Primary and Secondary Authorities
Identifying primary and secondary sources is crucial for effective research. Primary sources dictate what the applicable law is in a case, and mandatory sources must be used in the jurisdiction where the issue is being addressed. Nonetheless, a primary source in another jurisdiction might persuade a judge to make a particular decision in cases where there are no primary sources, or in cases where a change in precedent could be warranted. Secondary sources merely explain primary sources.
For this week’s Assignment, please complete Assignment 5 (questions a–h), which is located at the end of Chapter 1 in the Putman textbook.
All the information you need to complete the Assignment is contained in your textbook; there is no need to do additional research or find the cases summarized. Please make sure that each question is answered in at least 1 paragraph (5–7 sentences).