Course Content and Outcomes Guides (CCOG)

CCOG for PL 207 Winter 2025


Course Number:
PL 207
Course Title:
Advanced Legal Research
Credit Hours:
3
Lecture Hours:
30
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Provides an opportunity to practice skills learned in Basic Legal Research, and develop knowledge and skills in using additional research resources. Includes evaluating more complex research scenarios. Prerequisites: PL 203.

Addendum to Course Description

Course involves significant-hands on research in both print and electronic resources.  

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

  1. Address complex jurisdictional issues to identify available legal authorities.
  2. Prepare and carry out legal research plans, create and maintain research trails, record useful notes, and update and verify cited legal authority.
  3. Use print and electronic resources, including finding tools and secondary sources, to locate U.S. domestic and international legal authorities. 
  4. Properly cite state statutory and administrative law, international law, and secondary sources.
     

Course Activities and Design

Flexible dependent on needs of student population and preferred teaching style of instructor, but may include reading assignments, exercises and drills, hands-on guided and independent research, and homework.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

May include attendance and participation in class experiences and discussions, written assignments, tests, and individual research.

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

Themes, Concepts & Issues

Students continue to develop specialized skills for legal research, and a specific legal research methods. 

Competencies & Skills

  1. Locate and identify useful legal authority in factually ambiguous situations.
  2. Prepare and carry out a legal research plan.
  3. Use print and electronic resources including finding tools and secondary sources to locate US and international legal authorities.
  4. Create and maintain a research trail and research notes.
  5. Properly cite legal authorities.
  6. Identify, locate and use resources to update and verify cited legal authority.

Approved Texts

Choice of texts is at the discretion of each course instructor, but instructors are encouraged to seek methods to reduce or eliminate student textbook costs.