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Handbook of Legal Research in Massachusetts
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Excel in the research of primary and secondary sources

Product Number: 1880135B00
Publication Date: 9/5/2012
Edition: 3rd Edition 2009, with 2012 Supplement
Copyright: © 2012 MCLE, Inc.
Update service: Supplemented regularly.
Formats: Print Book    add to cart | add to Favorites
384 pages in 1 volume (Looseleaf)
$165.00; $150.00 MCLE Sponsor Member
eBook    add to cart | add to Favorites
EPUB, MOBI, or PDF
$165.00; $150.00 MCLE Sponsor Member
Features...
  • Practical guidance from nine of the Commonwealth's experts—from the bench, libraries, academia, firms, and state offices
  • Officially and unofficially codified General Laws, annual session laws, and special acts
  • "How-to" information on legislative procedure and legislative history research
  • Guidance on researching the Commonwealth's administrative agencies, rules, and regulations
  • Updated electronic legal research tips
  • Hundreds of citations to cases, statutes and regulations, along with bibliographic information for major areas of law

Product description

A necessity for legal research, the Handbook of Legal Research in Massachusetts shows you how to excel in the research of primary and secondary sources for Massachusetts case law, statutory law and regulatory authorities. The Handbook provides a sound basis in many sources of basic public law in Massachusetts. Researchers unfamiliar with Massachusetts legal materials will find background explanation, bibliographic information and related research guides for major areas of law.

Table of Contents

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Chapter 1 - The Massachusetts Constitution and Structure of Government (Buy Chapter)
Hon. Margot Botsford, Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Karen Dean-Smith, Esq.,
Historical Background
The Structure of the Constitution
Part 1-A Declaration of the Rightsof the Inhabitants of the Commonwealthof Massachusetts
Part 2-The Frame of Government
Articles of Amendment
Amendments to the Constitution-Methods and Chronology
Special Constitutional Convention
The Legislature
Initiative
Structure of Government
Reference Sources for the Constitution and Constitutional History
The Constitution
Historical Source Material
Constitution of the Commonwealth
The Constitutional Convention of 1820
The Constitutional Convention of 1853
The Constitutional Conventions of 1917-1919
General Historical Source Materials
Exhibit 1A - Articles of Amendment of the Massachusetts Constitution (Buy Form)
Chapter 2 - Statutes and Session Laws (Buy Chapter)
Hon. Margot Botsford, Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Karen Dean-Smith, Esq.,
Introduction
Statutes
Statutes: Official Editions
Official Codifications and Compilations
Official Codifications-Summary
Revised Statutes of 1836
Supplement to the Revised Statutes of 1836-1859
General Statutes of 1860
Public Statutes of 1882
Revised Laws of 1902
Supplement to the Revised Laws
General Laws of 1921
Official Compilations
General Laws, Tercentenary Edition of 1932
General Laws of Massachusetts, Official Edition
Electronic Access
Statutes-Unofficial Editions
Massachusetts General Laws Annotated
Annotated Laws of Massachusetts
Electronic Access
Session Laws
Indexes and Researching Aids
Special Acts
Massachusetts Legislative Documents
Uniform Laws
Exhibit 2A - Uniform Laws Adopted in Massachusetts (Buy Form)
Chapter 3 - Massachusetts Legislative Procedure and History (Buy Chapter)
Mary Ann Neary, Esq., Boston College Law School Library
Introduction
Overview of the Legislative Process
Filing Proposed Legislation
Legislators' Petitions
Legislation Proposed by Governor's Message
Legislation Proposed by an Administrative Agency
Legislation Proposed by SpecialCommission Reports
Legislation Filed by a Joint Standing Committee
Voter-Mandated Legislation
Initiative Petition
Constitutional Amendments
Statutory Amendments
Legislative Substitute
Referendum Petition
Legislative Committees' Actionon Proposed Legislation
Public Hearings on Proposed Legislation
Committee Reports on Proposed Legislation
Chamber Action on Proposed Legislation
First Reading
Second Reading
Third Reading
Engrossment
Legislators' Voting Procedures
Voice Vote
Standing Vote
Roll Call Vote (House)
Yea and Nay Vote (Senate)
Voting Record Analysis
Enactment of Proposed Legislation
Enactment by Legislature
Approval by Governor
Governor's Options in Reviewing Legislation
Conference Committees
Appropriations Bills
Outside Sections
Effective Date of Legislation
Local Approval or Acceptance Statutes
Tracing the Legislative Historyof a Massachusetts Statute
Sources of Legislative History-State Library and State Archives
Legislative Packages and Legislative Files(State Archives)
State Library Resources
Records of Legislative Action(Official and Unofficial)
Acts and Resolves
Bulletin of Committee Work (1918 to 1996)
Calendar of the Senate; Calendar of the House
Daily List of Committee Hearings
Election Statistics (P.D. 43)
General Court Web Site (http://www.mass.gov/legis/)
General Laws
Print Volumes
Electronic Access
Guide to Massachusetts General and Special Acts
Index of Special Commission Reports Authorizedby the General Court, 1900-1988, and Supplemental Index to 1994
InstaTrac
Journal of the Senate; Journal of the Houseof Representatives
Judicial Council Annual Report (P.D. 144)
Legislative Documents
Legislative Package
Legislative Record
Manual of the General Court
Massachusetts Political Almanac
State House News Service
State Library's Online Catalog
StateNet
Videotapes of Selected Committee Hearings
Glossary of Massachusetts Legislative Terms
Exhibit 3A - Massachusetts Legislative Materials (Buy Form)
Chapter 4 - The Judicial System (Buy Chapter)
Hon. Margot Botsford, Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Karen Dean-Smith, Esq.,
History of the Massachusetts Judicial System
The Present Judicial System-A Brief Overview
Supreme Judicial Court
Appellate Jurisdiction
Advisory Opinions
Original Jurisdiction
Superintendence Power
Statutory Committees
Appeals Court
Appellate Jurisdiction
The Trial Court
Introduction: Composition and Administration
Superior Court Department
Original Civil Jurisdiction
Appellate Civil Jurisdiction
Criminal Jurisdiction
Rulemaking Power
(e)Business Litigation Session
Probate and Family Court Department
Land Court Department
Housing Court Department
District Court Department
Civil Jurisdiction
Boston Municipal Court Department
Juvenile Court Department
State Court Decisions
Supreme Judicial Court and AppealsCourt Decisions
Official Publications
Official Advance Sheets
Official Headnotes
Unofficial Publications
Electronic Access to Opinions
Citation of Supreme Judicial Court and Appeals Court Decisions
Trial Court Decisions
Superior Court Opinions
Administrative Decisions
Researching Aids for StateCourt Decisions
Digests
Indexes
Annotations
Shepard's Massachusetts Citations
Electronic Citation Services
Exhibit 4A - Massachusetts Court System (Buy Form)
Exhibit 4B - 1989 Mass. Acts c. 649, § 2 (Buy Form)
Exhibit 4C - Massachusetts Case Law: Supreme Judicial Court (Buy Form)
Exhibit 4D - Massachusetts Appeals Court (Buy Form)
Exhibit 4E - Massachusetts Appellate Division (Buy Form)
Exhibit 4F - Massachusetts Superior Court (Selected Decisions) (Buy Form)
Chapter 5 - Rules of Court (Buy Chapter)
Karin B. Thurman, Lynch, Brewer, Hoffman & Fink LLP/Library
History
Massachusetts Rules of Civil and Appellate Procedure
Application of Rules
Rules of Civil and Appellate Procedure-Annotations and Commentary
Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure
History and Application of Rules
Rules of Criminal Procedure-Annotations and Commentary
Massachusetts Rules of Evidence
Supreme Judicial Court
Rules Governing Legal Ethics in Massachusetts
Appeals Court
Trial Court
Superior Court Department
Standing Orders
Rules Governing Persons Authorized to Take Bail, Rules Governing Professional Bondsmen
Uniform Rules of Summary Process
Uniform Magistrates Rules
Other Trial Court Departments
Rules for Local Federal Courts
General Compilations of Massachusetts Rules
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
General Compilations
Citator Services for Court Rules
Model Jury Instructions
Chapter 6 - Administrative Law—Regulations, Orders, Decisions, Opinions (Buy Chapter)
Karin B. Thurman, Lynch, Brewer, Hoffman & Fink LLP/Library
Administrative Procedure
History
Rules and Regulations
Code of Massachusetts Regulations
Massachusetts Register
Judicial Notice-Effective Dates; Emergency Regulations
Instruction Manual
Public Access to Regulations
Adjudicatory Proceedings and Adjudicatory Decisions
"Standard Rule"
Adjudicatory Decisions
Executive Orders
Annual Reports
Opinions of the Attorney General
Duty of the Attorney General to Render Opinions
History
Numbering System for Opinions of the Attorney General
Form of Publication
Annotations and Citations
Indexes and Digests
Attorney General Bid Protest Decisions
Conflict of Interest Opinions
Attorney General's Conflict of Interest Opinions
State Ethics Commission's Conflict of Interest Opinions
Citations
County and Municipal Conflict of Interest Opinions
Exhibit 6A - State Agencies Conducting Adjudicatory Hearings (Buy Form)
Exhibit 6B - Checklist for Opinions of the Attorney General (Buy Form)
Chapter 7 - Municipal Law (Buy Chapter)
Kevin D. Batt, Esq., Anderson & Kreiger LLP
Jennifer K. Rushlow, Esq.,
Introduction
Constitutional and Statutory Sources of Municipal Law
Cities and Towns
Early History
Home Rule Amendment and Home Rule Procedures Act
Town Meeting
Massachusetts General Laws
Land Use Controls
Takings
Development of Affordable Housing: Comprehensive Permits
Local Environmental Protection
Open Government
Open Meeting Law
Public Records
Conflict of Interest Under the State Ethics Act
Campaign Finance Disclosure
Government Contracting
Cellular Communication Towers
Cable Television
Municipal Tort Liability and the Public Duty Rule
Public Duty Rule and Exceptions to Liability
Commencing a Lawsuit
Unique Status of Boston
Special Acts
Local Acceptance Statutes
Counties
Special Districts
Sources of Municipal Law
Municipal Charters and Law
Boston
Other Cities and Towns
Research Strategies and Aids
Forms
General Reference
Associations of Municipal Officials
National Sources of Municipal Law
Overviews
Other Resources
Exhibit 7A - Selective Bibliography on Municipal Law (Buy Form)
Chapter 8 - State Tax Law (Buy Chapter)
Frank J. Scharaffa, Esq., State Appellate Tax Board, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
State Tax Administrationin General
Sources of Massachusetts Tax Law
Constitution
Statutes
Interpreting Massachusetts Tax Statutes
Common Law of Tax
Departmental Practice
Public Written Statements
Regulations
Information Guideline Releases
Letters of Opinion on Local Taxation
Department of Revenue Directives
Technical Information Releases
Letter Rulings
Information Letters
Other Public Written Statements
The Appellate Tax Board and Judicial Decisions
Where to Locate
Printed Commercial Materials
Massachusetts Internet Sites
Federal Tax Law
Reliance on the Federal Code
Applicability of Federal Case Law
Law of Sister States
Exhibit 8A - DOR Administrative Appeal Process (Buy Form)
Chapter 9 - Electronic Legal Research (Buy Chapter)
Brian J. Harkins, Esq., Social Law Library
Introduction
Massachusetts General Laws and Session Laws
LexisNexis
Massachusetts Casemaker
Westlaw
CD-ROM Products
Internet Access to Statutes
Other Web Sites for Legislative Research
Regulations
Code of Massachusetts Regulations
CD-ROM Sources
Massachusetts Case Law
CD-ROM Products
Internet
Specialized Court Reports
Housing Court
Land Court
Administrative Agency Decisions
Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission
Appellate Tax Board
Attorney General Opinions
Board of Bar Overseers
Board of Conciliation and Arbitration Decisions
Board of Registration in Medicine
Bureau of Special Education Appeals
Civil Service Commission
Contributory Retirement Appeals Board
Department of Environmental Protection
Department of Industrial Accidents
Energy Facilities Siting Board
Housing Appeals Committee
Insurance Division
Joint Labor Management Committee
Division of Labor Relations (Formerly the Labor Relations Commission)
Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
State Ethics Commission
Department of Public Utilities
Securities Division
Massachusetts Division of Administrative Law Appeals
Practice and Continuing Education Materials
LexisNexis
Thomson/West
MCLE Materials
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
Massachusetts Trial Court Information Center
Federal Courts in Massachusetts
Municipal Law
Useful Web Sites for Massachusetts Law
Conclusion
Chapter 10 - Legal Collections in Massachusetts (Buy Chapter)
Pamela Schofield, State Library of Massachusetts, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Depositories for U.S. Government Documents
Selective Depository Libraries
Public Computer Terminalsfor Legal Research
Special Collections
U.S. Supreme Court Briefs
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit Briefs
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Records and Briefs
Massachusetts Appeals Court Recordsand Briefs
Massachusetts Legislative Documents
Law Collections Open to the Public
Trial Court Law Libraries
Other Libraries with Legal Collections Open to the Public
Libraries with Restricted Access
Purchase of Massachusetts State Government Documents
Chapter 11 - Selected Legal Research Resources (Buy Chapter)
Brian J. Harkins, Esq., Social Law Library
Law Reviews / Journals / Newsletters / Newspapers /Reports
Loose-leaf Services by Topic
Administrative Law
Administrative Law-Rulings
Courts-Rules
Environmental Law
Insurance Law
Land Court Opinions
Legislation
Municipal Law-Boston
Public Contracts-Bids
Securities
Tax
Wills and Trusts
Massachusetts Directories
Lawyers
Legislature
General Government Guides
Other Directories
City/Town Directories
Treatises, Miscellaneous Material
Publishers and Providers
Specific References by Topic
Major Massachusetts Legal Publishers

Editor(s)

Mary Ann Neary, Esq., Boston College Law School Library, Newton Centre
 

Author(s)

Kevin D. Batt, Esq., Anderson & Kreiger LLP, Cambridge
Hon. Margot Botsford, Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Laurel E. Davis, Esq.
Karen Dean-Smith, Esq., Charlestown
Brian J. Harkins, Esq., Social Law Library, Boston
Mary Ann Neary, Esq., Boston College Law School Library, Newton Centre
Nina L. Pickering-Cook, Esq., Anderson & Kreiger LLP, Cambridge
Judith A. Saint-Amour, Esq., State Appellate Tax Board, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Frank J. Scharaffa, Esq., State Appellate Tax Board, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Pamela Schofield, State Library of Massachusetts, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
 
Product Number: 1880135B00
Publication Date: 9/5/2012
Edition: 3rd Edition 2009, with 2012 Supplement
Copyright: © 2012 MCLE, Inc.
Update service: Supplemented regularly.
Formats: Print Book    add to cart | add to Favorites
384 pages in 1 volume (Looseleaf)
$165.00; $150.00 MCLE Sponsor Member
eBook    add to cart | add to Favorites
EPUB, MOBI, or PDF
$165.00; $150.00 MCLE Sponsor Member