Doing It By the Book - How to Shepardize Without Using a Computer
Home
Your Assignment
How to Shepardize
Discussion
Resources
Credits
Rubric
Teacher

This lesson is designed for first year law students in their second semester of school.  It is the second task of a semester-long project culminating in the writing of a “Memo to Partner”.  The lesson will take place during one Legal Writing class period, which is 90 minutes long.  However, due to the difficulty of the subject matter, and in an effort to provide more individualized attention to the students to increase their motivation, the class will be split in half, so there will be two classes teaching the same lesson.  The class will take place in one of the law school’s library.  Each student will be required to use a laptop computer during the task.  Students will work their way through the buILder, which contains a tutorial on how to Shepardize a case.  Students will complete an accompanying worksheet, which will measure their ability to evaluate a case for validity and persuasiveness.  Students will improve their reading comprehension skills as they compare the cases, they will have to compare the rulings of different courts and judges.  At the end of the lesson, students will turn their worksheets into the Reference Librarian who will review the answers with the class.

Introduction

Content

Technique

Students are introduced to the daily class plan by the Reference Librarian.

Lecture

To combat low student motivation for the task, Professor discusses with students the kinds of tasks that junior associates receive and how this assignment is similar. 

Power Point presentation, discussion and questioning;

ARCS theories – attention, relevance and confidence

                       

                          

Body

Content

Technique

Students will work on the buILder associated with this lesson with assistance from the Reference Librarian.

BuILder

http://www.informationliteracy.org/builder/view/1344

Students will complete the three tasks in the buILder while answering a worksheet, which tests their legal reading comprehension abilities.

Individual computer work, book work and worksheet

Assistance from Reference Librarian as needed

Task 1 – Each student will be assigned a different United States Supreme Court Case and a different federal court jurisdiction.  Students will Shepardize their assigned case using books.  Students will answer questions on the worksheet.

Individual computer work, book work and worksheet

Assistance from Reference Librarian as needed

Task 2 – Based on the citations found by the students, they will compare subsequently decided cases and evaluate their assigned case for validity.  Students will answer questions on the worksheet.

Individual computer work, book work and worksheet

Assistance from Reference Librarian as needed

 

 

Task 3 - Based on the citations found by the students, they will compare subsequently decided cases and evaluate their assigned case for persuasiveness in their jurisdiction.  Students will answer questions on the worksheet.

Individual computer work, book work and worksheet

Assistance from Reference Librarian as needed

           

Conclusion

Content

Technique

Students will complete their worksheets and turn them into the Reference Librarian.  Reference Librarian will discuss the worksheet and the Shepardizing process with the students

Reference Librarian feedback, PowerPoint presentation, discussion and questioning;

ARCS theories – confidence and satisfaction


   
Questions or comments? Contact DataMomentum team for general information.