LEGAL RESEARCH

Course Syllabus
1ST Semester, 2019-2020

Atty. MAY DAN S. JALGALADO, MA Ed.

Title : Legal Research

Unit : 2 units

Description :

This course will introduce structures to the methodology of legal research

and the preparation of legal opinions , memoranda or expository or critical
paper.1 This course aims to develop among law students the skills of gathering
information or legal concepts in varied sources to support or oppose an
argument, to refine or interpret a particular provision of law, or to simply answer a
legal problem.2

Textbook References:
Aquino, David. Legal Research. Manila: Central Book Store (2014)

Santos-Ong, Milagros. Legal Research and Legal Citations for the

Philippines. Manila : Rex Bookstore (2018)

Course Outline :

I. Introduction
A. Definition and Application of Legal Research

B. Legal Research and Legal Bibliography

II. Philippine Legal System

A. Historical Evolution of Philippine Laws
• Pre-Spanish – Republic Revival

B. Structure of the Government

B.1 Executive
B.2 Legislative
B.3 Judiciary

1
LEBMO 1 s. 2011
2
Aquino, David. Legal Research. Manila: Central Book Store (2014) 01p.
 B.4 Constitutional Commissions
B.5 Local Government
B.6 Other Agencies and Instrumentalities

C. Definition and Characteristics of a Law

III. Sources of Philippine Legal Research

A. Scope and Classification of Sources and Authority

B. The Philippine Constitution

C. Statutes
C.1 Definition and Classification of Statutes
C.2 Law- Making Process
C.3 Parts of Statutes

D. Implementing Rules and Regulations

E. Case Laws/ Jurisprudence

E.1 Classes of Case Laws
• Decisions Proper: En Banc and Division
• Subordinate Decisions

E.2 The Doctrine of Precedent

E.3 Res Judicata
E.4 Reversal and Overruling
E.5 Ratio Decidendi and Obiter Dictum

F. Secondary Sources of Authority

F.1 Treatises
F.2 Legal Encyclopedia
F.3 Law Journals, Periodicals and Reviews
F.4 Law Dictionaries
F.5 Annotated Works
F.6 Non- Legal Sources

IV. BASIC LEGAL CITATION

A. Purpose
A.1 Plagiarism
A.2 Fair Use
A.3 Intellectual Property Code

B. Types of Citation
 C. Proper Citation
C.1 Primary Sources
C.2 Jurisprudence
C.3 Secondary and Electronic Sources
C.4 Citations Repeatedly Used

D. Bibliography

V. Electronic Research Basics

VI. Research Process

A.1 Outline
A.2 Content
A.3 Editing

VII. Application
A.1 Legal Opinion
A.2 Case Brief
A.3. Memorandum