Practicing law involves spotting legal issues. These may include issues that arise in your work, family, or personal life. Spotting legal issues is an excellent way to prepare for law school and a career in law.
A legal issue is something that requires a court decision. It may be something that you find undisputed evidence for, or it may be a question that requires a court’s interpretation of law.
The law can be a broad issue, such as the interpretation of the Constitution, or it can be a narrow issue, such as a procedural rule. The law can be a statute or a regulation. It can also be something that was passed by a legislature, such as the Affordable Care Act, which includes accessibility.
The best way to spot a legal issue is to view cases in the areas that you are interested in. This can be done at your local law library, which is usually located at a courthouse, or at a law library online. The internet is also a great resource for researching issues, especially in the United States.
Law libraries often offer online services that allow researchers to pay for access to updates to research references. These services include Shepard’s Citations and West’s KeyCite.
Another source is the US Supreme Court Reports. These reports contain summaries of briefs filed by the plaintiff or defendant. In addition to summaries, you can find full text of briefs, including those filed by the US Supreme Court.