Moot Court Research Help

Once you've received your moot court problem, you'll want to review it to familiarize yourself with the facts and issues involved, and read all of the legal authority cited in the record. Next, you'll need to develop a research plan. Taking the time to develop a research plan will ensure that you conduct efficient and accurate legal research, saving you time in the long run.

1.  Develop an issue statement and list of potential search terms.

2.  Outline the steps you will take in your research. Consider the following:

• Do you need more background information or explanation of the legal issues? Maybe start with secondary sources.
• Can you use a case or statute from the problem as a lead to get started? Using annotated statutes or looking at Citing References are efficient places to begin your research.
• Identify a starting point for your research. Do you need to start in a particular jurisdiction or locate binding or persuasive authority?

3.  Document your research. It is important to keep a log of the databases used, searches run, and the authority reviewed and considered. Documenting your research will ensure that you don't duplicate your research, and that you have all of the information you will need for drafting the brief.

4.  Validate all of the relevant authorities you find. Using KeyCite and Shepard's are the most efficient tools for this step of the research process.

Research Plan Template

The BC Law Librarians Librarians have developed a combined research plan and log template which you can access below. 

If in the research planning process, you believe you need a better understanding of the legal issues or area of law involved, consider starting in secondary sources. They provide context for your research, help you generate search terms, and give you leads to controlling legal authority. Below are recommendations of efficient ways to identify relevant secondary sources to help you get started with your research.

• Review the Treatises by Subject Research Guide: This guide, created by the BC Law Teaching & Research Librarians, provides access to the major treatises on a wide range of legal subjects. Where a treatise is available online, it will link you directly to the content.

• Search the BC Law Library Catalog: The catalog is a great place to start looking for a secondary source on your legal issue. The catalog contains records for all electronic and print resources available not only here at the law school but in all of the University libraries. Where materials are available in online format, the record will link you to the resource.

• Use Annotated Statutes or Constitutions: If your problem involves a statute or constitutional provision, using the citing references in the annotated versions on either Lexis or Westlaw is a quick way to locate secondary sources that explain or interpret statutory or constitutional provisions. 

Federal Standards of Review

Your legal research will often include research into the standard of review for the issues presented in your moot court problem. Below are some secondary sources that can help you locate controlling authority stating the applicable standards of review.  

Researching Rules of Statutory Construction

If your moot court problem involves interpretation of a statutory provision, you will need to research how the court will determine statutory meaning. Below are recommended secondary sources to assist you in understanding and researching the canons of statutory construction.