Reading Assignment for Section 1.2

Read the following subsection from our online textbook: Section 1.2: Primary versus Secondary Sources.  Note that there are multiple pages in this Section!

What You Will Learn

In this section, you will learn to distinguish between primary and secondary sources of law and understand their unique roles in legal research and interpretation. You’ll explore how statutes and case law work together to shape both procedural and substantive law. Additionally, you’ll discover how administrative agencies create regulations and exercise quasi-judicial powers, and you’ll develop skills for citing legal references accurately using APA and Bluebook styles.

Student Learning Outcomes for Section 1.2

• SLO 1: Differentiate between primary and secondary sources of law, identifying their respective roles in legal research and interpretation.
• SLO 2: Explain the relationship between statutes and case law, including how they interact to shape procedural and substantive law.
• SLO 3: Describe the role of administrative agencies in creating regulations and exercising quasi-judicial powers as primary sources of law.
• SLO 4: Identify the characteristics of primary sources of law, including chronological publication, codification, and jurisdictional organization.
• SLO 5: Demonstrate proper citation practices using APA and Bluebook styles, including the use of introductory signals and formatting rules for legal references.