News: The next open training session is on 24 October 2008 in Melbourne. Designed for law librarians, this Online Legal Research Master Class should also appeal to lawyers and law students. Seats limited. Book now.
About the trainers
Fabian Horton
Qualifications: LLM, Solicitor, CLE/CLP presenter, Lecturer in Advanced Legal Research, AustLii Training Officer (2004-5)
Modules: Online legal content, online research methods, online research techniques
Summary: Modern lawyers need good online legal research skills because of the vast amount of legal information available electronically. Whether you use free online information or commercial systems, Fabian will help you to keep up-to-date and he will help you to develop skills that you can use throughout your legal career.
Module 1: Online legal content
In this module, Fabian will show you
-
where to find legal information on the Internet (legislation, case law, secondary sources, and foreign legal materials)
-
the differences between free content and subscription-based content and the strengths and weaknesses of each
-
the differences between authoritative and non-authoritative online legal information
-
how to evaluate online legal information
Module 2: Online research methods
In this module, Fabian will teach you:
-
methods for researching online legal information
-
the differences between online methodologies and traditional research methodologies
-
how to update legislation, note-up cases, find commentary on a specific topic, and research comparative foreign law
Module 3: Online research techniques
At the end of this module, you will know:
-
Internet search techniques needed to find relevant information
-
"operators", different database types, and catalogues
-
indexing, file types, and site construction
-
search engine design and operation
Troy Simpson
Qualifications: LLB; Senior Researcher and Project Manager, Research One Pty Ltd; CLE/CLP presenter; author of "Win More Cases: The Lawyer's Toolkit".
Modules: Legal research methodology, persuasive argumentation
Summary: Whereas Fabian's modules focus on the mechanics of legal research, such as how to search for cases and legislation, and how to use digests, legal encyclopedias, and online databases, Troy's modules approach legal research from a methodological view. Troy sees legal research, analysis, and writing as interdependent parts of a single exercise: real-world, persuasive legal problem-solving.
Module 4:
In this module, Troy will walk you through an innovative 10-step methodology for solving legal problems. Briefly, the 10 steps involve:
By the end of the module, Troy wants you to:
-
know how to approach legal problems in an organised, not ad hoc way
-
be more confident that you can identify all the relevant facts and issues
-
be less likely to overlook a winning argument
-
work more efficiently
Module 5: Persuasive argumentation
In this module, Troy explains the three ways to persuade judges: logic, emotion, and credibility. He then applies these persuasion tools to 3 specific tasks:
-
how to cue the judge to want to find in your client's favour (for example, by using a 'storytelling' structure)
-
how to show the judge that the law permits, even requires, the outcome you urge (for example, by using 'cable-like' arguments rather than 'chain-like' arguments)
-
how to communicate your proposed solution in the most persuasive way (for example, by choosing the right words)
How it works
Our jet-setting legal research trainers can tailor a training package to suit your needs, in Australia and internationally.
See above for the kind of training we can provide, then contact us with the following details. We can then get back to you about our availability and prices.
1. What kind of training would you like? For example:
-
Do you want training specifically for your law firm, or do you want to attend a general course?
-
Do you want the seminar or course to be on content, technique, methodology, persuasive argumentation, or a combination of these? (see further below)
2. Where do you want the training? (eg, please specify your city and country)
3. Who will be attending? (eg, junior lawyers, law librarians, or other staff)
4. When do you want the training? (please provide a range of dates and times)
5. How many people do you need to be trained? (eg, 5, 50, 500)