Sam Maxwell works for a small law firm. He has been a paralegal for only a few months, and most of his time has been spent drafting legal correspondence and poring over documents during discovery. A new client, Mrs. Dhillon, wants to sue her neighbor for deliberately damaging her newly landscaped garden, which cost her $10,000, and for destroying her bed of prize roses worth $5,000. Sam jumps at the chance to research the law and any additional materials for Mrs. Dhillon's case.

If Sam finds a statute that specifically addresses Mrs. Dhillon's claim against her neighbor, it would be a waste of time to continue researching case law and persuasive authority.