hornbook

That’s “hornbook law” — so basic it doesn’t require citation for law students.

In the early 1600s, a child’s first book in New England was called a hornbook, a board in the shape of a paddle upon which was written the Lord’s Prayer and the alphabet.

While hornbooks present information in a more straightforward manner, they will also contain nuances your professor doesn't care about.

Matthew lifted his eyes from the hornbook to his niece’s white face.

In the appendix to my Products Liability hornbook, I show how competitive considerations will lead manufacturers to implement many efficient quality control measures even in the absence of liability to injured users.