FREE CLI Legal Research & Investigation Techniques Questions and Answers

Question 1

What is the first step in conducting a legal investigation?

Accepted Answer

Identifying the legal issue

Answer

Before any investigative steps can be taken, a legal investigator must clearly understand the core legal problem or question that needs to be answered. Identifying the legal issue guides the entire investigation, determining what information is relevant, what evidence needs to be collected, and which laws or precedents apply. Without this initial clarity, the investigation would lack focus and efficiency.

Question 2

Which of the following is a primary source of law?

Accepted Answer

Case law

Answer

Primary sources of law are original, authoritative statements of law, such as constitutions, statutes, regulations, and judicial opinions. Case law, specifically, comprises the body of legal principles established by courts in their decisions. It is a primary source because it directly creates legal precedent that lower courts must follow, unlike secondary sources which analyze or summarize the law.

Question 3

What tool is commonly used to find legal precedents?

Accepted Answer

Westlaw

Answer

Westlaw is a prominent online legal research service widely used by legal professionals to find statutes, regulations, and especially case law. It provides access to an extensive database of judicial opinions, allowing users to search for and analyze legal precedents relevant to their specific legal issues. This tool is essential for comprehensive and efficient legal research.

Question 4

Which document provides detailed facts and arguments in legal research?

Accepted Answer

Legal memorandum

Answer

A legal memorandum is a written analysis of a legal problem, providing detailed facts, legal arguments, and conclusions based on thorough legal research. It serves to inform attorneys about the applicable law and how it applies to a specific set of facts, often including a discussion of precedents and statutes. This document is crucial for internal legal analysis and strategy development.

Question 5

Which method is used to verify the validity of a case law?

Accepted Answer

Shepardizing

Answer

Shepardizing is a crucial process in legal research that involves checking the subsequent history and treatment of a case or statute. This process, often done through services like Shepard's Citations, determines if a legal authority has been affirmed, reversed, overruled, or cited by later cases. It ensures that the legal authority being relied upon is still valid and good law.

CLI - Certified Legal Investigator Practice Test

CLI - Certified Legal Investigator Practice Test

FREE CLI Legal Research & Investigation Techniques Questions and Answers