What is the purpose of A.L.R. Annotations?

• A. To read comprehensive analyses of various topics and to locate other primary and secondary sources
• B. To publish new appellate case law
• C. To provide statute summaries
• D. To translate cases into layman's terms

Answer: (A)

A.L.R. Annotations are a research tool that provides comprehensive analyses of specific legal questions and shows how courts have treated those questions across jurisdictions. Each annotation surveys the development of the law on a topic, discusses variations in reasoning and outcomes, and, crucially, includes extensive citations to relevant primary and secondary sources to help you locate the authorities you need. This combination of analytic synthesis and guided sourcing makes them especially useful for understanding where the law stands on a topic and how to support a legal argument with authorities. They do not publish new appellate case law themselves, they are not primarily about summarizing statutes, and they aren’t intended to translate cases into lay terms.