Legal research: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What legal research is

A researcher finds and summarizes statutes, cases and rules on a legal question and delivers a written memo for a lawyer or individual to use. Lawyers, small firms and self represented people use research help to save time or to find sources.

Signs you need it

  • A lawyer is short on time and needs research on a specific question
  • You are preparing a motion and need cases that relate to your issue
  • You need to know what a regulation says about a particular topic
  • You need the rules of a specific court summarized
  • You need prior cases on a narrow point
  • You want a second set of eyes to check citations

What the pro does

  • Clarify the question, jurisdiction and facts that matter
  • Search statutes, regulations, court rules and decisions
  • Read and screen the sources for relevance
  • Summarize the findings in a memo with citations
  • Flag open questions and sources that conflict
  • Deliver the memo and answer follow up questions on the sources

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • The breadth and difficulty of the question
  • The jurisdiction and number of sources
  • Whether the topic is well developed or new
  • Length of the memo
  • Turnaround time
  • Whether citation checking is included
  • Access to paid research databases

What a written quote should spell out

  • The question being researched
  • The jurisdiction covered
  • Format and length of the deliverable
  • Turnaround time
  • Whether billing is by project or hour

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Do you have experience researching in this area of law?
  • Which databases and sources do you use?
  • How will you cite your sources so I can verify them?
  • Will the memo say where authorities conflict?
  • How do you handle confidential facts?
  • Can the memo be reviewed by a licensed attorney before use?

Red flags

  • A researcher who tells you how to act on the law as if giving legal advice
  • Citations that do not exist or cannot be checked
  • A promise that the research will win your case
  • No confidentiality terms
  • A refusal to share sources

What you can do yourself

You can search public court websites and your state's published statutes, and read court rules that apply to your case. Law libraries often help the public find materials. Ask a licensed attorney to apply the research to your situation.

Licenses and permits

Legal researchers are usually not required to hold a license, but only a licensed attorney can give legal advice. Ask about training and about who will review the memo.

Legal research questions

Is a research memo legal advice?

A memo from a non lawyer is information. Legal advice comes from a licensed attorney.

Can I check the sources myself?

Yes. A good memo cites each source so you can look it up.

How current are the sources?

Ask the researcher to state the date of the search.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer legal research remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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