11.1

"I Can't Find Anything!"

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INTRODUCTION

Ah! The call of the desperate researcher! "I can't find anything!"

This section has some solid hints for researchers who are struggling to find valid, on-point authority. This material is a great reference for your life later as a working paralegal, in additional to being a good tool if you are struggling now.

One point I want to emphasize is that if you have only found one case, you are mistaken. There is no such thing as "finding one case." Why? Because:

• The one case you found must have relied on authority, so look in the case for additional cases, statutes, and other material
• If it was a statute that you have found, the research tools in annotated versions of the statute almost certainly have references to cases and other authorities that discussed or applied that statute
• If you use Shepard's or KeyCite to validate that authority, they will likely lead to additional resources.

This is what the manual means by finding authority within authority. It is a critical skill. Even if you don't use it now, remember it.

So, if you think you have just found one case or statute, think again!