One of our lawyers took the exam for board certification in family law a few weeks ago. Yesterday, we bumped into one another and started chatting about the test.

Of course, as a typical lawyer, she was nervous about passing. She was obsessing about a question she didn’t have time to answer and how many points she might have missed.

I smiled, said something encouraging, and, of course, started obsessing on her behalf.

So are we talking about obsessing and the impact of our crazy thoughts today? Nope, we’ve got plenty of time for that down the road (start worrying now).

Today, we’re talking about a casual observation she made while we were chatting.

Where to Find the Answers You’ve Been Looking For

“It’s all in the statutes and the annotations,” she said.

In prepping for the test, she forced herself to read every family law statute and all of the annotations. She was shocked (“shocked,” I say) to find that nearly everything we need to know is in the statutes.

She couldn’t believe all the answers she found to the dark mysteries of family law. She was stunned.

I laughed, but not too hard, because I remember having the exact same experience. I took the specialist exam in our state after I’d practiced for five years. I did the same thing and forced myself to read the statutes and annotations.

I was dumbstruck by all the stuff I found in the statutes. I kicked myself repeatedly for not having read the material carefully earlier in my career.

Where Do You Start Your Research?

Prior to reading the statutes and annotations cover to cover, I did crazy things like review CLE manuscripts and read treatises as I started my research. Then, if I didn’t know the answer, I’d find someone to ask. Somehow, I thought those sources were more accessible and would lead me quickly to the answer.

I was wrong. The statutes are the best place to start, and the annotations nearly always lead me to the case law I need. Almost 20 years later, I’m pretty amazed at how much information I can find with a quick review of the pertinent statute and annotations. It’s where I start now.

So was her investment in the statutes the right course of action? Is that where she should have spent her time studying? She spent a couple of days reviewing those statutes and felt, much like I did, that she wished she had invested those days long ago. She would have known more and known where to find the answers.

Did her review of the statutes pay off? She just got notified that she passed the exam!