Legal research — case law, journals

What you'll learn

1. 1

   Imagine you're a detective building a case. Legal research is finding the 'clues' — past court decisions (case law) and expert articles (journals) — to win your argument.

2. 2

   What are the TWO main types of sources you use in legal research?

3. 3

   Let's walk through a real legal research question together.

4. 4

   Now you try! Drag the keywords into the search box to find case law on 'can a shop ban hoodies'.

5. 5

   After you find a case, why would you ALSO look at a journal article about it?

6. 6

   When you read a case, focus on the 'ratio decidendi' — the reason for the decision. That's the part that becomes law for future cases.

7. 7

   Which part of a court's decision is binding for future judges?