Course at a Glance

Course Name	LRRW – 1L Research Lab
Term	Fall 2026
Modality	In person
Schedule	Friday 9:10 and 10:50 a.m.
Location	Houston Hall Classroom 4

Instructor Information

Name	Professor McKenzie
Email	niketha.mckenzie@howard.edu
Office Phone	202-806-8301
Office	Vernon E. Jordan Jr. Law Library, Suite 130
Office Hours	Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:00–8:30 p.m.; Sundays by appointment
Appointments	Book time with Professor McKenzie

Last updated: July 22, 2026

Course Description

Legal research is the analysis, search process, information evaluation, and reasoning necessary to ethically solve problems and provide legal advice. Legal research is integral to lawyers’ professional competence and is a fundamental part of being an attorney. Regardless of the type of practice you choose, you will always have to research what law applies to your client’s case. Even when you become an expert in your field, you will still have to update your knowledge because the law changes all the time.

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Develop and implement effective legal research strategies using unfamiliar databases and sources of information.
• Identify and evaluate primary and secondary legal sources across various legal domains to solve research problems.
• Apply legal research skills to design and complete comprehensive research-based projects.

Required Course Materials

Eric P. Voigt, Legal Research Demystified: A Step-by-Step Approach, 3d ed., Carolina Academic Press, 2022. (ISBN: 9781531021306)

Expectations for Class Preparation

Research Lab sessions are intended to provide practical legal research experience, and students are expected to arrive prepared to actively participate, having completed all required pre-class preparation as outlined in the syllabus.

Artificial Intelligence Policy

The responsible use of technology is an essential part of modern legal research. Many legal research platforms now incorporate generative artificial intelligence tools that can identify authorities, summarize legal information, and assist with research strategy. In this course, students will learn to use these tools ethically, critically, and in a manner consistent with professional and academic standards.

Verification and Citation Requirements

Generative AI output is not legal authority and may contain inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, or fabricated information. Students remain responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all work submitted in this course.

Any authority identified through an AI tool must be located in a reliable legal research source, read in its original form, verified for accuracy, and updated using an appropriate citator. Students must cite the underlying case, statute, regulation, or secondary source rather than relying solely on an AI-generated summary.

Students may not copy AI-generated language without proper acknowledgment. When exact AI-generated language is used with permission, it must be placed in quotation marks and cited in accordance with Bluebook Rule 18.3. Paraphrasing AI-generated content does not make the content the student’s original work and does not eliminate the obligation to cite the underlying legal authority or disclose the use of AI when required.

Unauthorized or undisclosed use of generative AI may constitute plagiarism, academic dishonesty, or a violation of Howard University and Howard University School of Law policies. Assignment-specific instructions will control when they are more restrictive than this general policy.

For additional information on the proper use of Artificial Intelligence, please see the Howard University School of Law Handbook (April 2025) – Part 400.4, The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Grading Policy

Understanding the LRRW Course Grade

Legal Research Lab is 15% of a student’s overall Legal Reasoning, Research and Writing grade. Students should contact their legal writing professor to determine how they will receive the additional 85% of their score. In addition, students are subject to mandatory grade normalization (see Updates to HUSL Student Handbook - Letter Grade Transition (as of Fall 2025)). Students’ overall Research Lab grade is composed of:

Component	Weight
Research Assignments	65%
Fall Research Project	15%
Spring Research Project	20%

Submitting Assignments and Grading

Late Assignments: We will only review and grade assignments that are submitted by the 11:59 p.m. deadline on the due date. We will always defer to the email or the Canvas upload timestamp as the official submission time, depending on the activity. Late submissions will receive a Zero point score.

Incomplete Assignments: We will only review and grade assignments that are submitted by the 11:59 p.m. deadline on the due date, whether complete or not. We will always defer to the Canvas timestamp as the official submission time. Incomplete assignments that are not submitted on time will receive a Zero point score.

Breakdown of Points: All assignments will be added up to calculate each student’s final Research Lab score. Accumulated Research Lab scores are worth 15% of each student’s total LRRW I grade.

CALI Assignments: Students may complete CALI lessons via their respective instructor’s CALI Lesson link ONLY twice. The instructor will take the average of the two lessons (if applicable). For example, if a student scores 20% on the first attempt and 90% on the second attempt, the average for the lesson is 55%.

Attendance Policy

Students must comply with the attendance policy of the School of Law. Students are expected to sign in at each class session.

Assigned Class Time: Students must attend their assigned Research Lab session time. A written request to attend a different class session time, on a specific date, must be emailed to the professor at least 48 hours in advance of the requested change. Requests will be reviewed on an individual basis and approved only when a legitimate reason for the request is included and if the request does not affect instructor plans for class on the requested date.

Missing Class: Although we hope it will not be the case for any of our students, we do understand that emergency situations arise from time to time that might not allow a student to submit a request in advance. If such a situation arises, please email the instructor as soon as the circumstances allow. Nevertheless, students are subject to the Howard University School of Law Attendance Policy.

Please note: Assignment deadlines do not adjust because of a missed class.

HUSL Covid-19 Amendment as of Fall 2023

The Howard University School of Law is conducting courses fully in-person. There is no remote option to attend classes unless otherwise noted on the course schedule. Thus, “Attendance” means attending a class in person, except for the documented circumstance when a student is approved for Alternate Attendance due to a positive Covid diagnosis.

When a student is confirmed as approved for alternate attendance, the student may be granted permission to:

1. Attend class remotely (e.g., via synchronous Zoom) if the professor has made that option available;
2. Satisfy the attendance requirement by viewing/listening to a class recording;
3. Satisfy the attendance requirement by receiving class notes and assignments from a classmate; or
4. Use another method as determined by the professor.

The mode of how the material is provided is at the discretion of the professor and is subject to the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Faculty members are not authorized to grant any additional exceptions to the Attendance Policy absent prior written approval from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

To be approved for Alternate Attendance, a student must provide as much advance notice as possible, notify the professor(s) by direct email and the Covid policy administrator via the COVID-19 Alternate Attendance Request Form, and provide dated evidence of a positive Covid diagnosis in the form of a clinic or doctor’s note, an online positive test confirmation from an external source, or dated photos of an at-home positive Covid test.

All students are held to the University Code of Conduct regarding submission of documents under this policy. There are no excused absences or a right to an alternative mode of attendance; requests may be denied if not documented or credible and may be limited to a certain time period and/or other conditions.

Timely Arrival to Class

Student Responsibilities

Classroom Conduct: Each student is expected to maintain a professional manner in the classroom and respect the learning process. Unauthorized electronic devices should be turned off while in class, and all browser windows or documents unrelated to class activities must be closed. Personal computers will be an integral part of many in-class activities and should be used for the purposes outlined by instructors.

Plagiarism: For some assignments in this class, students will be allowed to collaborate; however, plagiarism is unacceptable. All students are expected to adhere to the Academic Code of Conduct published in the Student Reference Manual and the Code of Conduct on the School of Law’s website. If a student is caught cheating, further steps will be taken in accordance with Howard University and School of Law policies.

ADA Procedures: Howard University is dedicated to fostering an accessible, inclusive, and supportive learning environment for all students. Students with documented disabilities who require accommodations should contact the Office of Student Accessibility (OSA). Accommodations should be requested at the beginning of each semester and cannot be applied retroactively. Contact OSA at accessibility@howard.edu or visit Howard University Accessibility Services.

To ensure access to this course and the program, students with disabilities may also contact the Howard University School of Law Director of Student Affairs, Adrienne Packard.

Schedule of Class Meetings, Topics, Readings, and Assignments

Please note: This schedule is subject to change. As new research technologies, databases, software, policies, and laws emerge, research professors may shift course materials to ensure students are adequately prepared for a career in the legal field. Instructors will provide at least 72-hour notice of changes. Unless otherwise noted, all course readings are from Legal Research Demystified, 3d ed.

Research Platforms & On-Demand Learning

• Westlaw On-Demand Learning — use the course auto-enroll page.
• Lexis Learn
• CALI Registration — Registration code: HOWARDstu91

Statement on Sex and Gender-Based Discrimination, Harassment and Violence

Howard University’s Policy Prohibiting Sex and Gender-Based Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct and Retaliation (the Title IX Policy) prohibits discrimination, harassment, and violence based on sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or marital status. With the exception of certain employees designated as confidential, all Howard University employees — including faculty members — are required to report information they receive regarding known or suspected prohibited conduct under the Title IX Policy to the Title IX Office at TitleIX@howard.edu or 202-806-2550.

For confidential support and assistance, students may contact the Interpersonal Violence Prevention Program at 202-836-1401 or the University Counseling Service at 202-806-7540. To learn more about rights, resources, reporting options, and confidential support services, visit titleix.howard.edu.