Reference no: EM133904987

Question

To illustrate how to research case law, we use a hypothetical case. One of your firm's clients, Trent Hoffman, is suing Better Homes Store for negligence. During the initial client interview, Hoffman explained to your supervising attorney and you that he had gone to the store to buy a large mirror. As he was leaving the store through a side entrance, carrying the mirror, he ran into a large pole just outside the door. He did not see the pole because the mirror blocked his view. When he hit the pole, the mirror broke, and a piece of glass went into his left eye, causing permanent loss of eyesight. Hoffman claims that the store was negligent in placing a pole so close to the door and wants to sue the store for millions of dollars in damages. You have done a preliminary investigation and have obtained evidence supporting Hoffman's account of the facts. Your supervising attorney now asks you to research case law to find other cases with similar fact patterns and see what the courts decided. Before you begin, however, you need to (1) define the issue to be researched and (2) determine your research goals. We look now at these two preliminary steps in researching case law.