials, quality research papers
• Draft high-quality legal opinions as a lawyer
• Go about footnoting, endnoting, and referencing like a pro
• Learn about editing your piece and presenting it in conferences, seminars
• Learn the fundamental practical aspects of tools like SCCOnline, Manupatra

Register for the course by clicking here.

If you are busy in this timeframe, consider registering for our future batches.

You can register for the next two batches by registering here.

A scholarship of Rs. 1000 is given to the early birds who register in advance!

Structure of the Course [click on the modules to read more]

Introduces you to the idea of research generally. It asks: how should research be done? Everyone has a different answer to this seemingly simple question. This module tells you some common answers and asks you to pick the one you like.

Module 2 is about research design. It tells you the steps of a research process and discusses them briefly – choosing the topic and title, understanding and explaining the framework of your research, coming up with a research problem, making a research question & hypothesis, deciding the research methodology & method, and writing & presenting the research. Exactly how you take these steps depends, of course, on the philosophy (‘answer’) you pick in Module I.

Choose a research topic, research questions, and get personal feedback from our subject matter experts.

Module 3 tells you more about the research methodology & method. What is “methodology”? What is “method”? Although you would have already read these terms in Module II, Module III gives you more detail. It also explains how the various research methodologies can be classified under the headings qualitative, quantitative, and mixed. Finally, it tells you which methodologies and methods are best suited to doctrinal/analytical and empirical research.

Module 4 dives straight into doctrinal/analytical research methods. How do you research a given legal issue? How do you find the right legislation or case law? This module explains how to best use available resources to find the authority you need.

Module 5 is the empirical counterpart of Module IV. It discusses the various kinds of research methods under qualitative as well as quantitative methodologies.

Submit a rough draft, with the structure of your paper, literature review spelt out, and footnotes keyed in. Get personal feedback again from our subject matter experts.

Module 6 teaches you the art of legal writing. The module explains the art of clear writing with a structured, nuanced approach.

Module 7 explains how to present legal research verbally. Presenting in conferences and seminars is a key activity that helps you develop your research further, disseminate your insights, and build career capital. This module will help you with this.

Module 8 deals with the ethics of legal research. What are the practices you must do during research, and which ones must you avoid? This module explains various scenarios in which ethics become important.

Submission of the final paper. Get personal feedback for the 3rd time by our faculty!

Presentation of your paper before a panel (for best-performing students)

The course has a full-fledged ‘Assignments Module’ which addresses the fundamental, practical questions of doing legal research and writing like: How to find a precise research topic? How to go about crafting research questions? How do I find literature gaps? “Everything I read seems alright. I don’t know how to produce something novel”. What all should I footnote? How do I do that? How do I get published in top law journals and win essay competitions?

Register for the Legal Research and Writing Course by clicking here.

Course Developers

The course has been prepared by Abhayraj Naik, Shrutanjaya Bhardwaj, Anupama Sharma, and Vershika Sharma. The delivery of the course will be done by the e-learning and subject-matter experts at Lawctopus.

Tanuj Kalia, our CEO, and Jatin Garg (an expert in legal instructional design) have worked closely on the overall coordination and planning of the course.

The course has been done by over 5000 learners with an average rating of 92/100.

Trust us, it’s a gem we have on offer!

Abhayraj Naik did his BA LLB (Hons.) from NLSIU Bangalore in 2006 and LLM from Yale Law School in 2009.

He is currently an independent researcher and consultant and has previously taught in colleges like JGLS, Azim Premji University, and NLSIU. He has also been a research fellow at SARAI-CSDS, and a researcher at the Environment Support Group in Bangalore.

Shrutanjaya Bhardwaj is the lead researcher and content developer of this course and worked closely under the guidance of Abhayraj. He completed his BA LLB (Hons.) from NLUD in 2017 where he was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Gold Medal for the Best Overall Student (Male).

He then worked at the chambers of Gopal Sankarnarayanan for a year and then went on to complete LLM from Michigan Law School in 2019.

Prof. Anupama Sharma is an Assistant Professor at JGLS, Sonipat. She has completed B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) from the NUJS, Kolkata in 2014, and LL.M. from the University of Cambridge, UK in June 2015, and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. from the University of Hong Kong.

She has been a part of various research projects run by institutions and organizations, such as Cambridge Pro Bono Project, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), International Justice Mission, etc. She has also been a Legislative Review Team member for the Journal of Indian Law and Society (JILS).

Mansi Mankotia graduated with a B.A.LL.B (Hons.) from H.P. University in 2020 and pursued an LLM specializing in criminal law from NLU Shimla. Currently, Mansi is dedicated to advancing her expertise through a PhD in Law. With professional experience as an in-house counsel, she currently serves as a Learning Manager at Lawctopus Law School, contributing to the development and delivery of practical law courses.

Who is this course for?

• Undergraduate and postgraduate students of law.
• Faculty members in the fields of law, social sciences, and business wishing to revisit the fundamental of legal research and writing.
• Young lawyers (both litigators and those working in law firms who are interested in these topics.
• Students of other streams interested in gaining legal research and writing skills

Learner’s Feedback

Course Details

Duration: 8 weeks.

Fees: 6900 INR (Including GST)

Mode of learning:

• Completely online and self-paced. (Except for the weekly live sessions. The recordings of the live sessions is also available)
• Detailed reading modules and resources
• Recorded video lectures
• Weekly live lectures which build on the reading modules, clear your doubts, explain assignments, etc.
• Online forum for doubt clarification
• Regular communication over Whatsapp and Email so that you do not miss any live class or assignment deadline. We deeply ‘care’ for your learning.
• Assignment: submission of a short research paper (this assignment is divided into 3 mini-assignments)
• Personal 3-level feedback on your assignments.
• Optional reflective exercises
• Recorded webinars on careers in legal research, CV-building, earning through freelancing, etc.
• Access to alumni group which will keep you updated about future career opportunities

We go out of our way to support our students!

• Live orientation session which tells you about our platform and how to make full use of the course.
• A broadcast-only Whatsapp group to check updates easily and fast.
• Access to recorded version of the live lectures in case you miss attending them live!

Add-on benefits:

• Get a certificate issued by Lawctopus Law School after the successful completion of the course. (Don’t worry, if you put in a sincere effort in this course, you’ll get a certificate. We are liberal in our markings and give you a second chance. We do want sincere efforts from our learners).
• Free career counselling, CV, and career guidance webinars for everyone.
• A chance to get published on Academike , Lawctopus’ Law Journal (ISSN: 2349-9796).
• An opportunity to mentor future batches for senior students, academicians, and practitioners (this is a paid, part-time, work-from-home position at Lawctopus)

Free Access to Manupatra for 2 Months!

Students of this course will get free access to Manupatra for the duration of the course, i.e for 2 months. Manupatra is India’s most popular and trustworthy tool for legal research and we believe having access to the platform for 2 months will help students gain familiarity and develop competence in using this excellent resource.

Lawctopus and Manupatra also conduct joint webinars every 2-3 months. The webinars are around the topics of legal research, using Manupatra for legal research, etc. and students of this course will have the opportunity to attend those webinars on priority.

Some achievements of the students of Lawctopus’ Legal Research and Writing Course till now:

• NUALS Law Journal
• LawAndOtherThings
• Law School Policy Review
• Presenting their papers in an international seminar on Liberty
• Securing a Research Assistantship with a Professor from the Oxford University
• Working on a legal history project in the Bombay High Court.
• Securing a research internship with a leading education provider
• Winning top-notch legal essay writing competitions
• Securing internships and freelance gigs based on their writing samples
• Thanks to the excellent research, writing, and editing skills, many of our students submit better CVs and writing samples which has lead to a dozen of internship offers.
• Many of our students have won the country’s best legal essay writing competitions after this course!

These are just indicative list of achievements. While these achievements are due to the students’ own initiative and hard work, they have told us that the course helped them towards these, and we couldn’t be happier!

This course teaches you Legal Research and Writing from A to Z!

Whether you are a 1st-year law student from a lesser-ranked law college, whether you are an experienced faculty member who already has a Ph.D. or you may even be a practicing lawyer wishing to know what the exact process behind quality legal research and writing can look like, you’ll find this course of great utility and spark!

FAQs [click on the Qs to read the As]:

No. You’ll have 7-8 live lectures each lasting approximately 90 minutes. The schedule of the live sessions is released when the course starts. Most of our live sessions happen on weekends or on late evenings so that all learners (students or working professionals) can attend them without skipping their regular classes or office.

We suggest that you spend approximately  3-5 hours/week doing the course. When you spend these 3-5 hours is up to you. You may spend around 40 minutes each day or do it over the weekend.

Yes, this course is designed to help an absolute newbie to learn the fundamentals and nuances of legal research and writing. Even senior academicians find the course of immense use. If you are a professional looking to improve their research and writing skills, this course will help you too.

Yes, you can access the course for a  total of 4 months  [2 months to complete the course + 2 months to review the course]. Please note that the course is complete by the end of the 2nd month. We have strict deadlines for submission of the 4 mini-assignments which have to be followed. However, if you want to revisit and revise the material in the course, you can do that for 2 months after the completion of the course.

We encourage you to attend the live classes after thorough preparations. Just like the real  charm of a live match/performance  is watching it live, the real value of a live class is in attending it live! A lot of new, practical things are covered; and of course, your questions are addressed too. However, if you miss the live class, you can watch the recorded version of the live class which is uploaded for the specific batch only.

Good research and writing skills are absolutely crucial (no questions asked) for any knowledge professional. Every legal professional, whether a corporate lawyer or a litigator, a judge or an academician, requires good legal research and writing skills. Through this course, you’ll learn these core skills. Consider this: even your CV and cover letters are evaluated by recruiters as short writing samples. Is it written well, formatted well? Interestingly, our students have told us that after this course their internship applications which were rejected earlier were not getting accepted! Good research, writing, and presentation skills are transferable to multiple domains. The course will also help you do well in moots, publications, and conferences and seminars.

There is only one compulsory assignment: submission of a 1500-2500 word short research essay. The assignment is divided into 3 mini-assignments. Submission of: 1. A research topic and questions 2. Submission of a rough draft with references and footnotes 3. Final research paper Each mini-assignment is followed by feedback from the faculty. Each student is given feedback. We pride ourselves on being able to give personalized, 3-level feedback.

The intention of the course is to teach you legal research and writing skills. Any type of legal drafting, civil or criminal or corporate, requires good research and writing skills. The focus of this course is not on particular drafts, but on legal research and writing as the broader skill-set. Your drafting will surely improve after doing this course.

Yes. There are many free, open sources available online that can help you with your research. SSRN, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, IndianKanoon, Government websites, and many free and open law journals (both from India and abroad), are an excellent repositories of knowledge, information, and insights. We also provide a list of such sources.

Need help to decide? Feel free to reach out to us on these channels.

Phone calls/WhatsApp Number: 935 968 4056 (Ishani Patankar, Counsellor, Lawctopus Law School)

Email: [email protected]

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94 Responses

I am interested in doing this course. I am a second-year law student. But my problem is that network on my campus is not good…so I will be needing recorded classes. As the network goes anytime. Will it be possible?

I am always struggling in legal writing. Thanks for making this course accessible and I m going to join it right now.

Hey! • The course is marked as from Aug 5 to sep 30 while the duration of the course as mentioned is 2 months(+2 months for review) Could you please confirm the duration of the course?? What are the dates mentioned here relevant for??? • Also, are the studying materials (both reading & videos or other sources) accessible for future use beyond the +2 expansion???? It would be so kind of you to clear my doubts as soon as possible as I am interested to enroll for the course and today is the last date for the same.

Hi, you can write to [email protected] to get all your queries resolved. The course is actually taught for 2 months. You get an additional 2 months to review content on your own.

please someone answer this comment, since the lawctopus people aren’t responding. Can i access the course from different accounts and device, because i have to travel constantly

Hi! May I know which email you wrote to? Answering your query, yes you can. You’re given login credentials through which you can access the course from different devices. However, the account remains the same through which you signed up for the course.

Hi, Good day. I would like to ask if we can pay in dollars and if so how

I am a life-long learner. All along I have studied in night colleges while working during the day. I did my B. A (Economics) in 1976, LL. B. in 1979, D. B. M in 1980, MMM (Masters in Marketing Management) from JBIMS in 1987, did my M. Sc. Psychology from Tamil Nadu Open University, Chennai, Diploma in English Journalism from Annamalai University, had a colourful career in Marketing from Sales Asstt. To Vice President Marketing from a Birla Group Company, did many certificate and short-term courses in law, even now I am doing an Advanced Diploma in Real Estate Law. I am passionate about legal research and want to do the course, which will help me in my writing. My problem is that I will not be able to do it in four months, I want it at my pace. I am a Blogger, Writer and Columnist. How can you help me. I want to do legal research and want to specialise in Constitutional Law. I am writing a paper on total gender equality. If the course is dounloadable I will go for it. Please let me know. Thanks.

Respected sir/mam, i wanted to confirm that after the completion of this course would we be able to access the study material (particularly recorded lectures) for future use?

Hi I’m from Pakistan Can I enrol in this course? Is it beneficial for me?

Do you have a sample video may of 10-20 minutes available, where we can get a taster of the course or content?

Hey Admin, do they provide demo of the course.

Your blog is simply amazing, congratulations on your great work.

Hey, can you please clarify if doing citations will also be taught in this course?

Yes, they’ll be taught.

Hey, can you please clarify if we will be taught how to cite also in this course? Thank you!

I am unable to enroll in the Jan-Feb course as the payment option isn’t operational. Will the payment option be open later on?

I really wanted to enroll for this course, however the last date has passed, is there any chance I can make the payment(today, for the next coming batch – post jan)and access the study material (videos and text resources) december onwards?

Hi Tanisha, you can still register for the Dec-Jan batch. Best,

Can i please apply today, I was unable to apply yesterday due to technical reasons.

Very helpful and Great information, I appreciate advice especially coming from a professional.

Sir…will there be a 7th batch too? As today is the last day to register for the 6th batch and right now I won’t be able to enroll. Please reply asap

It says that the registration is open till November 5th but the 6th batch has officially started from October 1st. Can you please clarify since I’m willing to join.

Hi, the next batch is from December 1. Best,

Thanks for this informative blog. its really helps me as this blog gives all information

Hi. Will there be a 7 th batch for this course?

Hi, when will the next batch (7th) starts ? as right now due to college exams I wouldn’t be join the current batch.

I have no command over English. should I go for this course first or improve my English first?

Hi Rahul, if you have no command over English then you might not be able to do the course well. However, if you are willing to work harder, you can do this course. You’ll have to read/watch everything twice, and you’ll be good to go.

This course looks promising but I didnt see anything that would inform me about the procedure to put this knowledge into action i.e. getting my articles published on reputed platforms. Please throw some light on that.

Can 1st year law students take up this course?( If we’re pursuing 5year law degree)

Yes, Samridhi.

I would love to join this course but i have a issue that my mid semester examination will be going on between the course period i.e from 21 – 25 sep. will i be able to manage this course simultaneously with my examinations?

Hi Deept, you’ll be able to manage. If an assignment falls within this duration, you can ask for an extension. But you must communicate it with us.

When will the next batch start?

Hi, September 1.

Sir today is 19th Aug.. Can I enroll today… Please reply asap

Hello. There is one typo error in FAQ 6, para starting with .. consider this…are now* (instead of not*) getting accepted. Thank you.

Hello, I was planning on registering for the Batch starting on August 1st. Are slots still available?

Please do reply ASAP, I would really look forward to enrolling for this course

Hello, I am Tanishka, online sources like SCC or Manupatra are usually required for research but I don’t have access to any of these, will it be a problem to join the course if I don’t have access of the afore?

Hi Tanishka, not at all. There are many ‘free’ and trusted egal databases which can be used. Best,

Hey sir Rajat here Sir i m from jk ! And I have internet connection problems as u know 2g is working there! So videos are available offline also? Can we watch them offline !?

Hi Rajat, sorry, the videos can’t be accessed offline. 🙁

Hello, Is this course easy to understand for the first year enrolled students of LLB? Waiting for a reply soon. Best Regards Mohit

Yes. It’s easy to understand. The purpose of this course is to teach you legal research and writing and we have many 1st year students doing the course. Even academicians do this course to brush up their skills/revise.

hey, i just submitted my payment and i went to my id to change the password but i forgot the old password can you please help me

Is there any free course because there are students who aren’t able to pay the fees but wanted to study various courses if there are then please do convey.

You can check our Youtube page for free webinars.

Please go to courses.lawctopus.com. If there is any issue, please email at [email protected]

Hello,I am inquiring  regarding Online Legal research and writing. Please let me can I register now?what are the timings?will I be able cover backlog sessions?Please reply ASAP

Can we still apply for the course

You have stated in “achievements of students who took this course” that one student 3 got published in Law School Policy Review and got Research Assistantship with a Professor from Oxford University. He’ll be working on a legal history project in the Bombay High Court” — can you please tell me which professor from oxford university and how he got the RA?

I am looking forward to starting this course soon, after this query is responded to

Can’t disclose the name till our student gives us the permission. Can introduce you to the student directly and you guys can talk. Email at [email protected]

im going to be enroll as a research scholar wanted to join this course. can i join it now on 29th of may by paying 3500?

I am a Govt Law College Professor and Research Guide and has experience in handling classes for scholars and guides in fora including those of Christ University Banglore. If you are interested, I would like to associate with you by taking online classes and by providing materials including ppt and other materials.

Hi, sure, it will be responded to asap. Don’t worry at all! Best,

i want to talk to Tanuj Kalia sir, please contact me on 9947300916 I would like to join Legal research course

Hi sir, i just go through the course. If the registration is open…is it possible to make payment in installments for the course?

Hi Vrinda, sorry but you cannot make payments in installments. We are trying to have scholarships and partial payments from August 1 onwards to make our courses more accessible. Best,

Can you please tell us about these scholarships?

Is the Course still Open? Please Revert back ASAP!

hi just go to know about the course,i have registered but i am facing an issue with the transaction

Can we now submit to become a college manager?

Hello, I have just gone through the legal research course about to begin from 1st of June. Can you please let me know that wil there be any online session (if yes, what wil be the time slot) or recorded lecture?

There are recorded lectures and live sessions. Timings for live lectures will be informed later.

Hi, since the course starts on 1 June, can I enrol for Batch 3 now?

Hi, we’ll start a new batch that starts from July 1.

hello, I just came across the post. is there any vacancy in the batch? if yes, I would love to join in.

Is this course is still open?!

IS THE COURSE STILL OPEN

HI can I apply for the course now?

Hi can i join this course, i ll make the payment right now if registration is still open. I just came across the course now

Hi, we’ll look into this. When did you email us about this (if you did)?

I am from Nepal , how can I pay the program fee and get enroll in this.

Yes, we are sure that even international students can get immense value out of the program.

Since we are already at home due to the prevailing health crisis, is it possible the course could be started earlier – say in the month of May itself? If things smoothen out, my college may open in July, preventing me from learning the key aspects of the last four modules.

Hi Jei, you’ll be given 50% of the course access from April 21 onwards. You can read the modules and watch the videos for the first 4/5 modules from April 21 onwards.

Hi. Is there a possiblity to enrol past the deadline for the third batch ?

i wasnt aware about this course , is there any chance i can enroll now ?

Hii,can I puchase the course by involving one of my friends to purchase it so that we both have access to material. I want to go dutch

Sorry, that is not allowed. 🙁

Hi, we are extending the date of registration to April 12.

Its 21st April and registration deadline seems to be passed…can I still enroll for course?

hey I’m having some payment issues. I tried paying with a card and today is the last date

Will there be a 3rd batch for this course?

Hi Can I please join this course, I saw the notification a day after the deadline.

Hi Anchal, you can join the 2nd batch of this course. The 2nd batch will officially start from June 1. However, you can access the study material (videos and text resources) from April 11 onwards. Best,

Can I join the course scheduled for next month. . Please convey the dates of Registration

Thanks & Regards

Rajesh Choudhary

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Advanced Legal Research and Writing Certificate Course Online

About this course.

Advanced and specialized approaches to utilize the legal resources available in a law library, and elsewhere, will be examined. The conceptual differences between computer-assisted legal research and hard copy research will be taught. You will also learn how to formulate WESTLAW search queries and effectively and efficiently use WESTLAW and other online legal research methods as timesaving devices in legal research and legal writing. Coursework in Advanced Legal Research and Writing is equivalent to 50 clock hours of study.

This course is designed to examine more thoroughly advanced and specialized approaches to utilizing the legal sources available in the law library and online.

Course Objectives:

After successfully completing the tests and assignments for course, students will be able to:

• Conduct manual legal research
• Conduct electronic legal research
• Find, interpret and use various types of legal authorities
• Demonstrate how to Shepardize legal authorities
• Write a legal analysis
• Prepare a Memorandum of Law
• Brief case opinions
• Demonstrate various types of legal writing

Expectations

You will be expected to spend approximately 9 hours per lesson reading and completing writing assignments. 70% is the minimum passing score on all tests and assignments for this course. Please note that extensions will not be granted for this online course. Students may consider working ahead in the curriculum if they have the time.

Prerequisites

Successful completion of Paralegal Certificate Course, Part I (Paralegal 1 & 2), or the equivalent, or law office experience.

Course Books

Required textbooks for this course:

• Legal Research, Analysis and Writing , 5th edition by William H. Putnam
• Legal Research Methods , 2nd Edition by Michael D. Murray and Christy H. DeSanctis
• WESTLAW , online legal research access, available for the duration of the course for only $89.00. Order Online

For more information, call CLS by BARBRI at 888-407-5138, or visit our Online Store to order.

Highly Recommended Legal Resources:

• Oran’s Dictionary of the Law , 4th Edition, by Daniel Oran. Clifton Park: Delmar Cengage Learning

Reading Assignments for Lesson Topics:

Lesson One: Legal Authorities and Citations

• Read Chapters 1 – 6 in Legal Research, Analysis and Writing (herein referred to as Putnam)
• Read Chapter 1 in Legal Research Methods, 2nd edition (herein referred to as Murray)

Lesson Two: Legal Analysis

• Read Chapters 9-13 & 17 in Putnam
• Read Chapters 2 & 3 in Murray

Lesson Three: WESTLAW® Online Legal Research

• Read Chapters 7 & 8 in Putnam
• Read Chapters 4 & 5 in Murray

Lesson Four: Legal Memoranda

• Read Chapters 16 & 18 & review Chapter 17 in Putnam
• Read Chapters 6 & 7 in Murray

Lesson Five:  Legal Research – The Process

• Read Chapter 8 in Murray

Lesson Six: Types of Legal Writing

• Read Chapter 15 & Review Chapter 13 in Putnam

Practical Application Exercises:

You will complete five 30 point legal research and writing practical application exercises utilizing WESTLAW online legal research.

Writing Assignments:

You will complete three 100 point legal writing assignments: a Legal Analysis, a Case Brief, and a Memorandum of Law.

Bulletin Board Assignments:

You will also post your responses to six class participation assignments each worth 10 points. These assignments are referred to as Bulletin Board Submissions and will be submitted by either selecting Bulletin Board Submission from within the lesson material, or by selecting ‘Forums’ under Activities on the Right Side Bar in your course.

All lesson objectives and assignments can be found in the Lesson Materials.

Your grade will be based on your completion of six tests, two exams, and class participation/Bulletin Board Submissions. The exams and tests can be accessed from within the lesson material, or by selecting ‘Assignments’ under Activities on the Right Side Bar in your course. You will have the opportunity to engage in “class participation” by using the Bulletin Board tool to respond to the bulletin board assignments throughout the course. Also, participating in the bulletin board assignments will enhance your understanding of the reading material.

Your final grade will be figured as follows:

• The five practical application exercises comprise 40% of your grade.
• The three writing assignments comprise 40% of your grade.
• Your participation in class participation assignments comprises 20% of your grade.

Withdrawal Policy

Students may drop the course with a full tuition refund less a non-refundable $50 administrative fee if written notice is sent to CLS by BARBRI by email at [email protected] by the Wednesday before class begins. Students may drop the course with a 50% tuition refund if written notice is sent to CLS by BARBRI by email at [email protected] anytime from the Thursday before the course begins until the first Thursday of class. After the first Thursday of class, no refunds will be issued.

Please NOTE: If you registered for a CLS course directly with the college or university, you are subject to the school’s refund/drop policies.

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Effective Legal Writing Drafting for a Global Audience

ONLINE CERTIFICATE

Learn from the best legal writing professors in the United States without traveling away from home.

Seattle University School of Law Professor Laurel Oates will teach international lawyers and legal professionals the skills for effective drafting and communications in this online course.

Benefits of the course:

• All courses are in English.
• Seattle University School of Law has one of the top-ranked programs in the United States.
• Faculty members have extensive experience teaching internationally.
• Complete the online program at your own pace.
• Have your writing reviewed by our expert professors.
• Earn a certificate of completion from Seattle University School of Law.
• Register Now

Laurel Currie Oates

• Submit first writing assignment for review
• Class 2: Vocabulary and basic sentence patterns
• Class 3: Sentences
• Class 4: Sentences
• Class 5: Paragraphs and headings
• Class 6: Roadmaps, signposts, and transitions
• Class 7: Orienting transitions and dovetailing
• Submit second writing assignment for review
• Class 9: Commas
• Class 10: Commas and Semicolons
• Class 11: Colons and apostrophes
• Class 12: Plain language and bias-free language
• Submit third writing assignment for review
• Class 14: Writing precisely
• Class 15: Pronouns and Modifiers
• Class 16: Parallelism and Style
• Class 17: Writing Persuasively
• Class 18: Writing Persuasively
• Class 19: Review
• Submit fourth writing assignment for review

The standard rate for the course and the individualized review of four assignments is $1,400.00 U.S.

The tuition for students or professors is $1000.00 U.S. To qualify, you must submit a transcript or other document from your school that establishes that you have been a full-time student in the last year. Professors must submit a letter from your dean or head of school.

How do I enroll?

Upon registration you will shortly receive access to the online course as an individualized account will be created. The course is self-paced*. Once you complete your online registration you will receive additional course registration materials. For any questions please email: [email protected] .

*Please note that the time frame for completing the course is six months from the date of registration. If you are not able to complete the course within six months, please contact the professor.

Cancellations and Refunds:

Once purchased and program begun there are no cancellations or refunds. To cancel and receive a refund minus a $50 administrative fee prior to beginning the course please contact us at [email protected] or 206-398-4210.

Additional Information

Who should take this course.

Attorneys: If you practice internationally, you should take this course to improve your ability to write clearly, concisely, and correctly in English. In today's world, your first contact with clients, opposing counsel, and the courts is likely to be through email or some other type of written document, and you want your first impression to be a good impression.

Law Students: If you want to get into one of the best LLM programs, you need to be able to demonstrate that you have strong writing skills. One way to do that is to take this course and to list the certificate that you receive in your list of credentials.

What will I do in this course?

You will complete 19 one-hour classes that cover topics from learning how to construct an effective sentence and paragraph, to the basics and not so basic rules of grammar and punctuation, to how to write persuasively. Each class consists of a mix of lectures and short assignments.

You will submit four written assignments to Professor Laurel Currie Oates. Professor Oates will review those assignments and provide you with individualized comments on what you do well and what still needs work.

How long does the course last?

While the course is designed as a 10-week course, you can work through the course at your own pace. For example, you could do one class a week, two classes a week, or three or four classes a week.

What type of computer and internet connection do I need?

A computer capable of running the latest current version of Chrome or Firefox and capable of viewing high definition video without issues.

901 12th Avenue, Sullivan Hall 209B P.O. Box 222000 Seattle, WA 98122-1090 206-398-4210

Registration questions Please contact Susan Murphy

Program questions Please contact Professor Oates

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• Paralegal – Legal Research and Writing I Online Live
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• Financial Aid
• Recorded Info Session

The first class in a two-part legal research and writing series. You will develop research skills and the ability to write legal documents. The focus is on techniques, methods and legal terminology.

Please note that this is an eight-week course.

Special notice: This class will be delivered online. You will need access to an internet connection that remains stable for the duration of the class. Though a chat feature is available, a microphone is preferred. For most productive audio/video participation, a webcam and/or headset are encouraged. Virtual classes may be recorded.

Necole Floyd-Turner

Necole Floyd-Turner has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Auburn University and a Juris Doctorate from The Jones School of Law in Montgomery, Alabama. She has over 12 years of instructing experience in Paralegal Studies and has worked as a Paralegal in the areas of Real Estate, Bankruptcy and Litigation. Her motto of “the best thing that we have to offer is the gift of knowledge to all we encounter” is something that she applies in her everyday life.

#1: Paralegal - Legal Research and Writing I Online Live

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Legal Research and Writing Program

Our courses are designed to train our first-year students in lawyering skills to ensure their success in their first summer jobs.

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12 sites for free education and training for legal professionals

Legal professionals spend a lot of time searching for classes and events that will give them needed CLE . And while this is important, just because those courses are accredited doesn’t mean that they will necessarily help you prepare for all the changes that are ahead.

Sometimes legal professionals want or need to learn, even when they don’t get official credit for it, or when there’s a larger goal in mind.

The skills gap

U.S. economists, demographers, and political leaders seem to agree on at least one thing: the next generation of workers won’t be prepared to fill the millions of new jobs that will be available across the country, and retiring baby boomers are making the problem worse.

According to an  Adecco Staffing survey , 92% of the more than 500 executives surveyed think a severe skills gap exists in today’s American workforce. The executives polled said that U.S. workers aren’t as skilled as they would like, almost half think workers are missing important growth opportunities, and 44% said workers lack valuable soft skills like communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Among those surveyed, 89 percent think that corporate training programs could help close the skills gap.

Opportunities to learn

Ready to learn? Here are some places to find training for legal professionals that are free or at a low cost:

Study.com offers free online legal classes where students can learn law terminology and legal concepts—although not for college credit. One class, Business 103: Introductory Business includes 14 chapters on:

• Contract law basics , with information on the difference between unilateral, bilateral, expressed, implied, formal and informal contracts, and more.
• Property law, explaining trade secrets, patents, and other forms of intellectual property, along with real and personal property.
• Torts in business law , in which the elements of tort law are outlined, as well as personal injury terms, including battery, trespass, negligence, and libel.

If you’re looking to transition into a new area of law or need to improve your knowledge of your current one, there are several courses here that could be a good place to start.

The free online classes offered at Alison.com are intended to provide those seeking a comprehensive understanding of business and legal systems with the knowledge they need to succeed in their career. Alison offers a free diploma in Business and Legal Studies, which covers:

• Corporate management
• Human resources
• Operation management
• The adversarial system
• Legal procedures

A diploma in Legal Studies gives students the opportunity to learn about the kinds of laws and how they originated. Other free offerings include courses on contracts, employment law, and copyright law, all of which could be great additions to a resume.

Academic Earth

The website Academic Earth offers free online lectures and law courses to prospective law students so that they can learn more about the legal industry. Students are able to enroll in open courses taught by faculty members from colleges and universities throughout the world. These courses include:

• Environmental Law and Policy , which gives perspectives on the basics of environmental law as well as information about natural resources, toxics and waste, air pollution control, water pollution, and environmental federalism.
• International Environmental Law , which covers the scope of international environmental law along with dispute settlement, compliance, bilateral disputes, groundwater, climate change, biodiversity, human rights, hazardous materials, as well as trade and the environment.
• Introduction to Copyright Law, which includes a basic introduction to legal research and legal citations, the 1976 Copyright Act, peer-to-peer file sharing, and software licensing.

With courses from high-caliber universities from across the country, edX courses are often the very same courses taken at Harvard, MIT, UC Berkeley, and more. You can pay a small fee to earn university credit for these or audit the courses for free.

edX Law courses include:

• Intellectual Property Law and Policy
• International Human Rights Law
• International Investment Law

Want to try something different? There are more than just legal topics on edX, so you can feel free to explore new areas of interest.

Coursera offers a variety of free courses related to law and legal studies. While some courses offer free content, there are also many additional paid courses to access. By following the link provided here, you’ll see just how many free courses and resources there are available.

Coursera offers valuable free training opportunities for legal professionals through its diverse array of online courses. These courses cover a wide range of legal topics, from foundational concepts to specialized areas like international law or intellectual property.

For legal pros wanting to improve their skill set, access course materials, and engage with instructors and fellow learners at no cost, you really can’t go wrong with Coursera’s user-friendly platform.

Additionally, the organization collaborates with renowned universities, making it an accessible and reputable resource for legal education.

Whether seeking professional development, staying current with legal trends, or exploring new areas of expertise, Coursera is a great choice and starting point for any legal professional looking to upskill.

Harvard Online Courses

Harvard University offers  free online courses on topics related to law and legal studies through its Harvard Online platform.

Harvard University offers a valuable resource for legal professionals with its free online courses.

These courses provide an opportunity to access world-class legal education without the need for traditional enrollment.

Covering a range of legal topics, from constitutional law to international human rights, these offerings cater to both beginners and experienced practitioners.

Because of Harvard’s prestigious reputation, high-quality content delivered by top faculty is naturally an extremely appealing aspect of using them for study.

The Online Courses program is part of Harvard’s commitment to accessible education and makes these resources an invaluable tool for career advancement and professional growth in the legal field.

MIT OpenCourseWare

Much like the above Harvard Online Courses program, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) provides free access to course materials from their law-related courses, which can be valuable for legal professionals.

MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) offers a treasure trove of free resources for legal professionals seeking to broaden their knowledge base.

While MIT is renowned for its STEM programs, OCW also features a selection of courses and materials relevant to legal studies, including subjects like ethics, intellectual property, and technology law.

Legal professionals can access lecture notes, assignments, and even video lectures from MIT’s esteemed faculty.

This vast repository of knowledge can be instrumental in improving your understanding of an array of legal concepts, staying updated on emerging issues, and honing your analytical skills.

MIT OCW empowers legal professionals to engage with high-caliber educational content at their own pace, enriching their careers in the process.

The Pro Bono Training Institute

The Pro Bono Training Institute (PBTI) offers indispensable training courses for legal professionals committed to pro bono work and social justice.

These courses equip lawyers, paralegals, and law students with the specialized skills and knowledge required to effectively serve underserved communities.

Covering a spectrum of topics, from immigration law to family law and housing rights, these courses are designed to address real-world challenges faced by vulnerable populations.

With expert instructors and practical insights, the Pro Bono Training Institute enables legal professionals to make a meaningful impact, promoting equal access to justice.

By fostering a spirit of volunteerism and empowerment, these courses empower legal professionals to advocate for those in need and champion a more equitable society.

For California lawyers, self-study CLE credit is available upon the completion of PBTI training modules.

American Bar Association (ABA)

We’re a little bit hesitant to include this one because you will need an ABA membership to access their resources, but the amount of material available to lawyers from the ABA is so great that it’s worth mentioning.

The American Bar Association (ABA) is a prominent source of professional development for legal experts, offering a plethora of webinars and training programs.

These sessions cover diverse legal domains, from ethics and litigation strategies to cutting-edge legal tech trends.

The ABA’s webinars facilitate knowledge exchange among attorneys, providing insights into evolving regulations and best practices.

Whether it’s enhancing legal skills or staying updated on industry shifts, ABA webinars and training are indispensable resources.

They not only promote professional growth but also uphold ethical standards and foster a vibrant legal community.

Legal professionals can rely on the ABA for high-quality, accessible education and networking opportunities.

The ABA’s CLE Marketplace offers training in the following areas:

• Elimination of Bias/Diversity and Inclusion
• Ethics and Professional Responsibility
• Law Practice Management
• Mental Illness Awareness
• Professionalism
• Substance Abuse Awareness

The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI)

The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction ( CALI ) is a vital resource for legal professionals and law students seeking specialized training. To access CALI Lessons, you must be affiliated with CALI member organizations or have an individual membership. You can find the member organizations here.

CALI’s extensive library offers a wide range of interactive online tutorials and lessons that cover various legal topics, from contracts and torts to constitutional law.

These self-paced modules empower learners to deepen their understanding of complex legal concepts, making them invaluable for both novice and experienced legal practitioners.

CALI’s commitment to accessible and innovative legal education contributes significantly to the professional development of legal professionals.

There are lessons available in a variety of disciplines, including:

• Administrative law
• Entertainment law
• Criminal procedure

Your state bar association

Check your local or state bar association’s website for free training and resources specific to your jurisdiction. Many bar associations offer free webinars, publications, and practice resources.

Online legal writing courses

Legal writing courses are essential for legal professionals, honing their ability to communicate effectively within the legal realm.

These courses emphasize precision, clarity, and adherence to legal conventions in drafting documents, briefs, and contracts. Legal writing programs cover various formats, including persuasive writing, research memoranda, and appellate advocacy.

Clear and persuasive writing is crucial in the legal field, influencing the outcomes of cases and facilitating successful client representation.

There are several low-cost options for legal professionals looking to hone their skills through online legal writing courses, namely:

• Udemy: Legal Research & Legal Writing – A Paralegal Skills Course
• UCLA Law: Effective Writing in Legal and Business Settings
• Quimbee: Legal Writing—Editing for Readability
• Lorman: Writing to Win: The Fundamentals of Legal Writing

Bonus: One Legal

One Legal’s training team is staffed by experienced legal support professionals who want to give a helping hand to those trying to master a new technology.

One Legal offers a variety of webinars covering the information you need to file and serve court documents electronically.

We offer training and instruction on a variety of subjects, covering electronic and physical court filing, process serving, eService, best practices, and tips for working more efficiently.

We also regularly host training webinars that offer CLE credit. If you’d like to be kept updated with useful articles and announcements about these learning opportunities for our community, we recommend subscribing to our blog mailing list.

If you’re ready to learn, the cost can no longer be an excuse not to get started.

All of your litigation support needs at your fingertips

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Legal Up Virtual Conference

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NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education

Advanced legal research and writing certificate-online.

This course will examine advanced and specialized approaches to utilize the legal resources available in a law library and online. You will learn the conceptual differences between computer-assisted legal research and hard copy research. You will also learn how to formulate Westlaw search queries and effectively and efficiently use Westlaw and other online legal research methods as time-saving devices in legal research and legal writing. Coursework is equivalent to 50 clock hours of study.

Required Textbooks and Legal Resource

• Legal Research, Analysis and Writing , 4th edition, by William H. Putnam
• Legal Research Methods , 2nd edition, by Michael D. Murray and Christy H. DeSanctis
• Westlaw online legal research access, available for the duration of the course for $89

Highly Recommended Textbook

• Oran’s Dictionary of the Law , 4th edition, by Daniel Oran. Clifton Park: Delmar Cengage Learning

For more information, call CLS by BARBRI at 800.522.7737 or visit their  Online Store  to order.

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Online Graduate Programs / Online Law Programs / Curriculum / Legal Research and Writing for Non-Lawyers

Legal Research and Writing for Non-Lawyers

This class will teach students how to perform legal research, writing, and analysis. Students will learn how to identify, use, and analyze primary and secondary legal authorities to solve legal problems and how to structure and draft legal memoranda, letters, oral presentations, and other professional communications.

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate a general knowledge of the structure, components, and functioning of the US legal system.
• Comprehend and explain the reasoning and rules contained in legal authorities and apply them in a variety of client situations.
• Understand when and how to employ simple strategies and technologies to retrieve, use, and manage well-known and commonly used research materials and information.

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Foundations of Legal Research using LexisAdvance®

Prerequisite.

High School or General Equivalency Diploma

COMPLETION TIME

On Average: 3-6 Months

STUDY METHOD

Blackstone’s Foundations of Legal Research online certificate course will expand your research capabilities, improve your writing skills, and teach you the ins and outs of computer-assisted legal research using  LexisAdvance® . Paralegals are often asked to perform an initial case analysis, research various legal topics, draft legal documents, and use public records and news sources to compile information.

Using the  LexisAdvance®  database, you will gain a solid foundation in the principles and practice of Legal Research and Writing. Blackstone’s accredited online Legal Research using  LexisAdvance®  is designed to prepare you to assist attorneys as they draft and establish formal documentation for their casework. When you have completed all the self-checks and examinations for this course, you will have a better understanding of to easily access legal research and case study information.

This course includes access to live support to help you make the most of the research tools available. Dedicated  LexisAdvance®  support personnel will provide individual search assistance if you are stalled during your search process.

Course Outcomes

• Identify common learning strategies
• Demonstrate an understanding of basic grammar, proper punctuation and sentence structure to compose professional written communication
• Describe the role paralegals play in conducting research
• Explain the difference between a primary and secondary source
• Discuss the different types of primary sources
• Describe legal research, writing, and revising processes
• Compose sample legal documents
• Conduct online legal research using the Lexis® legal research system

Materials Provided

Blackstone makes it easy for you to complete the  Foundations of Legal Research Using LexisAdvance®  course by providing all of the materials needed. See further details below:

• Blackstone’s Skills for Success  – Study Unit
• Legal Research and Writing Part I  Study Unit
• Legal Research and Writing Part II  – Study Unit
• English Usage and Written Communication  – Study Unit
• Effective Legal Research Using LexisAdvance®  – Study Unit
• Student Subscription to LexisAdvance®

Blackstone’s Online Student Center

Along with your traditional course items, you will gain unlimited access to Blackstone’s Online Student Center, where you can chat real-time with other students, participate in online discussions, take exams at your convenience, receive instantaneous Grade Reports, and up-to-the-minute news about Blackstone Career Institute.

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What Accreditation Means For You

By attending an accredited school:

Regional and National Accreditation

Blackstone Career Institute is regionally accredited by the  Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools  (MSA) and nationally accredited by  Distance Education Accrediting Commission  (DEAC). MSA and DEAC are recognized members of the  Council for Higher Education Accreditation  (CHEA). Blackstone Career Institute has proudly maintained accreditation since 2005.

Enrolling at Blackstone is easy, with our open enrollment you can enroll anytime. To qualify, a high school diploma or an equivalent along with access to a Microsoft Windows compatible PC or MAC with Internet access is needed. All applicants must complete our Enrollment Agreement along with the required down payment for processing. Applications will be processed only if they are accompanied with the required payment. If you have any questions, please contact Student Services at 800-826-9228 or schedule a one-on-one with admissions.

Blackstone offers affordable, interest-free payment plan options but is not a Title 1V school that accepts FAFSA or Pell Grants. Students may also apply for tuition reimbursement from their employer or check with their State and Local Assistance. Learn more here

Blackstone has open-enrollment, meaning you do not have to wait for a start date. Students can enroll online anytime by clicking here , call Admissions Monday – Thursday from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET at 800.826.9228 , or scheduling an appointment here .

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We’re proud to be on a National list of military friendly schools. Blackstone Career Institute accepts and works with the following military benefits/organizations:

Post 9-11 G.I. Bill®–Covers entire course tuition, dependent upon benefit level

You can use your military benefits to enroll in our Correspondence Paralegal Program for Inmates. Simply click here to receive further information about enrolling using your benefits.

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Legal Research

Learn key skills for researching legal authorities and cases.

Requirements

This course will teach you how to conduct research within the legal profession. Within law, legal professionals must be able to research and cite case law, and this course explains the authorities, the law library, and how to cite and Shepardize cases properly.

• Using FIRAC in legal research
• Sources of law
• Resources available for statutory research
• How to cite case law research
• Secondary authority resources
• Using Shepard's citations in legal research
• Referring to a case using case citation
• Writing a case brief
• Computerized legal research as a tool

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader .
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.
• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Master of Legal Studies Degree Overview: What to Know

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What Is a Master of Legal Studies (MLS) Degree?

In your current career, you may benefit from knowing more about law — but you may not wish to go to law school. A Legal Studies degree is ideal for professionals like you, who engage with regulations, compliance, human resources disputes, and other legal issues .

Legal Studies helps students develop a working legal knowledge that enhances the skills that you already have, potentially preparing you for new responsibilities within your current career.

Why Is an MLS Degree Important?

No matter what your career is, laws and regulations are likely an important part of it, especially as you climb the ladder into more advanced roles. A Legal Studies degree is important for students who are already working in their desired field but want to enhance their understanding of the law without interrupting their current career path or attending law school. 

MLS Degree Curriculum and Coursework

The University of Cincinnati’s online MLS degree was developed with working professionals in mind. The program is designed to be completed in five terms (a year and a half) when completed full time , with classes delivered online for your flexibility. For additional convenience, students may begin classes in the spring, summer, or fall. 

Every student begins with the same comprehensive orientation: Introduction to Law, which provides an essential vocabulary for the legal system that will serve you as you move forward in the program, as well as an introduction to concepts of Constitutional Law. 

After this introduction, courses currently include: 

• Legal Research and Communication, to hone your writing skills and help formulate clear legal positions; 
• Business Law, which uses real world case studies regarding business entities and ethical issues; 
• Compliance, which explores the importance for businesses to adopt internal controls and adhere to regulations;
• Risk Management, which helps students learn how to identify, assess, and prioritize risk in a legal or business setting; 
• Privacy & Cybersecurity Law, to introduce students to regulations and safeguards around data privacy and cybersecurity; 
• Contracts: Negotiation, Formation and Interpretation, including an exercise exploring a student’s hypothetical contractual process from start to finish; 
• Employment Law, covering the regulations on the relationship between employers, managers, and business owners; 
• Administrative Law, which focuses on the government’s role in regulating the marketplace and providing services to its people; 
• and a culminating Capstone Experience, a practical project specific to your own career path, which ties your entire MLS experience together.

What Skills Can You Gain from an MLS Program ?

An MLS degree is intended to give you the skills that are most relevant to you, and focuses on practical, useful legal knowledge . Skills range broadly and include negotiating contracts, conducting research, reading legal documents , complying with regulations, and much more. Graduates also walk away with an understanding of the essentials of U.S laws and regulations and the legal system . 

Common Career Outcomes for MLS Graduates

The MLS degree is intended for professionals already working in their desired field, but who want to take on greater responsibilities or become more competitive within their field. An MLS degree can enhance your resume and qualify for advanced roles that require a greater knowledge of laws and regulations . 

Future Trends in MLS Education

Demand for professionals with MLS degrees is growing! The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that demand for these non-lawyer professionals will grow 15% through 2026. 

Why Is an MLS Degree Right for You?

Plenty of careers intersect with or interact with the law — but law school is not the right step for everyone! That’s where an MLS degree fits perfectly, making space for students who would benefit from a working legal knowledge but who aren’t planning on beginning a new career. 

Though students from any career path may find an MLS degree useful, many of our students are actively working in industries such as healthcare, financial services, human resources (HR), real estate , business, government, or higher education. 

Learn More about Earning Your MLS Online with UC

There is so much more to learn about an MLS degree , and the University of Cincinnati wants to set you up for success. We recommend this 20-minute webinar , which brings together leadership and faculty to introduce the fully online Master of Legal Studies program for potential students. The webinar covers highlights of the program, an overview of the curriculum, admission requirements, and more. 

The University of Cincinnati’s online Master of Legal Studies degree is fully accredited, and the MLS program has received acquiescence from the American Bar Association (although the MLS is not a law degree). 

When you are ready to take the next step toward your Master of Legal Studies degree , begin here ! 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about MLS Programs

Is a master’s of legal studies the same as a law degree.

No; the MLS degree is designed for students who want to increase their working legal knowledge without attending law school. MLS graduates do not sit for the bar exam or earn a law degree.

Do you need to take the LSAT for a Master’s in Legal Studies?

Potential students may submit an LSAT score within their application, but it is not a requirement. Students do not earn a law degree in MLS programs . 

Why get an MLS degree?

Working professions in fields such as healthcare, real estate , financial services , and higher education (among many others!) may find they want to increase their skills and knowledge of the law, but not attend law school. An MLS degree is perfect for those professionals, and a flexible, fully online program can ensure they don’t disrupt their current career path. 

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Certificate Course with Live Sessions

Legal research and writing, learn the core skills which any legal professional should possess.

Think, research, and write better! Paper publications are a good side-effect.

Avail this course at ₹5900 instead of ₹6900 as Early Bird Scholarship! Limited Seats!

Course Duration

Course Starts from

Course Access until

Lifetime Access

About the course.

Legal research and writing are core skills that all types of legal professionals require.

Corporate lawyers, litigators, academicians, judges; just about everyone has to be a quality researcher and writer!

The broad benefits for your ‘Self’ include being a better reader, thinker, researcher, writer, and presenter of the law.

The specific benefits for your ‘CV’ include getting your papers published, winning essay competitions, and generally drafting everything better (cover letters, legal opinions, moot memorials, etc.)!

Recording of a Live Class

KEY FEATURES

• Weekly live lectures
• 3 Compulsory assignments
• Personal feedback on each assignment
• Recorded lectures
• Rigorously researched reading resources
• Developed by NLSIU-Yale, NLUD-Michigan and NUJS-Cambridge scholars
• Completion and Merit Certificates

What will your journey look like?

Choose a research topic and questions. Get personal feedback

Why should you join this course?

• Learn how to research, analyse, and writer from start to finish.
• Get an indepth, practical understanding of research design and methods.
• Learn by doing! Do 3 mini-assignments (1 short research paper) and get personal feedback.
• Develop the skill of referencing and footnoting.
• A rigorous, yet caring learning environment.
• Best student present their papers in an e-conference.

Free Access To Manupatra!

Students of this course will get free access to manupatra for the duration of the course, i.e. for 2 months. manupatra is india’s most popular and trustworthy legal research tool. we believe having access to the platform for 2 months will help students gain familiarity and develop competence in using this excellent resource. lawctopus and manupatra also conduct joint webinars every 2-3 months. the webinars cover legal research and using manupatra for legal research. students enrolled in this course will have priority access to attend these webinars., meet the faculty.

This course has been designed and delivered by Shrutanjay Bharadwaj, Abhayraj Naik, and Anupama Sharma

Mansi Mankotia, has graduated with B.A.LL.B (Hons.) from H.P. University in 2020, she pursued an LLM specializing in criminal law from NLU Shimla. Currently, Mansi is dedicated to advancing her expertise through a PhD in Law.

Mansi Mankotia

Faculty, live session.

Assistant Professor, Assistant Dean (International Collaborations) and Fellow Centre for Penology, Criminal Justice and Police Studies at O.P. Jindal Global Law School.

Anupama Sharma

Guest faculty.

Graduated from NLUD in 2017 (Vice Chancellor's Gold Medal Awardee). Worked at the chambers of Gopal Sankarnarayanan. Currently pursuing LLM from Michigan Law School.

Shrutanjay Bharadwaj,

Lead researcher and content developer, reading resources.

Graduated from NLSIU Bangalore in 2006 and completed LLM from Yale Law School in 2009. Currently an independent researcher and consultant.

Abhayraj Naik

Content developer and reviewer.

This course, designed by experts, will help you master the Legal Research and Writing skills!

Course Content

Assignments (keep checking for updates).

Download our Free Reading Module

Empirical Legal Research Methods - Legal Research and Writing

Certificate

of Completion and Merit

• Complete the course and get a Completion Certificate!
• Excel in your course and get a Merit Certificate!

Learners' Feedback

Our average course rating is around 92.4% and our learners love our courses and the care we have for everyone!

Jatin Chandra

Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya

July-Aug 2022

NEF Law College

The overall experience has been good. The structure of the course is very well organized which helps in understanding the crux of the matter. The Recorded lectures provide an extra benefit when live classes couldn’t be attended. The reading materials are so very well written and in such simple language that it’s easy to understand the topic and also get better insight into the topic.

Shivangi Vashishta

Teri School of Advanced Studies

Our learners are present in 30+ colleges/organizations

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Drop your phone number below, and let our career counselor guide you towards a successful career path. We call during working hours i.e. 9 AM to 9 PM.

• Unbiased career counselling
• Advice based on your skills and preference
• Commitment to make you a better lawyer

No. You’ll have 7-8 live lectures each lasting approximately 90 minutes. The schedule of the live sessions is released when the course starts. Most of our live sessions happen on weekends or on late evenings so that all learners (students or working professionals) can attend them without skipping their regular classes or office.

We suggest that you spend approximately  3-5 hours/week  doing the course. When you spend these 3-5 hours is up to you. You may spend around 40 minutes each day or do it over the weekend.

Yes,  this course is designed to help an absolute newbie to learn the fundamentals and nuances of legal research and writing. Even senior academicians find the course of immense use. If you are a professional looking to improve their research and writing skills, this course will help you too.

Yes, you can access the course for a  total of 4 months  [2 months to complete the course + 2 months to review the course]. Please note that the course is complete by the end of the 2nd month. We have strict deadlines for submission of the 4 mini-assignments which have to be followed. However, if you want to revisit and revise the material in the course, you can do that for 2 months after the completion of the course.

We encourage you to attend the live classes after thorough preparations. Just like the real  charm of a live match/performance  is watching it live, the real value of a live class is in attending it live! A lot of new, practical things are covered; and of course, your questions are addressed too. However, if you miss the live class, you can watch the recorded version of the live class which is uploaded for the specific batch only.

Good research and writing skills are  absolutely crucial  (no questions asked) for any knowledge professional. Every legal professional, whether a corporate lawyer or a litigator, a judge or an academician, requires good legal research and writing skills. Through this course, you’ll learn these core skills. Consider this:  even your CV and cover letters are evaluated by recruiters as short writing samples. Is it written well, formatted well? Interestingly, our students have told us that after this course their internship applications which were rejected earlier were not getting accepted! Good research, writing, and presentation skills are transferable to multiple domains. The course will also help you do well in  moots, publications, and conferences and seminars.

There is only one compulsory assignment: submission of a 1500-2500 word short research essay. The assignment is divided into 3 mini-assignments. Submission of: 1. A research topic and questions 2. Submission of a rought draft with references and footnotes 3. Final research paper Each mini-assignment is followed by feedback from the faculty. Each student is given feedback. We pride on being able to give personalised, 3-level feedback.

The intention of the course is to teach you legal research and writing skills. Any type of legal drafting, civil or criminal or corporate, requires good research and writing skills. The focus of this course is not on particular drafts, but on legal research and writing as the broader skill-set. Your drafting will surely improve after doing this course.

Yes. There are many free, open sources available online which can help you with your research. SSRN, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, IndianKanoon, Government websites, and many free and open law journals (both from India and abroad), are an excellent repository of knowledge, information, and insights. We also provide a list of such sources.

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Back to Course Catalog

Fall 2022 • Course

Legal Research, Writing and Analysis II

Prerequisites: None

Exam Type: No Exam

This course teaches foreign-educated LL.M. students how U.S. lawyers conduct legal research, analyze and frame legal positions, and present their work in writing. It builds on the lectures and work completed in the LRWA I series that occurs during August orientation. During the fall semester, students deepen their research, writing, and analytical skills by engaging in independent legal research, preparing drafts of legal memoranda, and revising their written work in response to instructor feedback.

Note: Enrollment is limited to foreign-educated LL.M. students and is designed specifically for those who wish to qualify for the New York State Bar Exam. This course provides one additional credit beyond the LWRA I course taken during orientation.