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Courses/Law/Law Practice Management

Researching Case Law

Understanding the role of judicial precedent in the judicial system, and the publication of case law.

Created byIrwin Law
4.3
(4 reviews)
IntermediateUpdated Jun 1, 2025
Researching Case Law

What You'll Learn

check_circleNavigate common law court structures.
check_circleApply principles of judicial precedent.
check_circleLocate published and unpublished cases.
check_circleUtilize methods to find relevant cases.
check_circleVerify case history and treatment.

About This Course

Unlock the essential skills of legal research with the "Researching Case Law" course. Judge-made law, or common law, forms a critical part of legal systems, but navigating the vast body of judicial decisions and precedents can be challenging.

This course provides a comprehensive guide to effectively researching case law. You will gain a clear understanding of:

  • The structure of judicial systems in common law countries.
  • The doctrine of judicial precedent (stare decisis) and its application.
  • How case law is published, both in traditional print reporters and modern online databases.
  • Proven techniques for finding relevant court decisions.
  • Essential methods for "noting up" cases to verify their judicial history and treatment.

Mastering these techniques is crucial for anyone needing to find, understand, and rely on case law. By the end of this course, you will be equipped to conduct thorough and confident case law research, ensuring your legal analysis is accurate and up-to-date.

Your Instructors

Irwin Law
Irwin Law

https://twitter.com/irwinlaw

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star1,137 reviews

Books on law do not need to be difficult, dull, and costly. At Irwin Law Inc., our aim is to produce books of exceptional quality at affordable prices. We are determined to produce books that are modern, lively, and interesting, as well as clearly organized and attractively designed, at prices substantially lower than our competitors. Indeed, our books are accessible to students and legal practitioners alike, while maintaining the highest standards of excellence. As Canada's youngest law publisher, Irwin Law brings an innovative approach and fresh ideas to legal publishing. The company was established in 1996 - very recently in an industry whose roots go back to 1855. At its inception, Irwin Law Inc. was affiliated with the Stoddart Publishing Group. In 1999, Irwin Law was purchased by Quicklaw, Canada's leading online legal research service. The purchase was a natural, as Irwin Law had been among the first publishers to make its books available on the online database. However, when Quicklaw was purchased by LexisNexis Group in July 2002, Irwin Law needed to find new owners. The company was purchased by a small group led by Irwin Law's founding publisher, Jeffrey Miller. From its beginning, Irwin Law has strived to publish books that do more than outline the current state of the law. They analyze the complex issues of the day in a succinct and readable style and in a manner that is probing and thoughtful. Our books are accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date. Indeed, all manuscript submissions are subject to peer review and our authors are among the leading law practitioners and professors in Canada and the world. Irwin Law brings to the marketplace books that whet the reader's curiosity, challenge established tradition, and create intellectual excitement.

Ted Tjaden
Ted Tjaden

Ted Tjaden, LLB, MISt, LLM, is a Canadian lawyer and law librarian called to the bar in British Columbia (1987) and Ontario (1996). He has practised law in a variety of circumstances, including as a commercial litigator, in-house counsel to Seiko Epson Corporation in Japan, and a research lawyer. In addition, his work at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, as a law librarian and adjunct professor, included teaching legal research at the Faculty in addition to teaching law librarianship at the Faculty of Information. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Queen’s University, and both a Master of Information Studies and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Toronto. Ted is also the author of The Law of Independent Legal Advice (2d ed, 2013). In 2010, he was awarded the Denis Marshall Memorial Award for Excellence in Law Librarianship by the Canadian Association of Law Libraries and in 2008, Canadian Lawyer described him as a “luminary” of the Canadian blogosphere. Ted maintains a free companion website to this book (www.legalresearchandwriting.ca). In addition, as a hobby, he has created and maintains a different website called “Classic Ragtime Piano” (www.ragtimepiano.ca), where he makes available (for free) his research on ragtime piano, along with access to thousands of pieces of pre-1923 public domain, digital copies of ragtime piano sheet music.

Credit Information

What Students Are Saying

4.3
Student's Choice
4 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.