Background: Chang and Martinez want you to prepare a research exercise they will use at the next READ professional development seminar for paralegals and legal assistants. You are to complete the assignment and submit it to them for approval.
Part A
1. On Westlaw, find the definition of “Smokey Bear” in the United States Code Annotated (U.S.C.A.) and cite the relevant statutory provision in Bluebook format. Include the specific subsection where the definition is to be found, if any, in the citation.
Search tip: From the Westlaw home page, select Statutes & Court Rules under Content Types. Next, under the heading Federal, select United States Code Annotated (USCA).
Citation tip: review Instructor Notes re: how to cite statutes and the LGST Quick Citation Guide. Post to Ask the Professor if you need more help!
2. Eliminating unnecessary characters saves time when searching with a citation in Westlaw. What would one enter in the GSB on the Westlaw home page to retrieve section 2381 of Title 18 of the U.S.C.A. using only NINE (9) characters?
Tip: Don’t use Bluebook format in the GSB. See what happens when you reduce or eliminate spaces, punctuation, or drop a letter from the abbreviation.
3. Go to section 2381 of Title 18 of the U.S.C.A.; what is the name of this section?
Tip: look for the words just to the right of § 2381.
4. Does section 2381 of Title 18 of the U.S.C.A. have any KeyCite flags? If so, click on the flag and describe what it tells a researcher.
Part B
5. Go to the Westlaw home page.
Click on Statutes and Court Rules again
Under the heading State, click on Maryland
Look to the right side of the page, under a column titled, Tools & Resources
Click on Find Template – Maryland Statutes
Enter 15-601 in the box next to MD EST & TRST s and click on, “GO.”
What is the name of this section?
Tip: look for the word(s) to the right of § 15-601.
6. Within the section found in Question 5, find the subsection that defines, “Online tool.” Provide the full Bluebook citation for this subsection.
Tip: Be precise! Cite the relevant subsection, not the entire section.
7. Using Bluebook format, cite these consecutive sections of the Estates and Trusts article in West’s Annotated Code of Maryland: section 15-606; section 15-607; section 15-608; section 15-609; section 15-610; section 15-611; section 15-612; and section 15-613.
Tip: Provide only one citation that, by its format, tells the reader to consult all eight consecutive sections. This is covered in the assigned pages of the LGST Quick Citation Guide this week. Do not list several separate citations for your answers to Questions 7 through 9.
8. Using Bluebook format, cite these consecutive subsections of the Estates and Trusts article in West’s Annotated Code of Maryland: subsections 15-605(d)(2)(ii) through (d)(2)(iv).
Tip: Provide only one citation that, by its format, tells the reader to consult all three consecutive subsections.
9. Using Bluebook format, cite these two non-consecutive sections of the Estates and Trusts article in West’s Annotated Code of Maryland: section 15-605 and section 15-617.
Tip: Provide one citation that, by its format, tells the reader to consult both non-consecutive sections.
