Virginia Appellate Judges Advise Legal Researchers, “Know Your Audience”

“What one piece of advice would you provide to attorneys who are presenting legal research in a brief or memo to your court?” U.Va. Law Librarian Ben Doherty asked this question of the justices and judges of the Supreme Court of Virginia, the Virginia Court of Appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Doherty’s article, “appellate Research Lessons from the Judges,” was published in this month’s Virginia Lawyer. It contains valuable tips from the judges, such as “analyze the cases, don’t just find them.” It’s must reading for anyone who wants to persuade judges without committing errors that can detract from the merits of an argument.

The December issue of the Virginia Lawyer features seven articles written on a range of topics by Doherty and other members of the Virginia Association of Law Libraries (VALL). 

– Amy Wharton  

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Amy Wharton

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