summer 2004 vol. 10 no. 1                                                                                                                             Return to Contents
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Legal Research 101: Class Thirteen

Joan Olson, CLA

RESTATEMENTS OF LAW

Restatements of Law are persuasive legal authorities because they are compiled by committees of prominent legal scholars, all experts in the topic area of the restatement. Although they are not primary authority, they are very persuasive.

Restatements collect and separate the primary and general rules on major legal topics. They explain what the rules are and sometimes what the committee believes they should be.

Major topics of Restatements

1. Agency
2. Conflict of Laws
3. Contracts
4. Foreign Relations
5. Judgments
6. Property
7. Restitution
8. Security
9. Torts
10. Trusts

Because legal rules are continually changing a number of the Restatements have been rewritten as a Restatement Second.
Each restatement has it own index. The second editions also contain cross-reference to the key number system and to the A.L.R. series.
Restatements are VERY Persuasive.

COMPONENTS OF A RESTATEMENT OF LAW CITATION
1. Full name of the restatement, with edition in parentheses (underscored or italicized);
2. Restatement section number; and
3. Year of Publication.

1 2
Restatement (Second) of Agency § 20
3
(1957)

Joan Olsen is the Assistant Vice President of Regulatory and Corporate Compliance for Swiss Re Life & Health American, Inc. Joan received a Bachelors of Art in Government from the University of Texas in 1991 and her Certificate of Completion from the Paralegal Program at University of Texas at Arlington in 1992. She is a Certified Legal Assistant and the President of the Metroplex Association of Corporate Paralegals.

Texas Paralegal Journal © Copyright 2003 by the Legal Assistants Division, State Bar of Texas.

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