About the program
The problem with most legal research training is that it teaches tools, not thinking. You learn how to run a search in CanLII or Westlaw. You do not learn how to decide whether the results you found are actually relevant, still binding, or being read accurately.
Search strategy before the database
The first part of the course focuses on building a research question precisely. Vague questions produce overwhelming results. The work of narrowing a legal issue into a searchable form is itself a skill, and it is rarely taught explicitly. We work through examples drawn from employment law, administrative law, and civil litigation.
Participants will practice on CanLII and Westlaw Canada, running parallel searches and comparing what each database surfaces. We cover citator tools, treatment history, and how to spot when a case has been implicitly overruled without a formal reversal.
Knowing when to stop researching
Experienced practitioners develop a sense for when a research question is settled versus genuinely open. This course tries to make that judgment explicit. You will look at areas of law where the cases are consistent, areas where the courts are split, and areas where the leading case is old enough that its application to current facts is genuinely uncertain.
There is a short research assignment at the end of each week. Total workload outside sessions is roughly three hours per week.