Legal Research and Drafting in a Common Law System

Find authority, weigh it and write it up the way a Common Law court expects.

What the course covers

8 modules, 32 topics. Open any one to see what sits inside it.

1. 1.1 Where law comes from in a {LEGALSYS} system
2. 1.2 The hierarchy of sources
3. 1.3 Binding authority and persuasive authority
4. 1.4 How the law changes over time
1. 2.1 Planning a research question
2. 2.2 Primary sources: legislation and decisions
3. 2.3 Secondary sources: commentary and texts
4. 2.4 Searching databases without drowning
1. 3.1 The anatomy of a judgment or ruling
2. 3.2 The reasoning that binds, and the rest of it
3. 3.3 Reading a statute or code provision
4. 3.4 Interpretation and construction
1. 4.1 Is this still good law
2. 4.2 Citators and history notes
3. 4.3 Pending legislation and reform
4. 4.4 Recording your research trail
1. 5.1 Separating the facts from the issues
2. 5.2 Applying law to facts
3. 5.3 Arguing both sides
4. 5.4 Reaching a conclusion you can defend
1. 6.1 The structure of a written advice
2. 6.2 The question, and the short answer
3. 6.3 Setting out reasoning and authority
4. 6.4 Caveats, assumptions and risk
1. 7.1 Drafting written submissions
2. 7.2 Using authority persuasively
3. 7.3 Anticipating the counter-argument
4. 7.4 Tone before a court
1. 8.1 Citation conventions in {LEGALSYS} practice
2. 8.2 Quoting, paraphrasing and attribution
3. 8.3 Using AI research output responsibly
4. 8.4 What happens when you cite a case that does not exist

By the end of this course you will be able to explain and apply:

Two hours, not two months Eight short modules. Finish in a day, or do one module a night for a week.

Skills your degree does not cover Employers ask for practical tools alongside the qualification. This fills that gap while you study.

Built for a phone Watch on the bus, pause mid-module, pick up where you stopped. No download, no lab.

A certificate that can be checked Every certificate carries an ID your college or an employer can verify on our site.

About two hours in total — eight modules of roughly fifteen minutes. You can do it in one sitting or spread it across a week. Your place is saved either way.
No. There is no prerequisite course and no software to install. A phone, tablet or computer with an internet connection is enough.
Yes. This course is placed at Bachelor's Degree for India, and the content is written for that level. If you are at a different stage, change your level at the top of the page and the courses will change with it.
A certificate for the course, carrying an ID that your college or an employer can check on our verification page. You keep access to the material afterwards.
Yes — ₹450 for this course on its own, or ₹1,450 for all five in this set, which works out cheaper if you want more than one.
There is a short quiz at the end of each module so you can check what stuck. It is not timed and you can retake it.
Change your country using the picker at the top. Level names, degree names and prices all switch to that country, and the courses adjust to its education system.

Wording shown for India. Pick a different country at the top and the terms, currency and programme names change with it.