Importance of Research to a Law Student

When the first aspirations of being a lawyer bordered upon you, the first thoughts that came to you were of law books, memorizing sections, applying these to get justice to the wronged. You learn about activities in law school and courses and curriculum, however the one thing you don’t think about the amount of hours you would spend treasure hunting in the law books, the one that refined people call research. For any other stream of studies, like medical, engineering, management, you study through your undergrad and then once you have developed a knack for the subject, you start research to contribute back to the stream of study. However, for a law student it is an imperative part of all five years of law school.

Law School in its curriculum and study approach is extremely different from other streams of education involving a higher level of self learning along with classroom teaching. Law having a dynamic nature facilitates this requirement even more. Imperative extra-curriculars be it research, moots, debates, competitions, research forms the core part of it, something you cannot live without in Law School.

Despite the importance of legal research in legal practice, It is indeed surprising at how many law students seem disinterested in the topic. Given the fact that legal research doesn’t hold the appeal of some topics, like constitutional or criminal law, this disinterest is somewhere justified. Legal research also requires more hands-on work, which rarely evokes endearment from law students. Many students even have the mistaken notion that legal research is easy, which is far from reality. In fact, legal research is a skill that needs to be acquired and polished, refined and practiced, it develops over time and the sooner you start at it, the better.

Legal Research Methodology is taught at every law school across the country and the world but is often ignored by the students for the lack of luster that the subject holds, however, we find ourselves going back to it once we move to higher years of law school. Primarily it is important to note that does legal research actually entail. 

Legal research is generally the process of finding an answer to a legal question or checking for legal precedent that can be cited in a brief or at trial. Sometimes, legal research can help determine whether a legal issue is a "case of first impression" that is unregulated or lacks legal precedent. Virtually every lawsuit, appeal, criminal case, and legal process in general requires some amount of legal research.

The first step towards developing a knack for legal research is understanding the fact that the same cannot be done without, irrespective of whichever career option you choose after doing law, legal research would be an integral part of it.

Take a broader view of research. Some students and even attorneys have a narrow view of research. To them, research is Lexis, Westlaw, Manupatra or SCC Online. Good legal research, however, is much more than a research system; it’s a process. Good legal research is intertwined with analysis, understanding, and application. While finding the law is important, “one has not truly found the law until he understands it,” as one prominent law librarian has noted. A research system can’t do that for you.

A lawyer understands that the analysis of a case often begins in the research stage when she identifies the relevant facts and determines the legal issues that must be researched. This analysis continues and is refined as he/she decides where, how, and what to search. As he/she finds seemingly relevant legal materials, he/she must understand them and how they apply to the facts of the case. This research provides a crucial analytical foundation that will inform her decisions for the remainder of the case. When viewed in this light, research can be seen not merely as a fleeting web search, but as a critical, enduring component of representing a client.

The most important thing is to learn and educate yourself in research methodology. This first step will propel you to a start in research methodology that will guarantee that you are equipped in any type of research at any level in any college activity as well as lead to meaningful internships from early on.

Research Methodology includes understanding the different type of research that can be undertaken, derivation of a title from a topic, ethical considerations, art of citation of all which are imperative in writing a good research paper as well as a good case brief. Research publications, research projects, paper presentations, seminars you attended will form the most critical part of how worthy your CV is. Last but not the least, it increases your knowledge, and makes you a better legal professional.