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SJC 4899: Race, Representation, and Law

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(You will likely get logged into the Center for Learning section,
just switch to the Research, Reading, & Writing Studio for writing assistance.)

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Basic Components of Legal Research

United States Supreme Court Building

Basic Components of Legal Research for your Class

1. The elements of the case

2. Analysis of the case

3. Use of the case

Types of Law

Types of law - statutory, administrative, and case

FROM YOUR ASSIGNMENT

FROM YOUR ASSIGNMENT (see your course materials for the full expectations/requirements)

  • Analysis of the ruling should answer the following questions:
    • Who were the parties?
    • What was the key issue or issues?
    • How did the court decide?
    • What was breakdown of vote? (majority, concurrences, dissents)
    • What is the significance of the ruling?
    • What was the public reaction to the ruling?
    • How has this ruling played out over time?
    • Were there unintended consequences?
    • Do you think the case was correctly decided? Why or why not?

  • Your paper must include at least 10 sources, including all of the following:
    • The Court ruling, including all majority and dissenting opinions.
    • Articles published at the time of the ruling: newspaper articles and editorials, magazine stories, opinion columns.
    • You need to have a sense of public reaction at the time of the ruling (as well as continued reverberations, which can be considered through the lens of popular or political artifacts).
    • Other critical or popular or political reactions to the cultural artifact.