CHAPTER xvrir 
THE USE OF LAW BOOKS 
The problem of how to use law books is a threefold problem. 
It includes: first, the problem of how to find a legislative 
enactment or a judicial precedent, if any, upon a given point; 
second, the- problem of how to read and abstract reported 
cases; and third, the problem of brief making, or how to 
arrange the legislative enactments and judicial precedents 
(as well as social statistics if used), in the form of a logical 
argument. 
Finding- Authorities: 114 ' Statutes. If' a student, or lawyer, 
has a point of law on which he desires to find the state of 
the authorities he should first analyze his facts accurately 
for the point of view, make an “index list” of apposite words 
and phrases, and provide himself with a memorandum book 
for opinions and case cards for cases. Then he should look 
for legislative enactments, for if valid and applicable they 
will usually decide the point. In the United States, this means 
the Constitutions of the United States and of the state, acts 
of Congress and treaties, as well as acts of the state legisla- 
ture and subordinate bodies. In England, it is not necessary 
to look for constitutional provisions. If any statutory provi- 
sions are found, the way in which they have been interpreted 
by the courts, if at all, must also be found. 
United States Constitution. Every lawyer and law student 
should be familiar enough with the United States Constitution 
to know without examination whether or not his legal problem 
involves a constitutional question of the federal Constitution, 
but if he is in doubt he either can consult an index to the 
Constitution or can search the document itself. Any judicial 
interpretations of the Constitution can be found by using the 
Citer-Digest, Shepard’s United States Citations, volumes 10 
and 11 of the United States Compiled Statutes and Supple- 
ments, and volumes 10 and 11 of the Federal Statutes 
Annotated and Supplements; and by searching for judicial 
precedents in the manner outlined below. 
114 Morgan, Introduction to Study of Law; Cooley, Brief Making; Lawyers’ Co- 
operative Publishing Company, Law Books and their Use; Kiser, Principles and Prac- 
tice of Legal Research; Hicks, Materials and Methods of Legal Research. 
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