Test Bank for Legal Research, Analysis,
and Writing, 5th Edition by William H.
Putman and Jennifer R. Albright
(2025/2026 Updated Edition
1. Which of the following is primary authority?
a) A law review article
b) A Restatement of the Law
c) A state supreme court opinion
d) A legal encyclopedia
Answer: c
2. Stare decisis means:
a) The law is unclear
b) To stand by things decided
c) A new rule of law
d) A dissenting opinion
Answer: b
3. Mandatory authority must be followed by a court because:
a) It is published in a reporter
b) It comes from a higher court in the same jurisdiction
c) It is written by a famous judge
d) It is older than 10 years
Answer: b
4. Which reporter contains U.S. Supreme Court opinions?
a) F. Supp.
,b) A.2d
c) U.S.
d) N.E.2d
Answer: c
5. Headnotes are:
a) Binding law
b) Summaries of legal points in a case
c) Jury instructions
d) Oral arguments
Answer: b
6. A citator like Shepard’s is used to:
a) Find statutes
b) Check whether a case is still good law
c) Draft pleadings
d) Write a memo
Answer: b
7. Which of the following is secondary authority?
a) A federal regulation
b) A state statute
c) American Law Reports (A.L.R.)
d) A court order
Answer: c
8. The difference between dicta and holding is:
a) Dicta is binding, holding is not
b) Holding is the court’s decision on the issue; dicta is nonbinding
commentary
c) Dicta appears only in dissents
, d) There is no difference
Answer: b
9. A concurring opinion:
a) Agrees with the result but for different reasons
b) Disagrees with the result
c) Is binding precedent
d) Is never published
Answer: a
10. Which of the following is an example of a statutory code?
a) F.3d
b) U.S.C.
c) Fed. R. Civ. P.
d) A.L.R.
Answer: b
11. The IRAC method stands for:
a) Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion
b) Instruction, Ruling, Appeal, Code
c) Intent, Reasoning, Argument, Citation
d) Index, Record, Analysis, Case
Answer: a
12. A legal memorandum is typically addressed to:
a) An appellate court
b) A supervising attorney
c) The jury
d) The client
Answer: b
and Writing, 5th Edition by William H.
Putman and Jennifer R. Albright
(2025/2026 Updated Edition
1. Which of the following is primary authority?
a) A law review article
b) A Restatement of the Law
c) A state supreme court opinion
d) A legal encyclopedia
Answer: c
2. Stare decisis means:
a) The law is unclear
b) To stand by things decided
c) A new rule of law
d) A dissenting opinion
Answer: b
3. Mandatory authority must be followed by a court because:
a) It is published in a reporter
b) It comes from a higher court in the same jurisdiction
c) It is written by a famous judge
d) It is older than 10 years
Answer: b
4. Which reporter contains U.S. Supreme Court opinions?
a) F. Supp.
,b) A.2d
c) U.S.
d) N.E.2d
Answer: c
5. Headnotes are:
a) Binding law
b) Summaries of legal points in a case
c) Jury instructions
d) Oral arguments
Answer: b
6. A citator like Shepard’s is used to:
a) Find statutes
b) Check whether a case is still good law
c) Draft pleadings
d) Write a memo
Answer: b
7. Which of the following is secondary authority?
a) A federal regulation
b) A state statute
c) American Law Reports (A.L.R.)
d) A court order
Answer: c
8. The difference between dicta and holding is:
a) Dicta is binding, holding is not
b) Holding is the court’s decision on the issue; dicta is nonbinding
commentary
c) Dicta appears only in dissents
, d) There is no difference
Answer: b
9. A concurring opinion:
a) Agrees with the result but for different reasons
b) Disagrees with the result
c) Is binding precedent
d) Is never published
Answer: a
10. Which of the following is an example of a statutory code?
a) F.3d
b) U.S.C.
c) Fed. R. Civ. P.
d) A.L.R.
Answer: b
11. The IRAC method stands for:
a) Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion
b) Instruction, Ruling, Appeal, Code
c) Intent, Reasoning, Argument, Citation
d) Index, Record, Analysis, Case
Answer: a
12. A legal memorandum is typically addressed to:
a) An appellate court
b) A supervising attorney
c) The jury
d) The client
Answer: b
