Outline materials and information related to relevant area of practice.

Though it’s tempting to just jump into search mode, pause instead. Conducting a high level review of the applicable practice area and preparing a concrete outline of the issues that need researching is time well spent. Why not put pen to paper and make a list.

Gain perspective on a particular point of law through resources like encyclopedias.

When it’s time to start narrowing your search and focusing on a specific point of law, be sure to consult a variety of sources for a comprehensive assessment of the issue. And make sure those resources are updated on a regular basis – in legal research, referring to the most current information isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have.

Investigate how applicable terms have been interpreted in the jurisprudence.

Does your matter deal with a specific word or phrase that is at issue? It’s critical for you to know how that term has been defined and judicially considered over the years, in as many jurisdictions as possible.

Review different, relevant points of law in legislation, case law and commentary.

Before you get down to the nitty gritty of your research, you may want to gain some insight into the broader points of law in question and discover how they’ve been treated in the legislation, case law and associated commentary. Better to cast your net wide than risk missing something.

Conduct specific searches in legislation, case law and commentary, and verify results.

Once you’ve identified the points you need to understand and examine in detail, leverage the power of Boolean searching to delve more deeply into how those specific issues have been discussed in Australian and International legislation, case law and commentary.

Workflow Approach Summary

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