Book excerpt: "Intended for pre-law and paralegal students, this second edition is a revised and refreshed version of the successful first edition of Introduction to Legal Research and Writing, with updated legal research exercises throughout. This book is designed to be the only one the student and the professor need for legal research and legal writing. It is designed to provide a clear explanation of basic information, with exercises to give the student the necessary practice in researching and writing and accompanying sample legal writing documents. The text is user friendly and readable while balancing the need for detail. Each chapter covers only a manageable amount of material for someone who has not previously studied the law. The objectives of the legal research portion of the book teach the student how to competently perform legal research in the law library and online, use correct citation form, and understand the fundamentals of legal research. The objectives of the legal writing portion of the book are to explain the fundamentals of legal analysis and writing, teach the student how to communicate clearly, and demonstrate how to eliminate mechanical errors. The appendices provide additional information that the instructor can incorporate into the class as needed. For example, Appendix B, "Locating and Citing to Cases," can be covered in conjunction with Chapter 4, and Appendix C, "Rules for Quotations and Short Form Citations," can be introduced when students are completing legal writing assignments"--