PRO BONORESEARCH SCENARIOS2013-2014

Dear PBSC Volunteer, Thank you for signing up to do a placement with Pro Bono Students Canada! PBSC is a multiple award-winning, national law student program that operates in all 22 law schools in Canada. Each year we place about 1600 law student volunteers in over 450 community organizations, clinics, courts and tribunals across the country. Together, our amazing volunteers donate over 140,000 hours of free legal services to organizations and individuals in need across Canada. PBSC is committed to providing you with a meaningful and educational volunteer experience. In order to get your PBSC placement off to the right start, we try to make sure that you receive the very best training we can offer. The PBSC-Westlaw Canada Legal Research Training is an integral part of our overall training program, and a unique opportunity available only to PBSC volunteers. PBSC’s National Legal Research Partner, Westlaw Canada, has developed a training session and resource materials designed to focus specifically on public interest research projects. The program covers not only Westlaw, but other legal research tools that will be relevant to your PBSC placement and beyond. By providing specialized training for law students across the country, Westlaw Canada is making a very real contribution to the advancement of access to justice. We are eager to receive your feedback. I invite you to email me directly with any comments or suggestions you may have about the training program, at nikki.gershbain@probonostudents.ca. If you require additional, specialized, or more advanced training support as part of your PBSC placement, please email Bonnie.Preece@thomsonreuters.com. For more information about PBSC more generally, visit www.probonostudents.ca. Finally, please take a minute right now to “Like” us on Facebook! We post regular updates and news items relevant to our volunteers, including up-to-the-minute information on Canadian law schools and students, pro bono and access to justice, and events taking place in your area. Find us at: “Pro Bono Students Canada / Réseau national d'étudiant(e)s pro bono.” Good luck with your PBSC placement, and thank you for working with us to increase access to justice in Canada! Warm regards,

Nikki Gershbain, M.A., LL.B. National Director Pro Bono Students Canada

Bienvenue au réseau national d’étudiant(e)s pro bono (PBSC)! Le PBSC est un programme plusieurs fois primé qui offre des services juridiques sans frais partout au Canada. Nous sommes le seul programme national d’étudiants en droit et exerçons nos activités dans l’ensemble des 22 facultés de droit du pays. Chaque année, le PBSC offre à environ 1 600 étudiants en droit au Canada la possibilité de perfectionner leurs compétences juridiques par le moyen de bénévolat auprès de plus de 450 organismes d’un océan à l’autre. Afin de réaliser son mandat, le PBSC s’engage à offrir aux étudiants bénévoles la meilleure formation possible afin d’améliorer la qualité de votre expérience avec le PBSC et votre capacité à fournir des services juridiques. Le programme de formation en recherche juridique de La Référence et du PBSC représente une occasion hors pair offerte uniquement aux bénévoles du PBSC. Ce programme de formation est conçu pour mettre l’accent sur les dossiers en justice sociale et d’intérêt public. Il aide les étudiants à développer leurs réflexes juridiques en effectuant concrètement de la recherche juridique plutôt que de ne donner que les détails sur la façon d’utiliser un outil de recherche en particulier. Enfin, il ne couvre pas seulement la recherche sur La Référence, mais aussi une panoplie d’autres sources de recherche juridique. Grâce à sa formation spécialisée pour les étudiants en droit de partout au Québec, La Référence contribue de façon importante à l’avancement de l’accès à la justice au Canada. Nous attendons vos commentaires avec impatience. N’hésitez pas à m’envoyer tout commentaire ou toute suggestion au sujet du programme de formation à nikki.gershbain@probonostudents.ca. Si vous avez besoin d’une formation additionnelle, spécialisée ou plus avancée dans le cadre de votre placement au PBSC, veuillez envoyer un courriel à Bonnie.Preece@thomsonreuters.com. Pour plus de renseignements sur notre programme, veuillez visiter le www.probonostudents.ca. Finalement, pourriez-vous, dès maintenant, prendre quelques instants pour nous accorder un « J’aime » sur Facebook ! Ici, nous publions régulièrement des mises à jour et des nouvelles à l’intention de nos bénévoles. Parmi nos affichages : des renseignements à jour sur les écoles de droit et les étudiant(e)s en droit canadiens; le travail pro bono et l’accès à la justice; des événements se déroulant dans votre localité. Vous nous trouverez sur Facebook sous le nom « Pro Bono Students Canada / Réseau national d'étudiant(e)s pro bono ». Je vous souhaite bonne chance pour votre placement au PBSC et vous remercie de travailler avec nous afin d’améliorer l’accès à la justice au Canada. Cordialement,

Nikki Gershbain Directrice nationale Réseau national d’étudiant(e)s pro bono

WESTLAW® CANADA PBSC Research Session 2013-2014 Academic Year • Prepared under the direction of Professor Allan Hutchinson, Osgoode

Hall Law School

• Research: Susan Barker, Digital Services and Reference Librarian, University of Toronto Bora Laskin Law Library, University of Toronto Faculty of Law

• Research: Cynthia Hill, 3L Law Student, Osgoode Hall Law School

Luncheon Agenda • Welcome and Introductions

• Research Process

• Support Materials

• Questions

Sample Research Question

You have been asked to provide a general research memo on whether the Constitution allows Canadian municipalities to place any limits on panhandling or can ban panhandling altogether in a geographic area.

Plan Before You Start

Understand the assignment

Chart a plan of action & write-down initial thoughts

Ask your librarian to assist with your planning

Keep track of every step

Charting a Plan & Initial Thoughts

Areas of law:

Possible Search terms:

Legislation

Case Law

Textbooks:

Areas of law: Charter rights, freedom of

expression, constitutional law, municipal

law

Search terms: Panhandle, panhandling,

homelessness, begging, beggar,

economic rights

Legislation: Charter sections

Case Law: case about squeegeeing

Textbooks: Hogg on Constitutional Law,

Monahan on Constitution Law

Samp

le Research

Map

Step 1: Secondary Sources A. Start with Textbooks and Loose-leaf Services:

Patrick J. Monahan, Constitutional Law

Peter Hogg, Constitutional Law of Canada

Robert J. Sharpe & Kent Roach, The Charter of Rights and Freedoms

B. Move to Encyclopedias (search terms – broad to narrow)

Canadian Encyclopedic Digest

Halsbury’s Laws of Canada

C. Then move to Journals (search terms – broad to narrow)

Index to Canadian Legal Literature on WLC & QL

Law Reports, Articles & Journals (WLC)

Journals & Commentary (QL)

Legaltrac, HeinOnline

• Start by looking in a leading text or treatise

• Search using, tables of contents or indexes, or if online – search by keyword (e.g. “panhandling”)

• Even if you do not locate anything on point you may find key terms or concepts that will help you frame/limit your question

Step 1A – Textbooks and Loose-Leaf Services

Is it a

question of

jurisdiction?

Monahan’s

Constitutional

Law on the

sources of

municipal

powers

Is it a question of

rights?

Sharpe &

Roach’s Charter

of Rights and

Freedoms on

freedom of

expression

• Start by searching the CED (Canadian Encyclopedic Digest)

• search for: “charter and streets and (squeegee or panhandl!)”

Step 1B –Search a Legal Encyclopedia (WLC)

Enter search terms

Step 1B – Search a Legal Encyclopedia (WLC)

1 result

Reference to relevant legislation and caselaw

• Results – 1 Entry

• Conduct the same search in Halsbury’s Laws of Canada

• charter and streets and (panhandl! or squeegee)

Step 1B –Search a Legal Encyclopedia (QL)

Enter search terms

Step 1B – Search a Legal Encyclopedia (QL)

Reference to relevant legislation and caselaw

• Results – 1 Entry

Step 1C – Search for Journal Articles (WLC)

Enter “panhandling” as a keyword search

• Start by searching the Index To Canadian Legal Literature

Step 1C – Search for Journal Articles (WLC) • Results - 3 docs which include the search term: “panhandling”

3 relevant documents

Link to Full Text

Subject Headings

Step 1C – Search for Journal Articles (QL)

Select “All Canadian Legal Literature Indexes”

• You can also search the All Canadian Legal Literature Indexes on Quicklaw

Step 1C – Search for Journal Articles (QL)

• Results – 2 documents

Step ID – Look for Journal Articles • You can also search full text journal databases by keyword using terms

and connectors

• HeinOnline

• Law Reports Articles and Journals (WLC)

• WORLD-JLR (WLC)

• All Canadian Legal Journals (QL)

• Full Text Journal databases enable you to search by complete articles by keyword. This is useful if you are looking for a narrow topic or specific situation rather than a broad general topic.

• Searching full-text Westlaw Canada and QuickLaw/LexisNexis is similar to searching the Indexes. Just key in your terms and or concepts and view the results. The search interface for Hein is somewhat different than the other two.

Step 1D – Look for Journal Articles • Also search HeinOnline Law Journal Library

Search panhandling and charter in text and canada in country

Step 1D – Look for Journal Articles

• HeinOnline Results (28 results – more than the ICLL)

Step 2: Primary Sources

• Primary Sources

[A] Case Law

[B] Legislation (Statutes & Regulations)

Step 2A: Locating Case Law

Using Case Law Digests

• The value of a digest is in its subject classification. Each case is assigned one or more subject headings so you can easily and efficiently locate all cases that touch on like or similar points of law

• Each digest provides a brief synopsis of the case and its disposition as well as a link to the full text of the case if available. You can read through the digest quickly to see if it appropriate to include in your research

Step 2A: Locating Case Law Case Digests – The Canadian Abridgment on Westlaw Canada • Search for panhandl! and constitution

Step 2A: Locating Case Law Case Digests – The Canadian Abridgment on Westlaw Canada • Results – 4 subject areas

Subject Titles

Step 2A: Full Text Case Law Searching (WLC) A search of the cases database for “panhandl! /p homeless” yields 18 results so narrow the search with “Charter” by using the “Locate in Result” link

This filtered search yields 8 Documents

Step 2A: Full Text Case Law Search Results (WLC) • 8 search results are produced after narrowing the search

Step 2A: Full Text Case Law Searching (QL)

Click on the Court Cases tab and search for “panhandl!” /p “homeless” AND “Charter”

Step 2A: Full Text Case Law Search Results (QL) • This search located 7 cases

Step 2A: Full Text Case Law Searching (CanLII)

Full Text Search

14 Results

Sorted by Relevance

Step 2A: Administrative Tribunals • Cases from Administrative Tribunals do not have precedential value in the courts

• It might, however, still be useful to pro bono researchers preparing for a hearing before a tribunal to see how issues have been previously decided

In QL Click on the Tribunal Cases Tab

In CanLII, select the Jurisdiction and then link to the Tribunal

In WLC, Tribunal cases are included case law searching unless the Decision Type is limited to Tribunal Decisions Only

Step 2B: Legislation - Statutes The easiest place to locate legislation for all jurisdictions is CanLII (www.canlii.org) or on the relevant government websites. You will find the most recent current consolidations of the statutes on these sites however you must be aware that they are only considered official in a few jurisdictions and you may need to refer to the print versions.

Search for Safe Streets Act in Ontario

Result: Current Consolidated Version of the Statute

Step 2B: Legislation - Regulations

• Don’t forget you may need to look at regulations as well • Like statutes, regulations are a form of legislation and like statutes they

have force of law • However, statutes state broad principles while regulations provide the

practical details that make those statutes work. • Regulations are enacted by the executive bodies that the parliament or

legislature has authorized • Regulations cannot be made outside the purview of the enabling

legislation • The easiest place to locate regulations for all jurisdictions is CanLII

(www.canlii.org) or on the relevant government websites under the name of the enabling statute

Step 2B: Legislation – Regulations The Safe Streets act has no

attendant regulations but the Safe Drinking Water Act has 13

Step 3: Updating or “Noting-Up” • Cases

• KeyCite (Westlaw Canada) (colourful flags)

• QuickCite Case Citator (QL) (colourful signals)

• Statutes and Regulations

• KeyCite (Westlaw Canada)

• QuickCite Statute Citator (QL)

Step 3: Example “Noting-Up” using KeyCite

• Method 1: Enter the citation 84 OR (3d) 1 with KeyCite

• Method 2: Hit yellow flag for KeyCite while in the case

• How to note up R v Banks

Step 3: Example “Noting-Up” using KeyCite

Follow up by looking at R v B (T)

Reference to R v Banks in R v B (T)

Step 3: Example “Noting-Up” using QuickCITE • R. v. Banks, [2007] O.J. No. 99

View the QuickCITE entry

Enter Citation in the search box

Step 4: Additional Authorities

• Secondary Sources

• Librarians – check again

• Government Departments

• Associations

• Google

• Primary Sources

• Laws from other jurisdictions (e.g. U.S.)

Step 4: Additional Authorities

Key Takeaways: 5 Research Tips 1. It’s okay (and important) to ask questions

2. Always update and note-up

3. Remember the 10 to 15 minute rule*

4. Keep track of your research**

5. Efficiency is essential

*If after 10 to 15 minutes you aren’t getting anywhere, return to #1, visit your Law Librarian

**Review the Research Trail functionality in Westlaw Canada

Key PBSC Support Materials

Westlaw® Canada Support for PBSC

• Pro Bono Research Checklist

• Technical Support: 1-800-342-3288

• Research Support: 1-800-342-6288

• PBSC Support Materials and Westlaw® Canada Tutorials (www.westlawcanada.com/students )

• Bonnie.preece@thomsonreuters.com

We thank:

• Professor Allan Hutchinson, Osgoode Hall Law School

• Cynthia Hill, 3L Law Student, Osgoode Hall Law School

• Susan Barker, Digital Services /Reference Librarian University of Toronto

for their support.