Michigan Legal Research

Book excerpt: Michigan Legal Research, Third Edition, is a concise, yet thorough, guide to conducting legal research in Michigan. Importantly, it also includes references to federal legal resources. In addition to updating all sources discussed, this edition, more so than previous editions, focuses on free legal resources, including current commercial and government sources. For the free online sources, this edition includes directions on how to navigate the website to make it easy for the reader to find the relevant information. Where applicable, references to new and established subscription-based resources are juxtaposed against those resources that are available for free. The goal is to help the reader make an informed decision regarding when to use a fee-based service as opposed to a free legal resource. This edition continues to draw upon the authors' years of experience teaching legal writing and research by providing the tools for conducting efficient and effective legal research, as well as discussing the interplay between legal research and legal analysis. This book is part of the Legal Research Series, edited by Suzanne E. Rowe, Director of Legal Research and Writing, University of Oregon School of Law.