University of Maryland Techniques to Legal Research Learning Activity

Instructions

General Instructions for Learning Activities

• Read/watch all assigned materials listed for the week in Overview.
• Refer to assigned course materials, cases, and/or statutes to support conclusions.
• Review the grading rubric.
• Put your name on your file.
• Save your work in Word (.doc or .docx), RTF, or PDF format.
• Submit your work to the correct week’s Learning Activity link in the Assignment Folder.

Learning Activity due 11:59 pm ET Saturday

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.

Instructions:

Part A

1. On Westlaw, find the U.S. Code provision that states the criminal penalty for unauthorized use of the “Woodsy Owl” character.

Provide the full and correct Bluebook citation to this statute (including specific subsection, if any).

• Tip: review Instructor Notes re: how to cite statutes.

2. On Westlaw, find the definition of “Smokey Bear” in the U.S. Code.

Provide the full and correct Bluebook citation to this statute (including specific subsection, if any).

3. Eliminating unnecessary characters saves time when searching with a citation in Westlaw. What would one enter in the GSB to retrieve section 2381 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code using only NINE (9) characters?

• Tip: to locate a statute by citation in Westlaw, we don’t need to use Bluebook format in the GSB. See what happens when you reduce or eliminate spaces, punctuation, and some abbreviations.

4. Go to section 2381 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code; what is the name of this section?

• Tip: look for the words just to the right of § 2381.

5. Does section 2381 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code have any KeyCite flags? If so, click on the flag and describe what it tells a researcher.

Part B

6. Go to the Westlaw home page.

• Click on Statutes and Court Rules
• Click on Maryland
• Look to the right side of the page, under a column titled, TOOLS & RESOURCES
• Click on Maryland Statutes Find Template
• 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 words to the right of § 15-601.

7. Within the section found in Question 6, find the subsection that defines the term, “Remote computing service.” Provide the full Bluebook citation for this subsection.

• Tip: Be precise! Cite the relevant subsection, not the entire section.

8. Using Bluebook format, cite these consecutive sections of the Estates and Trusts article in West’s Annotated Code of Maryland: section 15-603; section 15-604; section 15-605; section 15-606; section 15-607; and section 15-608.

• Tip: Do not list six separate citations. Provide one citation that, by its format, tells the reader to consult all six consecutive sections.

9. 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: Do not list three separate citations. Use only one citation that, by its format, tells the reader to consult all three consecutive subsections.

10. Using Bluebook format, cite these two non-consecutive sections of the Estates and Trusts article in West’s Annotated Code of Maryland: section 15-603 and section 15-608.

• Tip: Do not list two separate citations. Provide one citation that, by its format, tells the reader to consult both non-consecutive sections.