Effective Legal Research

Author: John Knowles

Price: £18.95

Edition: 2nd Edition (April 2009)

ISBN: 978-1-847-03818-0

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For all lawyers, whether they be academics or practitioners, being an effective legal research is fundamental.  Without this skill, vital marks or job opportunities may be lost.  John Knowles, currently the law librarian at Queen's University Belfast, aims to plug this gap by explaining how to effectively research and trace information in the second edition of his popular text, Effective Legal Research.

Knowles' experience, by being a law librarian at a leading university, means he is perfectly placed to explain how a student or practitioner can expertly delve between a mixture of texts, journals, materials and online resources.  Effective Legal Research is separated into eight sections: making the most of a law library; using online sources of law; law reports; legislation; journals; UK official publications; how to find information on a subject; and European Union law.  By separating the material in this way, Knowles ensures the text is succinct and clearly explained.

Effective Legal Research is well-written with the author adopting a relatively informal and user-friendly written style.  Excellent use is made of extracts to show their relevance and how the materials will appear to the reader: this helps fully explain the point the author is trying to make.  Numerous practical steps are also explained.  For example, before researching using more traditional routes, like Halsbury's Laws of England, the author also recommends a particular approach to ensure research is effective and time is profitably spent.  These tips are invaluable.

Effective Legal Research is another one of those books that you wished you had bought in your first year of study.  Without it, hours of painstaking research will often be spent before fully understanding how to undertake legal research.  With Effective Legal Research, much of the hard work is already done for you meaning you only need to read the short and manageable sections before tackling your research.  Its price, at less than £20, makes it a must purchase.  I just wish that I had been told about this book in my first year!

Reviewed on 28 June 2009

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