BUS 202: Business Law

Take CARE to use the correct jury instructions. CACI is for CIVIL cases whereas CALCRIM is for criminal cases.

CIVIL Trials:

1. Open CACI California Civil Jury Instructions
2. ​Use this link to see  CACI Tutorial
3. Look at "Table of Contents" to find your broad legal issue (ex. contracts, evidence, etc.).
4. Go to the Series number for that larger issue (ex. Series 300 Contracts).
5. From the general legal issue you can find a jury instruction on a specific issue (ex. 312. Substantial Performance).
6. Read the jury instruction and Sources of Authority for that issue.
7. Sources of Authority provide references and quotes from cases that discuss that particular legal issue.
8. Use the citation from Sources of Authority to find the case in the California Court Opinions or WestLaw.

1. Search the case citation or case name.
2. California Courts Legal Opinions
3. WestLaw Legal Research 

1. (ex. Connell v. Higgins (1915) 170 Cal. 541, 556, Citation= 170 Cal. 541). 
2. Read the case and look at the Headnotes to determine how the legal issue you are interested in was resolved.
3. Make sure the related case is on your issue of law (breach of contract, duty, compensatory damages.​

Criminal Trials: 

1. Open CALCRIM California Jury Instructions for Criminal Cases
2. ​Users guide for CALCRIM 
3. Look at "Table of Contents" to find your broad legal issue (ex. controlled substances, weapons, etc.).
4. Go to the Series number for that larger issue (ex. SERIES 1600 ROBBERY AND CARJACKING).
5. From the general legal issue, you can find a jury instruction on a specific issue (ex. 1650. Carjacking (Pen. Code, § 215)).
6. Read the jury instruction and Sources of Authority for that issue. (Currently on pg. 1111-1113 of CALCRIM)
7. Sources of Authority provide references and quotes from cases that discuss that particular legal issue.
8. Use the citation from Sources of Authority to find the case in the California Court Opinions or WestLaw.

WestLaw Campus Research 

Use Weslaw to search for cases.

Tutorial to search Westlaw using WestSearch

Finding a case in Westlaw, step by step instructions

Legal Citation: Examples

How to read legal citation (Locating the Law: A Handbook for Non-Law Librarians by Southern California Association of Law Libraries)

Parts of a legal citation.  

• Volume.  
• Reporter. 
• Page.    

Ex.Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804, 119 Cal.Rptr. 858, 532 P.2d 1126.

What does this mean? Let’s take it apart.

• Basically: the official version of this 1975 California Supreme Court case is found in Volume 13 of the California Reports, 3rd series at page 804. Unofficial versions appear in Volume 119 of the California Reporter and Volume 532 of the Pacific Reporter, 2nd
• So for the official version:
  
  • Volume= 13
  • Reporter= California Reports 3rd Series
  • Page= Beginning at page 804

The citations given after the first, official cite are known as unofficial or parallel citations. The text of the opinion is the same in all sources, whether they are designated as official or unofficial.

Here are some examples:

• Lyle v. Warner Bros., 38 Cal. 4th 264, 132 P.3d 211, 42 Cal. Rptr. 3d 2 (2006)
• Li v. Yellow Cab Co. 13 Cal.3d 804, 119 Cal.Rptr. 858, 532 P.2d 1126 (1975) 

How to cite in your paper:

• First time you use it in your paper enter the Full Citation 
  
  • Ex: Lyle v. Warner Bros., 38 Cal. 4th 264, 132 P.3d 211, 42 Cal. Rptr. 3d 2 (2006).
  • Ex: Brown v. Helvering, 291 U.S. 193, 203 (1934).
• After that, you can use the Short Form Citations
  
  • Ex: Lyle, 38 Cal. 4th 264 at  page number you are quoting to.
  •  Ex: Brown, 291 U.S. at 203. 
    
    • OR: 291 U.S. at 203.
    • OR: Id. at 203.
      
      • The short form should include an identifiable portion of the case name unless it appears in the passage supported by the citation.

Examples Taken from Cornell Legal Information Institute: Basic Legal Citation 

Citing CACI Jury Instructions

• Cite the book: Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions (2011)

• Cite instructions: “CACI No. _________.”

• Cite verdict forms: “CACI No. VF- _________.”

Wilson, 503 U.S. at 334-36.

Citing Unpublished Opinions

Georgetown Law Library Bluebook Guide 
Unpublished Opinions

Legal Research: How to Read a Legal Case

Reading a legal case can be confusing and frustrating.  The articles below should help you learn what is important to take from a legal decision.

• How to Read a Legal Opinion by Orin S. Kerr  
• Jackson State University: How to Read a Legal Opinon
• Penn State: How to Read a Court Case