NEW JERSEY LEGAL RESEARCH HANDBOOK

SIXTH EDITION

PAUL AXEL-LUTE

2012

NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE FOR CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION ONE CONSTITUTION SQUARE, NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. 08901-1500 (732) 249-5100

© 2012 New Jersey State Bar Association. All rights reserved. Any copying of material herein, in whole or in part, and by any means without written permission is prohibited. Requests for such permission should be sent to NJICLE, a Division of the New Jersey State Bar Association, New Jersey Law Center, One Constitution Square, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1520.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to thank all colleagues past and present at the Rutgers Law Library and in other libraries, public servants past and present in the government of New Jersey, publishers and their employees, and friends and family members who have assisted, supported, and encouraged me in this work.

Permission from the publishers listed below to reproduce illustrative portions of their online services and books is hereby acknowledged:

ALM Inc. for use of a summary of an unpublished opinion from New Jersey Law Journal.

General Code LLC for an illustration of part of their web site.

LexisNexis, for illustrations of the LexisNexis service, Shepard’s Citations, CourtLink, and the Martindale Hubbell Law Directory.

New Jersey Lawyer Weekly Newspaper for use of a summary of an unpublished opinion.

Thomson Reuters, for illustrations of Westlaw, RIA Checkpoint, and the print publications of West Publishing.

WoltersKluwer, for illustrations of LoisLaw and the CCH New Jersey Tax Reporter. TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...... 1-1 CHAPTER 2: ONLINE SEARCHING & NAVIGATION ...... 2-1

PART TWO: LEGISLATION & QUASI-LEGISLATION CHAPTER 3: STATUTES – CURRENT SOURCES ...... 3-1 CHAPTER 4: STATUTES - HISTORICAL SOURCES ...... 4-1 CHAPTER 5: LEGISLATIVE HISTORY ...... 5-1 CHAPTER 6: CONSTITUTION & CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY ...... 6-1 CHAPTER 7: REGULATIONS & OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE PROMULGATIONS ...... 7-1 CHAPTER 8: EXECUTIVE ORDERS & OTHER GOVERNORS’ DOCUMENTS ...... 8-1 CHAPTER 9: COURT RULES & OTHER JUDICIARY ISSUANCES ...... 9-1 CHAPTER 10: LOCAL ORDINANCES ...... 10-1

PART THREE: JUDICIAL & QUASI-JUDICIAL DECISIONS CHAPTER 11: CASE LAW ...... 11-1 CHAPTER 12: ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS ...... 12-1 CHAPTER 13: ETHICS OPINIONS & DISCIPLINARY DECISIONS ...... 13-1 CHAPTER 14: ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OPINIONS ...... 14-1 CHAPTER 15: DOCKETS, TRIAL RECORDS, VERDICTS & BRIEFS ...... 15-1

PART FOUR: SECONDARY SOURCES CHAPTER 16: PERIODICALS & NEWSPAPERS ...... 16-1 CHAPTER 17: MONOGRAPHS ...... 17-1 CHAPTER 18: TAX RESEARCH SERVICES ...... 18-1 CHAPTER 19: DIRECTORIES ...... 19-1 CHAPTER 20: STATISTICS ...... 20-1 CHAPTER 21: LEGAL HISTORY A SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 21-1

PART FIVE: LAW OF OTHER JURISDICTONS CHAPTER 22: LAW OF OTHER STATES ...... 22-1 CHAPTER 23: FEDERAL LAW ...... 23-1 CHAPTER 24: PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW ...... 24-1 CHAPTER 25: FOREIGN LAW ...... 25-1 CHAPTER 26: LAW OF ENGLAND ...... 26-1

APPENDICES APPENDIX A. ABBREVIATIONS ...... A-1 APPENDIX B. ADDRESSES ...... B-1

SUPPLEMENT http://law-library.rutgers.edu/ilg/NJLR6.html

DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION A. The sources of law ...... 1-1 B. The forms of legal publications ...... 1-5 C. Legal citation form ...... 1-6 D. The plan of this book ...... 1-7 E. Other books on legal research ...... 1-8 F. General starting points ...... 1-8

CHAPTER 2: ONLINE SEARCHING & NAVIGATION A. Scope ...... 2-1 B. Westlaw ...... 2-1 C. Westlaw Campus Research ...... 2-10 D. Westlaw Next ...... 2-10 E. LexisNexis ...... 2-12 F. LexisNexis Academic ...... 2-15 G. Lexis Advance ……………………………………………………………………………. 2-17 H. LoisLaw ...... 2-18 I. Gann Online ...... 2-19 J. Bloomberg Law ……………………………………………………………………………..2-20

PART TWO: LEGISLATION & QUASI-LEGISLATION

CHAPTER 3: STATUTES: CURRENT SOURCES A. How the statutes are organized ...... 3-1 B. How the statutes are embodied...... 3-2 C. Westlaw (with some mention of print sources) 1. Retrieving statutes by citation ...... 3-3 2. Finding by popular name ...... 3-4 3. The three main ways to find statutes on a given topic ...... 3-4 4. The table-of-contents approach ...... 3-5 5. The index approach ...... 3-7 6. Searching the annotated versus the unannotated statutes ...... 3-8 7. Updating statutes on Westlaw ...... 3-9 8. Pending legislation ...... 3-10 9. Acts saved from repeal...... 3-11 10. Validating acts ...... 3-12 D. LexisNexis 1. Statute sources ...... 3-13 2. Updating statutes on Lexis ...... 3-13 3. Pending bills...... 3-14 4. Retrieving statutes by citation ...... 3-15 E. LoisLaw, Bloomberg Law, & FastCase ...... 3-15 F. Citators for statutes ...... 3-16 1. Key-Cite ...... 3-16 2. Shepard’s...... 3-18 3. GlobalCite ...... 3-19 G. Gann Online ...... 3-19 H. The Legislature’s web site ...... 3-20 I. Virtues of books...... 3-23 J. CD-ROM versions ...... 3-23 K. How to cite statutes ...... 3-24 L. Topical statutory editions ...... 3-25 M. Interstate compacts ...... 3-27

CHAPTER 4: STATUTES: HISTORICAL SOURCES A. Leaming & Spicer ...... 4-1 B. New Netherland...... 4-2 C. Session laws ...... 4-2 D. Chronological compilations ...... 4-6 E. Subject-matter compilations and revisions ...... 4-9 F. Revised Statutes of 1937 ...... 4-11 G. Tracing laws forward ...... 4-11 H. Tracing laws backward ...... 4-17 I. Versioning ...... 4-19 J. Reconciliation of conflicting amendments ...... 4-22 K. Indexes to the session laws ...... 4-23

CHAPTER 5: LEGISLATIVE HISTORY A. What is legislative history? ...... 5-1 B. Committee statements and floor statements ...... 5-2 C. Legislative history on Westlaw ...... 5-2 D. Introducer’s statements ...... 5-4 E. Pre-filed bills ...... 5-5 F. Legislative history on Lexis ...... 5-6 G. Numbering of bills and resolutions ...... 5-6 H. Legislative history checklists ...... 5-8 I. The Legislature’s web site ...... 5-11 J. Public hearings ...... 5-15 K. Prior session history ...... 5-16 L. Deleted and added language in bills ...... 5-17 M. Citation of bills ...... 5-18 N. Assembly Minutes and Senate Journal ...... 5-18 O. Veto messages ...... 5-19 P. Finding related bills ...... 5-19 Q. Governor’s messages ...... 5-20 R. Departmental reports ...... 5-20 S. Commission reports and drafts ...... 5-21 T. Legislative Counsel's opinions ...... 5-21 U. Newspapers and periodicals ...... 5-21 V. Legislative tracking services ...... 5-22 Appendix: Selective List of Commission Reports & Drafts ...... 5-23

CHAPTER 6: CONSTITUTION AND CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY ...... 6-1

CHAPTER 7: REGULATIONS AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE PROMULGATIONS A. Overview ...... 7 -1 B. Arrangement of the New Jersey Administrative Code ...... 7-1 C. The New Jersey Administrative Code and New Jersey Register on Lexis ...... 7-2 1. Searching the regulations ...... 7-2 2. Finding regulations under a given statute ...... 7-3 3. Checking for proposed amendments ...... 7-4 D. Structure of the New Jersey Register and its documents ...... 7-5 E. Free Public Access New Jersey Administrative Code and New Jersey Register ...... 7-8 F. The New Jersey Administrative Code and New Jersey Register on Westlaw ...... 7-11 G. The New Jersey Administrative Code on LoisLaw and Bloomberg Law ...... 7-12 H. Using the print versions of New Jersey Administrative Code and New Jersey Register . . 7-12 I. Citing regulations ...... 7-14 J. Topical editions of regulations ...... 7-15 K. Regulatory history sources ...... 7-15 L. Documents incorporated by reference in the New Jersey Administrative Code ...... 7-17 M. Administrative Directives & Orders & Interpretive Bulletins ...... 7-17 N. Circular Letters ...... 7-18 O. Regulations of Interstate Agencies ...... 7-19

CHAPTER 8: EXECUTIVE ORDERS, & OTHER GOVERNORS' DOCUMENTS A. Executive Orders ...... 8-1 B. Proclamations ...... 8-4 C. Reorganization Plans ...... 8-5 Appendix: A selection of executive orders of government-wide significance, apparently still in force as of spring 2008 ...... 8-6

CHAPTER 9: COURT RULES, & OTHER JUDICIARY ISSUANCES A. Court Rules: structure & current sources ...... 9-1 B. Rules of Evidence ...... 9-4 C . History of the Court Rules ...... 9-5 D. History of the Rules of Evidence ...... 9-8 E. Codes of Conduct ...... 9-9 F. Administrative Directives ...... 9-11 G. Civil Best Practices ...... 9-12 H. Model Jury Charges ...... 9-12 I. Judiciary manuals and guidelines ...... 9-13 Appendix: Supreme Court Committee & Task Force Reports ...... 9-15

CHAPTER 10: MUNICIPAL & COUNTY ORDINANCES ...... 10-1

PART THREE: JUDICIAL & QUASI-JUDICIAL DECISIONS

CHAPTER 11: CASE LAW A. History of the courts ...... 11-2 B. Court reports & case citation ...... 11-5 1. Overview ...... 11-5 2. New Jersey Law Reports and New Jersey Equity Reports ...... 11-6 3. Manumission cases ...... 11-9 4. Holmes v Walton ...... 11-10 5. Citation of cases in N.J.L. and N.J. Eq...... 11-10 6. Atlantic Reporter; New Jersey Law Journal; and N.J. Miscellaneous Reports ...... 11-11 7. Modern reports (New Jersey Reports and N.J. Superior Court Reports) ...... 11-13 8. New Jersey Tax Court Reports ...... 11-14 9. Advance sheets...... 11-15 10. Slip opinions; online dissemination ...... 11-16 11. Summaries in legal newspapers ...... 11-17 12. “Unpublished” opinions ...... 11-17 13. Selective reports series ...... 11-18 14. Case names in citations ...... 11-19 15. Subsequent history ...... 11-24 C. Case-finding 1. Westlaw...... 11-26 a. Retrieval with known citation ...... 11-26 b. Case notes in NJ-ST-ANN & KeyCiting statutes ...... 11-26 c. Searching case law directly ...... 11-31 d. Topical case law databases ...... 11-36 e. Unpublished opinions...... 11-36 f. Key number digest system ...... 11-39 g. Print version of the digest ...... 11-41 h. KeySearch ...... 11-44 i. Words & phrases ...... 11-47 j. Case law on CD-ROM ...... 11-47 k. Legal encyclopedias ...... 11-48 l. ALR annotations ...... 11-50 m. ResultsPlus ...... 11-52 2. LexisNexis ...... 11-52 a. Retrieval with known citation ...... 11-52 b. Case notes in LexisNexis New Jersey Annotated Statutes ...... 11-53 c. Shepardizing statutes for judicial treatment ...... 11-55 d. Shepardizing uncodified laws ...... 11-57 e. Searching directly for New Jersey case law on Lexis ...... 11-58 f. Unpublished opinions ...... 11-59 g. LexisONE ...... 11-59 h. Topical case law files ...... 11-60 i. Search by topic or headnote ...... 11-60 3. LexisNexis Academic ...... 11-61 4. LoisLaw ...... 11-62 5. VersusLaw ...... 11-62 6. FastCase ...... 11-64 7. Gann Online ...... 11-65 8. Bloomberg Law ………………………………………………………………… 11-65 9. Google Scholar ………………………………………………………………….. 11-65 10. Rutgers-Camden Opinion Archive……………………………………………….11-66 11. New Jersey Law Journal Daily Decision Service ……….………………………11-67 12. Judiciary web site ………………………………………………………………..11-67 13. Currency and reliability of online services……………………………………….11-68 D. Citators for case law ……………………………………………………………………. 11-68 1. KeyCite ...... 11-68 2. Shepardizing cases on Lexis ………………………………………………………11-72 3. Using the print version of Shepard’s Citations…………………………………….11-74 4. BCite ………………………………………………………………………………11-78 5. Other citators………………………………………………………………………11-79

CHAPTER 12: ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS A. Overview of administrative decisions ...... 12-1 B. New Jersey Administrative Reports (1979-1991) & N.J.A.R.2d (1991-1997) ...... 12-2 C. Coverage of administrative decisions 1997– ...... 12-5 D: Particular agencies–by topic ...... 12-6 1. Alcoholic beverages ...... 12-6 2. Banking ...... 12-7 3. Civil Rights ...... 12-7 4. Civil Service...... 12-8 5. Education ...... 12-8 6. Elections ...... 12-10 7. Environmental Protection ...... 12-10 8. Gambling...... 12-11 9. Government records ...... 12-12 10. Housing ...... 12-12 11. Insurance ...... 12-12 12. Labor & employment ...... 12-13 13. Local mandates ...... 12-13 14. Physicians ...... 12-14 15. Public employment relations...... 12-14 16. Public utilities ...... 12-16 17. Racing ...... 12-16 18. Real estate ...... 12-16 19. Rent control …………………………………………………………………… 12-16 20. Securities ...... 12-16 21. Taxation ...... 12-18 22. Welfare ...... 12-19 E. Suggested guidelines for citing administrative decisions ...... 12-19

CHAPTER 13: ETHICS OPINIONS & DISCIPLINARY DECISIONS A. Attorney Ethics and Advertising Opinions and Unauthorized Practice Opinions ...... 13-1 B. Disciplinary Review Board Decisions ...... 13-4 C. Extrajudicial Activities Opinions ...... 13-4 D. Judicial Conduct Presentments ...... 13-5 E. State Ethics Commission Opinions ...... 13-5

CHAPTER 14: ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINIONS ...... 14-1

CHAPTER 15: DOCKETS, TRIAL RECORDS, VERDICTS & BRIEFS A. Docket information 1. Civil cases, trial level a. ACMS Public Access……………………………………………………….. 15-1 b. Civil Motion Calendar Search…………………………………………….. 15-5 c. Westlaw docket information………………………………………………… 15-5 d. CourtLink…………………………………………………………………… 15-6 e. Bloomberg Law dockets …………………………………………………… 15-7 2. Criminal cases (Promis/Gavel Public Access) ………………………………… 15-7 3. Appellate Division a. Appellate Public Access …………………………………………………… 15-8 b. Calendars ………………………………………………………………….. 15-8 4. Supreme Court appeals tracking ………………………………………………… 15-9 B. Trial filings a. Filings on Westlaw and Lexis ……………………………………………………..15-9 b. JEFIS Public Access (Special Civil Part case jackets) ……………………………15-10 C. Trial record………………………………………………………………………………. 15-10 D. Jury verdicts……………………………………………………………………………… 15-12 E. Briefs & arguments………………………………………………………………………..15-13 F. Reports of special masters…………………………………………………………………15-16

PART FOUR: SECONDARY SOURCES

CHAPTER 16: LEGAL PERIODICALS, NEWSPAPERS, & BLOGS A. Legal periodicals in general ...... 16-1 B. Legal periodicals online 1. Lexis ...... 16-3 2. Westlaw...... 16-4 3. HeinOnline ...... 16-4 4. Journals on the web ...... 16-5 5. Journals on Google Scholar ………………………………………………………...16-6 6. Bloomberg Law Reports…………………………………………………………….16-7 C. Indexes & other tools for finding articles…………………………………………………..16-8 D. New Jersey’s law reviews ...... 16-10 E. New Jersey’s bar journals and sectional newsletters ...... 16-12 F. New Jersey’s legal newspapers ...... 16-14 G. Other New Jersey legal periodicals ...... 16-17 H. Legal blogs ...... 16-18

CHAPTER 17: MONOGRAPHS A. What are treatises, practice books, and form books? ...... 17-2 B. Treatises of national scope ...... 17-3 C. Restatements of the Law ...... 17-5 D. Form books of national scope ...... 17-7 E. New Jersey legal monographs and form books ...... 17-7 1. General works ...... 17-9 2. Form books ...... 17-10 3. Works on particular subjects Accounting ...... 17-11 Administrative law ...... 17-12 Appellate practice ...... 17-12 Attachment ...... 17-12 Bankruptcy ...... 17-12 Business associations ...... 17-13 Causes of action ...... 17-14 Chancery practice...... 17-14 Civil service ...... 17-15 Collection ...... 17-15 Commercial law ...... 17-15 Construction law ...... 17-16 Contracts ...... 17-16 Criminal law and procedure ...... 17-16 Debtor and creditor ...... 17-17 Discovery ...... 17-17 District Court practice ...... 17-17 Domestic violence ...... 17-18 Drunk driving ...... 17-18 Elder law ...... 17-18 Employment law ...... 17-18 Environmental law ...... 17-19 Estates, trusts, & wills ...... 17-20 Evidence ...... 17-21 Family law ...... 17-22 Insurance ...... 17-23 Landlord and tenant ...... 17-24 Legal ethics ...... 17-24 Lobbying ……………………………………………………………………..17-24 Local government ...... 17-24 Malpractice ...... 17-25 Mechanics’ liens ...... 17-25 Medical practice ...... 17-25 Mental health ...... 17-26 Mortgages ...... 17-26 Motor vehicles ...... 17-26 Municipal court ...... 17-27 Notaries ...... 17-27 Poverty law ...... 17-28 Practice and procedure ...... 17-28 Products liability ...... 17-30 Public utilities ...... 17-30 Real property ...... 17-30 Replevin ...... 17-32 School law ...... 17-32 Secured transactions...... 17-32 Small cause courts and justices of the peace ...... 17-32 Taxation ...... 17-33 Torts ...... 17-34 Workers’ compensation ...... 17-35 Zoning and land use ...... 17-36

CHAPTER 18: TAX RESEARCH SERVICES A. CCH New Jersey Tax Reporter ...... 18-1 B. RIA Checkpoint...... 18-5

CHAPTER 19: DIRECTORIES A. Multipurpose directories 1. New Jersey Lawyer’s Diary and Manual ...... 19-1 2. The Legal Pages ...... 19-3 3. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey ...... 19-4 4. New Jersey Legal Almanac ...... 19-4 B. Directories of judges and courts 1. Judiciary web site ...... 19-5 2. New Jersey Law Journal judicial guides ...... 19-5 3. Judicial Yellow Book...... 19-7 4. Trial Lawyer’s Manual ...... 19-7 C. Directories of lawyers 1. Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory & Lawyers.com ...... 19-7 2. West Legal Directory ...... 19-10 3. Findlaw Legal Directory...... 19-11 4. NALP Directory of Legal Employers ...... 19-11 5. Avvo...... 19-11 6. Other directories of lawyers ...... 19-12 D. Sources of historical biographical information ...... 19-13

CHAPTER 20: STATISTICS A. Lawyer demographics & economics ...... 20-1 B. Court business ...... 20-2 C. Law enforcement ...... 20-3

CHAPTER 21: LEGAL HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY: A SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SECONDARY SOURCES A. Pre-statehood and early statehood 1. Pre-statehood...... 21-1 2. Proprietary period ...... 21-2 3. Colonial period...... 21-3 4. Early statehood...... 21-4 B. Particular topics ...... 21-5 C. Collective biographies ...... 21-15 D. Particular persons ...... 21-16 E. Particular cases ...... 21-20

PART FIVE: LAW OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS

CHAPTER 22: LAW OF OTHER STATES A. Relevance of other states’ law in New Jersey ...... 22-1 B. General sources ...... 22-1 C. Statutes (including Uniform Laws) ...... 22-1 D. Regulations ...... 22-4 E. Case law ...... 22-5 F. Case-finding ...... 22-9 G. Fifty-state surveys ...... 22-9

CHAPTER 23: FEDERAL LAW A. Statutes ...... 23-1 B. The Constitution Annotated ...... 23-8 C. Legislative history ...... 23-8 D. Regulations & Presidential documents ...... 23-9 E. Case law...... 23-11 F. Court rules ...... 23-15 G. Federal post-judgment interest rate ...... 23-17 H. Administrative decisions ...... 23-17 I. Shepard’s ...... 23-18 J. Briefs, dockets, filings, court records 1. PACER ...... 23-18 2. Justia Dockets & Filings …………………………………………………………..23-22 3 CourtLink ...... 23-23 4 Lexis and Westlaw ...... 23-24 5 Bloomberg Dockets ………………………………………………………………. 23-24 6 Other sources ...... 23-24 K. Directories ...... 23-25

CHAPTER 24: PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW A. Definitions ………………………………………………………………………………... 24-1 B. Research Guides …………………………………………………………………………. 24-1 C. Public International Law 1. Treaties …………………………………………………………………………... 24-2 a. sources for United States treaties ………………………………………… 24-2 b. treaty indexes ……………………………………………………………... 24-3 c. citing treaties ……………………………………………………………… 24-4 2. International case law …………………………………………………………….. 24-5 3. United States practice sources ……………………………………………………. 24-6 D. Private International Law and Transnational Law ………………………………………. 24-6

CHAPTER 25: FOREIGN LAW A. Relevance of foreign law in New Jersey ...... 25-1 B. Systems of law ...... 25-1 C. Guides to research ...... 25-2 D. Foreign Law Guide ...... 25-3 E. Portals ...... 25-4 F. Martindale Hubbell Law Digests ...... 25-5 G. Common law jurisdictions: general observations ...... 25-5 H. World Legal Information Institute ...... 25-6 I. Civil law jurisdictions: general observations ...... 25-8 J. vLex ...... 25-9 K. Law in English translation ...... 25-10 L. Topical compilations ...... 25-11

CHAPTER 26: LAW OF ENGLAND A. Relevance of English law ...... 26-1 B. Case law ...... 26-1 C. Case-finding ...... 26-6 D. Statutes ...... 26-7 E. Books of authority ...... 26-8

APPENDIX A: ABBREVIATIONS ...... A-1

APPENDIX B: ADDRESSES ...... B-1