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30 Media L. Notes 1 (2001-2002)

handle is hein.journals/mdilwnts30 and id is 1 raw text is: VoLUME30 Issue M edia Law Notes What every JMC grad should know Exposing students to legal research By RICtaAD J. PELTZ, ARKANSAS AT LITTLE RoCK PELTZIFLASH.NET ~o help level the playing field between objective journalists and client-driv- en lawyer-sources, journalism students should have at least enough exposure to legal research to enter the law library without fear. A student may be exposed to: (1) essential distinc- tions among legal materials; (2) judicial and legislative primary sources; and (3) broad-based secondary sources. First, before going to the law library can be worthwhile, a stu- dent must understand two dis- tinctions: (a) primary vs. second- ary sources and (b) persuasive vs. mandatory authorities. Primary legal sources are the law: a legislature's statutes and a court's opinions. Secondary sources are not the law: a legis- htor's testimony and a profes- sor's treatise. All secondary sources are mere- If students ly persuasive, but primary sources can be either persuasive have time for S or mandatoy, a trickier distinc- tion. For example, the Supreme only one trip to Court of the United States is the the law library, ultimate arbiter of federal law: mandatory. But when the start with Supreme Court construes Florida law in the context of a primary federal question-e.g., Bush v. sources. », Gore-the Court's primary- source opinion is only persua- sive on that point. Students have a hard time getting past, Second, journalism students may I'll take my case all the way to go to the law library to see pri- the Supreme Court! mary-source law. Many legal Persuasive sources, whether educators begin with secondary primary or seconday, have dif- sources, but if students have time ferent persuasive value, some- for only one trip to the law times depending on idiosyncratic library, start with primary factors such as whether a cout is sources. Forestall bad research well-respected. Joumalism stu- habits by exposing students to dents should at least have a taste statutes before case law. of these shades of persuasive Students can become value, even if time precludes mastery. ConTINUED ON PAGE 2 WHAT'S INSIDE 3 3 4 2002 Convention Email Penny Summer with your requests and ideas Minutes See minutes from the last meeting Aug. 6, 2001, in Washington, D.C. Teaching article Using quizzes to maximize student learning 6 Legal bibliography 7 Nonlegal bibliography Head Notes By SusAN DENTE Ross, LAW DivtstON HEAD SUROSS@WSU.EDU As we settle into oar fall routines and try to wedge classes and conferences and committees into our already overbooked schedules, we need to make room to plan next year's convention. I know it's early, but division leadership is already hard at work. The key players in the division's programming this year are Penny Summers, vice head (Psummers96@aol.com), who will coordinate the program- ming efforts. (When you're in touch with Penny, don't forget to thank her for her contribution last year as MLN editor.) Teaching Chair Joey Senat (senat okstate.edu), PF&R Chair Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver (kopenhav@fiu.edu) and Research Chair Karen M. Markin (kma7850u@postoffice.uri.edu) are leading the programming efforts in each of those areas. By getting an early start, we hope to top this year's program- ming in DC ... even if we won't have the benefit of all those great federal programs to tap into. Things have already gotten off to a rousing start. A second Landmarks in the Law panel is in the works, with Joe Russomanno knocking himself out to assemble another block- buster program. This year we hope to double the time slot for the panel and to videotape it. If anyone can arrange the videotap- ing, please let me know. Discussion is also afoot to coordinate one or more multi- division offerings related to Latin America. And I'm interested in pulling together a teaching ses- CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 FALL 2001

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