This course aims to prepare students to research federal administrative law. Students will develop research strategies, information evaluation skills, and the reasoning necessary to navigate heavily federally-regulated areas of the law, participate effectively in the administrative rulemaking process, and advise clients on regulatory matters. The purpose of this course is to broaden your knowledge of the methods, databases, sources, and primary materials you will encounter when conducting administrative law research, and to increase your familiarity with advanced research strategies. At the end of the course, students will be able to: (1) locate sources of federal administrative regulation, regulatory history, administrative decisions and opinions, and administrative guidance; (2) adapt administrative law research strategies across multiple agencies and federally-regulated legal areas; (3) identify stakeholders and locate interdisciplinary research sources to deepen the analysis of regulatory actions and their broader legal, social, and economic impacts; and (4) engage in the rulemaking process. Learning legal research requires a hands-on approach. Grades are based on: class participation, in-class exercises, asynchronous class work, homework assignments, and a final project. There is no final exam. This course does not require Advanced Legal Research: Litigation as a prerequisite nor does taking ALR: Litigation exempt you from taking this class. While students who have taken ALR: Litigation will benefit from applying their research skills in new contexts, this course covers distinct materials and methods that are not addressed in ALR: Litigation, offering a complementary learning experience.
3 units · Law Honors/Pass/Restrd Cr/Fail
This course aims to prepare students to research federal administrative law. Students will develop research strategies, information evaluation skills, and the reasoning necessary to navigate heavily federally-regulated areas of the law, participate effectively in the administrative rulemaking process, and advise clients on regulatory matters. The purpose of this course is to broaden your knowledge of the methods, databases, sources, and primary materials you will encounter when conducting administrative law research, and to increase your familiarity with advanced research strategies. At the end of the course, students will be able to: (1) locate sources of federal administrative regulation, regulatory history, administrative decisions and opinions, and administrative guidance; (2) adapt administrative law research strategies across multiple agencies and federally-regulated legal areas; (3) identify stakeholders and locate interdisciplinary research sources to deepen the analysis of regulatory actions and their broader legal, social, and economic impacts; and (4) engage in the rulemaking process. Learning legal research requires a hands-on approach. Grades are based on: class participation, in-class exercises, asynchronous class work, homework assignments, and a final project. There is no final exam. This course does not require Advanced Legal Research: Litigation as a prerequisite nor does taking ALR: Litigation exempt you from taking this class. While students who have taken ALR: Litigation will benefit from applying their research skills in new contexts, this course covers distinct materials and methods that are not addressed in ALR: Litigation, offering a complementary learning experience.
Offered in Winter 2026 at Stanford University.