Survey on Identifying Skills and Knowledge for Legal Practice - Librarian
Introductory and Demographic Questions
Thank you for taking this short survey on legal research in your office’s practice. Your answers will help ensure that we prepare the most practice­ready new lawyers that we can. Please note this survey is ONLY for librarians who work with practicing attorneys on a daily basis; please do not respond if you do not see your working environment listed in question 1. This survey consists of 4 sections; please hit the "next" button on the bottom of each page to advance to the next section. 1. Which setting best describes your working environment?
j Law firm
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j Court/judicial library
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j Government agency ­ Federal
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j Government agency ­ State
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j In­house/Corporate library
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Other type of legal practice (please specify) 2. In which state is your library?
6 3. What is the size of the office in which you work?
j Solo practitioner
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j 2­5 attorneys
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j 6­10 attorneys
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j 11­20 attorneys
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j 21­50 attorneys
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j 51­100 attorneys
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j 101­150 attorneys
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j 151­200 attorneys
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j 201+ attorneys
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Survey on Identifying Skills and Knowledge for Legal Practice - Librarian
4. How many years have you been employed as a law librarian?
j 0­4
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j 5­9
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j 10­19
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j 20­29
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j 30+
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5. Do you have an MLS, MSIS, or equivalent degree?
j Yes
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j No
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6. Do you have a JD or equivalent degree?
j Yes
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j No
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Research Process
7. In an average week, how much of your time is spent working directly with attorneys on
legal research issues?
j none
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j up to15%
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j at least 15% but not more than 25%
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j at least 25% but not more than 50%
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j at least 50% but not more than 75%
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j more than 75%
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Survey on Identifying Skills and Knowledge for Legal Practice - Librarian
8. When the attorneys you work with begin their legal research, how often do they:
Very Frequently
Frequently
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
I don't know
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Start with a Google search?
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Start by looking in a j
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Start by asking a fellow attorney for research advice?
Start by asking a librarian for research advice?
statutory database?
Start by consulting work product documents from other attorneys in your law office?
Start by looking in a secondary source?
Start by looking in a case law database?
Start by consulting a subject­specific practice guide?
9. When the attorneys you work with are conducting their research, how often do they:
Very Frequently
Frequently
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
I don't know
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Use a case digest or online equivalent to find a topic and key number for their research?
Use the headnotes and key numbers in a case they are reading to locate other relevant cases?
Follow citations in a case they are reading to find relevant materials?
Use an index or table of contents when researching statutes online?
Follow citations in a secondary source they are reading to find primary law and other relevant materials?
Use terms and connectors searching?
Follow citations in an annotated code to find relevant materials?
Resource Usage
Survey on Identifying Skills and Knowledge for Legal Practice - Librarian
10. When engaged in legal research, how often do the attorneys you work with:
Very Frequently
Frequently
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
I don't know
Use print materials?
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Use free internet resources?
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Use fee­based databases?
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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11. When engaged in legal research, how often do the attorneys you work with use the
following research tools?
Very Frequently
Frequently
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
I don't know
Treatises
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Practice guides
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Legal encyclopedias
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Law Review/Law Journal j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Case digests
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Restatements
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Shepard’s/Keycite for case j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Looseleaf services
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Sample legal forms
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Litigation j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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articles
American Law Reports (ALR)
validation
Shepard's/Keycite for further research
resources/discovery, jury instructions, etc.
Transactional resources/guides, etc.
Survey on Identifying Skills and Knowledge for Legal Practice - Librarian
12. How often are the following free internet resources used by the attorneys at your
office?
Very Frequently
Frequently
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
I don't know
Google
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Google Scholar
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Court web sites
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Government legislative web j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Legal blogs
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Law firm web sites
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Law school library web sites
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Non­profit organization’s j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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sites
Government agency web sites
website
Other (please specify) 13. Which of the following databases, if any, do attorneys have access to in your library?
Select all that apply.
c Bloomberg Law
d
e
f
g
c Lexis Advance
d
e
f
g
c WestlawNext
d
e
f
g
c None of these
d
e
f
g
14. Please check the answer that best describes your subscription plans for WestlawNext
at your office:
j My office currently subscribes to WestlawNext.
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j My office plans to subscribe to WestlawNext within the next year.
k
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j My office plans to subscribe to WestlawNext within the next two years.
k
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j My office is undecided about subscribing to WestlawNext.
k
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j My office does not plan to subscribe to WestlawNext.
k
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15. Please check the answer that best describes your subscription plans for Lexis
Advance at your office:
j My office plans to continue with or start a subscription to Lexis Advance this year.
k
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j My office plans to subscribe to Lexis Advance within the next two years.
k
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j My office is undecided about subscribing to Lexis Advance.
k
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j My office does not plan to subscribe to Lexis Advance.
k
l
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n
Survey on Identifying Skills and Knowledge for Legal Practice - Librarian
16. Please check the answer that best describes your subscription plans for Bloomberg
Law at your office
j My office currently subscribes to Bloomberg Law.
k
l
m
n
j My office plans to subscribe to Bloomberg Law within the next year.
k
l
m
n
j My office plans to subscribe to Bloomberg Law within the next two years.
k
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j My office is undecided about subscribing to Bloomberg Law.
k
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j My office does not plan to subscribe to Bloomberg Law.
k
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Recent Law School Graduates
Survey on Identifying Skills and Knowledge for Legal Practice - Librarian
17. In your opinion, how well do recent law school graduates perform the following
components of legal research? [if you do not work with recent law school graduates,
please skip this question]
Very Well
Moderately Well
Adequately
Poorly
Unacceptably
N/A
j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Research case law
j
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n
j
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n
j
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j
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j
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j
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Research statutes
j
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n
j
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n
j
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n
j
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n
j
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j
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Research regulations
j
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n
j
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n
j
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j
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j
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j
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Research administrative j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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Research legislative history
j
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n
j
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n
j
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j
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n
j
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j
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Understand the difference j
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j
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n
j
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n
j
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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n
j
k
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j
k
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j
k
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j
k
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j
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j
k
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n
j
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j
k
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j
k
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j
k
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j
k
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
k
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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j
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n
Develop an effective research plan
Use secondary sources effectively
Use critical thinking to evaluate the relevance of case law and other primary sources
Develop appropriate search protocol (terms and connectors, etc.)
decisions
between statutes and regulations
Update legal sources with a citator (Shepard’s/KeyCite)
Perform cost­effective research
Use Westlaw online services efficiently
Use Lexis online services efficiently
Research using an online service other than Westlaw or Lexis
Research pleadings, motions, or other court documents
Know when to stop researching (found everything reasonably possible)
Able to find a variety of other non­legal information (i.e. statistics and economic data)
Survey on Identifying Skills and Knowledge for Legal Practice - Librarian
18. Are there any further comments you would like to share regarding legal research in
practice?
5
6