Lyceum of the Philippines

College of Law
LEGAL RESEARCH WITH COMPUTER
Course Outline
1st Semester AY 2019-2020
Atty. Laura C.H. del Rosario

Main References:

Legal Method Essentials, Dante Gatmaytan, University of the Philippines College of Law
Legal Research and Bibliography, Peter P. Ng, Philipp U. Po; Pepito G. Po, Central Law Books, Inc.
Philippine Manual for Legal Citations, Revised by Myrna S. Feliciano, U.P. Law Complex

Breakdown of Grades:

Attendance: 10%
Quizzes: 10%
Reporting/Recitation: 15%
Midterms: 25%
Finals: 40%

I. Introduction to Legal Research

Read:

o Michelle M. Wu, Why Print and Electronic Resources are Essential to the Academic Law Library, Law
Library Journal, vol. 97 no. 2, pp. 234-247at
http://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1784&context=facpub

o M.S. Feliciano, The Law Library: Revisiting Traditional Legal Research Methods, IBP Law Journal,
vol. 34 no. 1 (March 2009), pp. 172- 183, 190-217.

o M.S. Feliciano, The Legal System of the Philippines (2005), Chapters 1 and 2.
http://www.aseanlawassociation.org/legal-phil.html.

o A.M. Santos, Basic Information for Legal Research in the Philippines, Doing Legal Research in
Asian Countries, Institute of Developing Economies, March 2003, pp. 104-131 at
www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Download/Als/pdf/23.pdf

A. Definition of Legal Research

B. Purposes of Legal Research
C. Difference of Legal Research from Research in Other Contexts
D. Tools for Legal Research
E. Hierarchy of Legal Authorities

1. Distinction between Primary and Secondary Legal Authority

2. Distinction between Mandatory or Binding and Persuasive Legal Authority
3. Primary Legal Authority
4. Secondary Legal Authority

II. Using the Law Library

A. Types of Law Libraries

B. Arrangement of a Law Library
C. Catalogs and Classifications used in Law Libraries
D. Law Library Staff
E. Rules for Use of the Law Library

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III. CLASSIFICATION AND SOURCES OF LAW

A. Classification of Sources of Law

1. Classification by Authority
2. Classification by Source
3. Hierarchy of Legal Authorities

B. Statutory Law
1. Effectivity of Laws
a. Tañada v. Tuvera, G.R. No. 63915, April 24, 1985
b. Garcillano v. House of Representatives Committee on Public Information, G.R. Nos.
170338 & 179275, December 23, 2008

2. Constitutional and Statutory Research (Includes History of Legislation in the Philippines)

a. The Constitution
b. Treaties and International Agreements
c. Statutes enacted by the Legislature
d. Administrative Rules and Regulations
e. Ordinances by Local Government Units

C. Case Law
1. Parts of a Case and Effect of a Decided Case (F. Moreno, Philippine Legal Bibliography, pp. 77-
80 (4th Ed. 1973)
2. Case Law Research (Includes History/ Evolution of Philippine Court System)
a. Structure of the Judicial System
b. Anatomy of Cases: The Decision (Chapters 7-9, Legal Method Essentials, Gatmaytan)
c. Publication of Cases
d. How to Search for Jurisprudential Authorities
e. Doctrine of Precedent
i. Stare Decisis, et no quieta movere (CC Art. 8)
ii. Res Judicata
iii. Law of the Case
iv. Reversal and Overruling
v. Ratio Decidendi and Obiter Dictum
f. Decisions Proper
g. Decisions of Quasi-Judicial Agencies

3. Case Method

a. In Re: Letters of Atty. Estelito P. Mendoza re G.R. No. 178083 - Flight Attendants and
Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP) v. Philippine Airlines, Inc. (PAL), Patria
Chiong and Court of Appeals, A.M. No. 11-10-1-SC, March 13, 2012.

IV. Case Briefing and Synthesis

A. Case Briefing
1. Facts
 Events between the parties leading to the litigation
 How the case came before the court deciding it
 Include facts relevant to the issue the court must decide and to the reasons for the
decision
 State who plaintiff and defendant are, basis for suit, and relief sought.
 Include ruling of court a quo and whether CA affirmed or reversed.
2. Issues
 The questions the court must decide
 Identify the rule of law that governs the dispute, and ask how it should apply to
those facts.
3. Ruling
 Court’s decision on the question before it.
 Dicta – legal statement that does not relate to the question before it.

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 B. Synthesizing Cases – relating cases to each other in order to understand the applicable area of law
and use the synthesis to analyze the problem facing us.

V. ELECTRONIC SOURCES OF LAW

A. Introduction
B. Media for Electronic Legal Research
C. Features of Computer-Assisted Legal Research or Electronic Legal Research
D. Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic Legal Research
E. Factors to Consider in Choosing Tools for Electronic Legal Research
F. Search Approaches
G. Composing Lex Libris, Westlaw and Lexis Searches
H. Foreign CD-ROMs
I. Philippine Electronic Legal Research
a. History
b. Current Resources on Optical Media (CD-ROM and DVD-ROM)
J. Internet Research
1. Advantages and Disadvantages
2. Strategies for Internet Research
3. Philippine Online Database Comparison Chart
4. Citing Resources from the Internet
K. Free Sites vs. Subscription Sites: Advantages and Disadvantages
L. Some Useful Sites Containing Philippine Legal Information
1. Official Government Portal of the Republic of the Philippines
http://www.gov.ph
2. www.congress.gov.ph
3. www.sc.judiciary.gov.ph
4. Department of Agrarian Reform Legal Information System
http://www.lis.dar.gov.ph/
5. CD Asia Online (www.cdasiaonline.com)
6. www.AsianLII.com
7. Philippine Reports Online http://philrep.judiciary.gov.ph/
8. National Statistics Office (http://www.census.gov.ph)
M. International Organizations and Educational Institutions
1. LII (http://www.worldlii.org)
2. United Nations (http://www.un.org) (http://www.unhchr.ch)
3. Cornell University Legal Information Institute https://www.law.cornell.edu/

VI. American Legal Sources

Read: Feliciano, op cit., IBP JL., pp. 207-212

A. Overview of the U.S. Legal System

B. U.S. Statutory Materials
C. U.S. Case Law
D. U.S. Finding Tools

VII. How to Access and Use Library Resources: The Legal Research Process

Read: Feliciano, The Law Library, pp. 184-189

A. Purpose of Legal Research

B. Summarizing the Problem and Determining the Legal Issue
C. Critical Fact-Related Steps
D. Law Finding Techniques
E. Use of Library Resources (Practical Exercises)

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VIII. Basic Legal Citation

A. The Elements of a Citation

B. Purposes of Citation in Legal Writing
C. A Uniform System of Citation/ Systems of Citation
D. How to Cite Primary Sources/ Materials
1. Court Decisions
2. Statutory Materials
E. How to Cite Secondary Sources/ Materials

IX. Plagiarism and Infringement

 UP Board of Regents, et al. v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 134625, August 31, 1999.
 Habana v. Robles, G.R. No. 131522, July 19, 1999.
 Republic Act No. 8293, Sections 177, 184

A. Definition
B. Copyright Infringement
C. Plagiarism Standards
D. Causes of Plagiarism
E. Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
F. Failure to Use and Document Sources Appropriately
G. Judicial Plagiarism
a. In the Matter of the Charges of Plagiarism, etc. Against Associate Justice Mariano C. Del Castillo,
A.M. No. 10-7-17-SC, February 8, 2011

b. Re: Letter of the UP Law Faculty Entitled "Restoring Integrity: A Statement by the Faculty of the
University of the Philippines College of Law on the Allegations of Plagiarism and Misrepresentation in
the Supreme Court", A.M. No. 10-10-4-SC, October 19, 2010