SYLLABUS OF LAW FIRM RESEARCH 2.0
LAWJ-269-05 – Professors Callinan and Ryan - Tuesdays, 5:45 – 7:45 - Hotung 6006
CALENDAR
Class 1: (Jan. 19) – Course Orientation
Class 2: (Jan. 26) – Competitive Intelligence Research
Class 3: (Feb. 2) – Competitive Intelligence Research
Class 4: (Feb. 9) – Competitive Intelligence Research
Break – Feb. 16 - President’s Weekend/Faculty Retreat
Class 5: (Feb. 23) – Student Pitches [Due: Pitch Presentations A-K]
Class 6: (March 2) – Student Pitches [Due: Pitch Presentations L-Z and all Pitch Books]
Break – March 9 - Spring Break
Class 7: (Mar. 16) – Research Management
Class 8: (Mar. 23 – Topical Research
Class 9: (Mar. 30) – Case Research [Due: Research Management Plan]
Class 10: (Apr. 6) – Regulatory Research
Class 11: (Apr. 13) – Statutes and Codes [Due: Research Wiki Design Document]
Class 12: (April 20) – Legislative History
Class 13: (April 27) – Communicating Your Research
May 3 or May 18: Research Wiki and Client Alert Due
COURSE ORIENTATION
We’ll spend the first class reviewing what we’re going to teach, how we’re going to teach, what we expect from
you in terms of work product and how we’ll grade you. In order to conduct this orientation, we need to explain
why we designed this course in such an unusual way - and that means going over a bit of history, both of legal
publishing and legal research. We’ll also explore the pattern of a successful publication model followed by an
innovation that often replaced, or at least marginalized, its predecessor, evident in this history.
PROJECT 1: GET THE CLIENT
Premise: Your firm is planning to bid on the appeal of a case lost by another law firm. The potential client
may continue the appeal with that law firm, but is exploring its options. The company is a large U.S. corporation
and handling this appeal could open opportunities for our firm in this practice area and others. You’ve been
tapped to help prepare the pitch to this company.
Goals:
Using the law firm that represented the major corporate client in the case you selected or a competing
law firm, develop a pitch book to convince the company to hire your firm.
Include information on your potential client and client’s industry by researching the business sources
covered in class.
Prepare a 10 minute presentation using PowerPoint to deliver in class on February 23 or March 2. All
pitch books will be due on March 2
Classes:
Class 2: (January 26) – COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH
Class 3: (February 2) – COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH
Class 4: (February 9) – COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH
Class 5: (February 23) – STUDENT PITCHES
Class 6: (March 2) – STUDENT PITCHES
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Student Work Product: 25% of grade
Pitch Presentations – due on February 23 or March 2
Pitch Books – due on March 2.
PROJECT 2: MANAGE THE ENVIRONMENT
Premise: The foundation for effective research is a good plan. In order to maximize your time and streamline
your efforts, take the time at assess the research environment and proactively organize the people and resources
at your disposal.
Class: Class 7: (March 16) - RESEARCH MANAGEMENT
Goals:
Understand the respective roles of the players
Explore systems and methods for organizing resources
Learn the elements of information architecture
Student Work Product: 10% of grade (Due March 30)
Research Management Plan
PROJECT 3: LEARN THE ISSUES
Premise: We’ve won the bid and will now represent this client on its appeal. We need to learn everything we
can about the issues to understand how to help the client and to try to see if the former firm missed any
arguments. This is the diagnosis phase of your research lab work.
Goals:
Identify the best resources for your subject and learn how to use them.
Dissect your case by tracing its issues through these resources
Create a research wiki to house the research you complete.
Classes:
Class 8: (March 23) – TOPICAL RESEARCH
Class 9: (March 30) – CASE RESEARCH
Class 10: (April 6) - REGULATORY RESEARCH
Class 10: (April 13) - STATUTES AND CODES
Class 11: (April 20) – LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Student Work Product: 40% of grade (Design document due on April 13; final due at the end of the
semester)
Research wiki on Google Sites
PROJECT 4: LEVERAGE YOUR SUCCESS
Premise: Having completed your research, you will learn how to write client alerts to share your success and
attract new business.
Classes: Class 12: (April 27) – COMMUNICATING YOUR RESEARCH TO CLIENTS AND
PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS (Guest Lecturer)
Student Work Product: 25% of grade (Due at end of semester)
Research client alert and cover letter to accompany client alert.
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