Section One 12 points

Answer each of the following:

1. Discuss the general differences between primary and secondary authority. 2. Name the characteristics of mandatory authority and the characteristics of persuasive authority.

3. Discuss how the concept ofstare decisisis relevant to a legal research assignment.

4. What is meant when we say an opinion is on point to a client's case?

5. Provide the names of the two major books on citation guidelines.

6. List the two major legal encyclopedias.

Section Two 8 points Directions:Please refer to the opinion attached (Click Here).

Identify every authority cited in the opinion (note that some sources may be cited more than once) and then do thefollowing:

• List all primary mandatory authority
• List all primary persuasive authority
• List all secondary persuasive authority

Section Three 10 points

Answer each of the following:

1. List the three techniques used to identify search terms when using indexes and search engines, as discussed inStatsky.

2. List and define the three interrelated levels of researching a legal problem discussed in Statsky.

3. When is a lower court required to follow a higher court's opinion in the same judicial system?

4. Explain the difference/s between an official reporter and an unofficial reporter.

5. Is a higher court ever required to follow a lower court's opinion in the same judicial system? Why or why not?

Section Four 5 points

Research the structure of your own court systems (both state and federal), provide the corresponding reporters for each court level, and indicate which court opinions are binding on each court within those systems.

Provide the name of your state.: Pennsylvania

Section Five

LEGAL AUTHORITY

Forthefollowing examplesofprimary authority,determinewhether-authoritiesaremandatoryorpersuasive(assumethateachauthorityisonpoint):

1. An opinion fromtheSupremeCourtofAlabama foruseinaTexastrialcourtcase.

n

2. AnopinionfromaLouisianaSupremeCourtopinionforuseinaLouisiana trialcourt case.

3. TheU.S.Constitutionforusein aCaliforniaintermediateappealscourtcase.

4. AnopinionfromtheTa," (Reporter for useinaU.S.DistrictCourtcase.

5. Anopinionfroman auagencyhearing for use inaU.S.SupremeCourtcase.

6. AnopinionfromtheColoradoSupreme CourtforuseinaNevadaSupremeCourt case.

7. Aprovision oftheGeorgiaCodeforuseinaGeorgiatrialcom1case.

8. AnAmendmenttotheWashingtonConstitution foruseinanOregonappealscourt case.

9. AnopinionfromaTexasappealscourtforuse in aTexas SupremeCourtcase.

I0. Anopinionfromthel0th CircuitCourtofappeals forinaFifthCircuitCourtof

Appealscase.

11. Anopinion fromaU.S.DistrictCourtforuseinaNebraskatrialcourtcase,

12. Anopinionfromthe OklahomaSupremeCourtforuseinanOklahomatrialcourt

case.

13. AprovisionoftheUnitedStatesCodeforuse inaNorthCarolinatrialcourtcase.

14. AU.S.SupremeCourtopinionforuse in aU.S.SupremeCourtcase.

15. Anopinion fromtheBankrup1cy Reporterforuseina. NorthDakotatrialcourt