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Guides

for
WestlawNext & LexisNexis
Online Research

 Lynn Lenart, Law Librarian

 Richard Cohen, Associate Professor & Director, Legal Writing Program

 The University of Akron School of Law

Copyright © 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
 Table of Contents 

Introduction ....................................................................... 3

WestlawNext

Statutes ............................................................................. 7
Reporters; Digests; Validating Cases ................................ 12
Secondary Authorities ....................................................... 16

LexisNexis

Statutes ............................................................................. 20
Reporters; Digests; Validating Cases ................................ 24
Secondary Authorities ....................................................... 29

All Westlaw & WestlawNext screen shots are used with the permission of Thomson Reuters.

All LexisNexis screen shots: Copyright 2010 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved. LexisNexis and
the Knowledge Burst logo are registered trademarks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc. and are used with the permission of
LexisNexis.

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
 INTRODUCTION 
WestlawNext

I. Log onto Westlaw – http://lawschool.westlaw.com/  click WestlawNext at top of page


A. Add to your favorites or add icon shortcut to your desktop
B. Keep your profile up-to-date – graduation dates, email addresses, etc.
C. TWEN (The West Education Network) – course management software

II. Searching Concepts


A. Plurals
(1) Plural forms are searched automatically. Searching the singular form of the
word also searches plural.
(2) Irregular plurals are not searched (goose, geese).
(3) To force Westlaw to search only the singular form of a word, place a # symbol
in front of the term. To retrieve „damage‟ but not „damages,‟ type #damage.
B. Phrases – you must use quotation marks around a phrase in Westlaw.
C. Hyphenated words are searched as two words or as one word. So Pre-trial is
searched as pre trial and pretrial.
D. Root expanders (!): Searching recycl! finds recycle, recycling, and recyclable.
E. Universal character (*): Searching wom*n finds woman and women.
F. SPACE between two words – You can type OR between two words, or just leave a
space. Searching car automobile is the same as searching car or automobile.

III. Notes, Highlighting, and Folders (while viewing a document)


A. Note – Add your own notes either at the top of your material or attach the note to
highlighted text on the right side.
B. Folders – Save search results or documents to folders. You can create sub-folders.
C. Highlighting – Select text in the document; right click to highlight.
D. Copy with Reference – Highlight text in the document; right click to copy-and-paste it
into a document with proper citation form.
(1) To change the default Bluebook settings from Law Review format (footnotes) to
Legal Briefs (in text), or from underline title to italicize title, scroll to the bottom of
the screen and click on Preferences. Then click on the Citations tab.
(2) NEVER TRUST SOFTWARE TO PROVIDE PROPER CITATION FORM.

IV. Download Option (from the printer icon)


A. E-mail
B. Print to attached printer (not Westlaw printer)
C. After you click Download, you have options –
(1) The Basics tab (format): Microsoft Word, Rich Text Format (RTF), or PDF
(2) Layout and Limits tab: expanded margin for notes, term highlighting, cover page
(3) Content to Append tab: can download KeyCite options or other related options.
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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
D. FREE Westlaw printing is available only in WL Classic, as follows: After logging in to
WL Classic (https://lawschool.westlaw.com), do not use the Research Shortcuts on the
first page. Instead, click Westlaw (Classic) at the top of the page. Then use either
Find by citation (on the left) or Find & Print (at the top).

Copy-&-paste the citation. Use the third icon from the left to print.

V. History – documents and searches are saved automatically for a year.


A. Click on History to open.
B. E-mail, print, or download your History from the printer icon.
C. Eye Glasses Icon – means that you have viewed this document in the last 30 days.

VI. Getting Help


A. Help at the bottom of the page leads to online instructions and video tutorials
B. For Westlaw Research Help, call 1-800-850-9378
C. For Westlaw Technical Support, call 1-800-WESTLAW (1-800-937-8529)
D. Ask the law librarians!

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
LexisNexis

I. Log onto LexisNexis – http://www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool/


A. Add to your favorites or add icon shortcut to your desktop
B. Keep your profile up-to-date – graduation dates, email addresses, etc.
C. Web Courses – course management software

II. Searching Concepts


A. Plurals
(1) LexisNexis automatically finds singular, regular plural, and possessives for
search words. Search city to also find cities, city’s, and cities’.
(2) Irregular plurals are not automatically searched. Searching child will not find
children. You must search both terms with OR between the words.
(3) To search for the plural form of a word, put your search term in parentheses
with the word plural before it. Also when searching people‟s names, search
w/3 to allow for middle names. Example: To search for Steven Jobs, search
steven w/3 plural (jobs)
B. Phrases – LexisNexis searches two words next to each other as a phrase.
C. Hyphens – LexisNexis reads hyphenated words as two words. Pre-trial = pre trial.
D. Truncation (!) – Searching recycl! finds recycle, recycling, and recyclable.
E. Wildcard character (*) – Searching wom*n finds woman and women.
F. Space between two words – LexisNexis searches the two words as a phrase first,
then searches the words as if there is an AND between them.

III. Black Tool Bar (at top, on the right side)


A. History – stores your search history for up to 30 days.
(1) “Recent Results” tab – for searches run today
(2) “Archived Activity” tab – for searches from the last 29 days
B. Preferences – change default options
C. Live Support – chat with LexisNexis Research Attorneys
D. HELP – help topics
E. Delivery Manager (printer & clock icon) – use to re-send print jobs that did not print.

IV. Download Options (while viewing a document)


A. “Fast Print” – prints to attached printer.
B. “Print” (second printer icon from left) – prints free to Lexis printer
C. Document‟s size is displayed in the upper right corner (i.e. # of trees involved).
D. “Download” (disk icon) to your computer
E. “E-mail” – send by e-mail
F. Document icon (last icon on right) – View in a printer-friendly format.
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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
V. State-Specific Law
Add a tab for law of a specific state by clicking on Add/Edit Tabs above the gray lower tabs.

VI. Getting HELP


A. LexisNexis Law School portal (under the Learning LexisNexis tab) – Tutorials,
webinars, and instructions.
B. Research System – click on Help in the top right corner for online instructions.
C. Live Support – online chat help.
D. For LexisNexis Help call 1-800-455-3947
E. Ask the law librarians!

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
 Westlaw Statutes 
I. Research Path – Three ways to search statutes:
A. Citation – use the citation to the statute for your search
B. Subject
(1) Full text – word search
(2) Table of contents
(3) Subject index
C. Name of Act – use Popular Name Table

II. Searching by Citation


A. Example – Find this United States Code section: 7 U.S.C. §6701
(1) No punctuation or section symbol is needed.
(2) If your citation is for the United States Code Annotated (U.S.C.A.) or United
States Code Service (U.S.C.S.), you can either drop the last letter (like the
example above) or search using the complete citation.

III. Searching by Key Words or Topic


A. Click Statutes & Court Rules

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B. Select the jurisdictions to search.
(1) Select a state‟s code by clicking on the state or search the United States Code
by clicking on the USCA.

(2) To combine options:


(a) Either click “Search all Content” at the top right; OR
(b) Pick specific jurisdictions by clicking “Specify Content to Search.” This
allows you to search all state codes at once, or the federal laws,
Constitution, and Federal Rules; OR
(c) Click “All State & Federal” to the right of the main search box and select
the states you want to search.
(3) After selecting one of these options, use the top search box to conduct your search.

C. Topical search (see image above)

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
D. Sample word search in Ohio Revised Code
(1) Click Ohio  Select “Search All Content”  Enter dog bite in the search term
box  Open § 955.28
(2) Search Results page
(a) Related Documents (on the right) – secondary sources and legal filings
(b) Filters are on the left –
i. Narrow Search – narrow your search by finding specific words in
the search results.
ii. Statute Title – shows you where your search terms are in the code,
Constitution, and court rules.
iii. Negative Treatment – you can quickly see if a code section has
negative treatment (example below, at bottom of image)
(c) Sort by (center, top of search results): relevance, most cited

IV. Viewing a Code Section – click the code title for 955.22. Scroll down through the code.
A. Currentness – tells you how up-to-date the entire code (e.g. U.S. Code) is online.
B. Credits – history of the statute (found just below the statute text)
(1) The oldest statute listed is the original version of the statute. For our code
section, it was originally found in section 5652-14(a) of the General Code.
(2) Amendments are listed with their effective dates.
C. Comparative laws – link to similar law in other states
D. Notes of Decisions – cases and Attorney General Decisions about the statute.
(1) Links to these Notes are located to the right of the statute, below the statute,
or on the tab at the top of the page.
(2) You may have to click on View All to display all the decisions.

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
V. Validating a Statute (KeyCite) – Go back to the top of the statute and look at the tabs
A. History – covers Negative Treatment, Legislative History Notes, Bill Drafts (i.e.
proposed legislation), and Reports and Related Materials.
B. Citing References – sources that cite the statute. These may include cases, other
statutes, administrative decisions, secondary sources, briefs, and pleadings.
C. Context & Analysis – cross-references to related statutes & secondary sources

VI. Navigation Features


A. Return to List – takes you back to your search results
B. Search Term – jumps to your search terms throughout the statute
C. Next Section button – takes you back or forward to the next section of the code
D. Table of Contents – a listing of nearby statutes and where your statute falls in the
hierarchy of the law.

VII. Other Ways to Search for Statutes


On the right side of the screen is Tools & Resources  go back to the Ohio Statutes screen:
A. Ohio Historical Statutes – Westlaw has each version of the Ohio Revised Code online
back to 1994. The old versions of the USCA on Westlaw go back to 1990.
B. Subject Index – Ohio Statutes Index is a subject listing. Search using the search box
at the top of the page or scroll alphabetically.
C. Popular Name Table – An index by name of the statute, such as Dead Man‟s Statute,
Defense of Marriage Act, Megan‟s Law, etc.

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
VIII. Uniform Laws Annotated – Select a specific uniform law to search or search all uniform laws.

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
 Westlaw – Reporters; Digests; Validating Cases 

I. Research Path – Four ways to search for cases:


A. Citation
B. Parties‟ Names
C. Subject
D. Topic and Key Number

II. Searching by Case Citation & Parties’ Names


A. Westlaw Classic – shortcut on first page

B. Westlaw Next – use Search Box at top of page


(1) Citation example: 248 N.Y. 339
(2) Parties‟ Names example: Zippo /s Zippo

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III. Searching by Subjects

A. Two ways to select a jurisdiction


(1) Box to the right of the search box – All States & Federal
(a) Default is All State & Federal.
(b) To change default jurisdiction, click All States & Federal, select the
state(s), and click “Save.”

(2) Click Cases in the lower content area; then click on the state
(a) Select “Search All Content” at the top right
(b) “Specify Content to Search” option allows you to choose only state
courts or only federal courts in the selected state.
(c) Feature: To see a list of the ten most recent cases decided by each
court, click on the link to the court.
(d) After selecting your court, enter your search in the top search box.

B. Sample Search
(1) Find Ohio cases about parent’s liability for negligent supervision of a child
(a) Plurals: plural forms are searched automatically, including possessives.
(b) Irregular plurals are not searched, so child and children must be searched
either with an OR (child or children) or with a root expander (child!)

C. Search Results Page


(1) Related documents (on the right) – secondary sources and legal filings
(2) Filters (on the left) –
(a) Narrow – narrow your search by finding specific words in the search results.
(b) Jurisdiction – narrow to a specific court
(c) Find specific judges, attorneys, party
(3) Sort by (center, top of search results): relevance, date, most cited, most used

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
IV. Viewing a Case – click on a case name to open it.
A. Information at top: citation, court, case name, date
B. PDF – digital image of case in paper. PDF will not print at free Westlaw printer.
C. Overview (under the date of the case)
D. Headnotes – legal points discussed in the case (Digest System)
(1) Change View – to display the headnotes two different ways.
(2) Headnote Number – jumps to portion of the opinion discussing the topic
(3) Topic/Key Number – gives all cases w/ topic/key #  change jurisdiction
E. Star-paging – tracks the pages in the official and unofficial reporters
F. Related Topics (on the right) – Links to other sources

V. Navigation Features

A. Return to List – takes you back to your search results


B. Search Term button – jumps to your search terms throughout the case
C. Page # button – to go to a specific page number
D. Skip to – to go to a section in the case

VI. Validating Cases

A. Click Flag or Negative Treatment tab


(1) Examined by; Discussed by; Distinguished by; Cited by; etc.
(2) Depth of Treatment
(3) Headnotes column – identifies the topic(s) discussed in the citing case
B. History – procedural history of the case
C. Citing References – all authority citing the case
(1) Filters (on the left)
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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
VII. Searching by Headnote or Topic
A. On the Main Menu, click on the Tools tab  Click West Key Number System
B. Three ways to search:
(1) Key Number Search
(a) Select all content vs. specify key numbers
(b) Enter search in box  Verify your jurisdiction.
(2) Outline Search
(a) Drill down in topic  Verify your jurisdiction
(b) After drilling down into a topic, enter search term in top search box.
(3) Title Search  search box on right side
Select your jurisdiction

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
 Westlaw – Secondary Authorities 
I. Sources Available
A. American Law Reports
B. Texts & Treatises
C. Law Journals
D. Restatements
E. Legal Encyclopedias
F. For the complete list, click on “Secondary Sources” on the main page.

II. Search Box – search all secondary sources using the search box on top.

A. Search concealed weapon


B. Sort by – sort list by relevance, date, or most cited.
C. Narrow: search for a sub-topic within your search results. For example, to find the
test for concealment, search test.
D. Filters: narrow further by using options on the left.
(1) Jurisdiction
(2) Date
(3) Publication Type – click to see complete list of filters
(4) Publication Name – click to select from a list.
(5) Forms – forms and checklists
(6) Author – search for a specific author

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
III. By Type, State, or Topic – navigate to specific content. Click title to search.

A. By Type
(1) American Law Reports (ALR)
(a) Search all ALR –
i. Search concealed weapon
ii. Narrow test
iii. KeyCite flags
iv. Open first annotation – parts:
Article Outline
Index (to article)
Table of Cases, Laws, and Rules – cited in the article
Article Content
Research References – to secondary sources
Related Topics (top right)
History tab (top)
Citing References tab (top)
(b) By Topic
(c) Tools & Resources: ALR Digest (on right)

(2) Texts & Treatises


(a) Search all – use top search box
(b) By Topic
(c) By State

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(3) Encyclopedias – On Texts & Treatises page, click on an encyclopedia
(American Jurisprudence or Corpus Juris Secundum)
(a) Searching
i. Search the entire encyclopedia by using the top search box.
ii. Specify Content to Search – Click Specify Content to Search, then
combine topics by selecting them.
(b) On Texts and Treatises page –
i. By Topic – for topic-specific texts and treatises
ii. By State – for state-specific encyclopedia (e.g. Ohio
Jurisprudence), texts, and treatises

(4) Law Reviews & Journals


(a) Search all content by using top search box
(b) Coverage – National, Federal, International (somewhat limited)
(c) By State: search law reviews from a specific state
(d) By Topic
(e) Law Reviews & Journals Index (on right): alphabetical listing of law
reviews in Westlaw
(f) Search concealed handgun – open first article.
i. Citing References tab (top) – others that cite this article
ii. Page number jump
iii. Long articles may have table of contents
iv. Footnotes – some are linked to the cited material
v. Star-paging

(5) Restatements & Principles of the Law


(a) Search all content in top search box
(b) Restatements of Law – click on title to search
(c) Principles of the Law – click on title to search
(d) Uniform Laws Annotated (on the right)

B. By State – Return to the main Secondary Sources page and click a state for a list of
state-specific secondary authorities.
(1) Search all the state‟s secondary sources by entering the search words in the
search box at the top of the page.
(2) Search each source separately by clicking on its title.

C. By Topic – Return to the main Secondary Sources page and click a topic for a list of
topic-specific secondary authorities.
(1) Search all the topic sources by entering the search words in the search box at
the top of the page.
(2) Search each source separately by clicking on its title.

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IV. Secondary Sources Index – locate a source by title. Return to the main Secondary Sources
page and click on Secondary Sources Index on the right side.

Find the title of a secondary source by using the alphabetical links or search in the top
search box.

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 LexisNexis Statutes 

I. Research Path – Three ways to search statutes:


A. Citation – use the citation to the statute for your search
B. Subject
(1) Full text – word search
(2) Table of contents
(3) Subject index
C. Name of Act – use Popular Name Table

II. Searching by Citation


A. Example – Find this United States Code section: 42 U.S.C. §1983
(1) No punctuation or section symbols are needed.
(2) If your citation is for the United States Code Annotated (U.S.C.A.) or United
States Code Service (U.S.C.S.), you can either drop the last letter (like the
example below) or search using the complete citation.
(3) You can also use the Get a Document tab to search by citation.

III. Searching by Subject or Key Words


A. Go to Federal Legal – U.S.  click on United States Code Service database.

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B. Search using Terms and Connectors or Natural Language
C. Select Full Text (of statute) search or Table of Contents search.

D. Full Text – Example in United States Code


(1) We need to find the amount in controversy required for federal district court cases.
(2) Enter this search statement in the USCS database: district court amount in
controversy. We do not need quotation marks or the plural of court. Searching
district court also will find district courts. Answer: 28 U.S.C. § 1332
E. Table of Contents Searching (TOC)
(1) To search only the Table of Contents, click TOC option under the search box.
(2) Example of TOC search: What is the U.S. government‟s responsibility in
combating inflation? Search: inflation  TOC = 6 results; Full Text = 418
results. Answer: 15 U.S.C. § 1022e

IV. Navigation Features – open 18 U.S.C. § 2340

A. “Book Browse” – moves forward and back through the code using the arrows
B. “More Like This” and “More Like Selected Text” – to search for related statutes.
Below is a sample. You can uncheck some core terms and add some terms.

C. Shepardize – see Section I, below


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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
D. Copy with Cite – highlight text (of the statute), then click “Copy with Cite” to paste into
a document.
E. Practitioner‟s Toolbox – on the right side when viewing a statute.
(1) Helps you navigate to the annotation sections after the statutory language
(2) Related Statutes and Rules
(3) Research Guide – links to secondary sources
F. Retrieve Legislative Impact – on the left side when viewing a statute.
(1) Update for pending legislation
(2) Can set up an Alert and receive e-mail messages whenever proposed
legislation may affect your statute.
G. Term – on bottom task bar; jumps to your search terms throughout the statute.
H. Current Through (near top of statute) – check how up-to-date the entire code is online

I. Shepardize – To validate/update the statute. Go to 18 U.S.C. § 2340 and click


Shepardize.

(1) Shepard‟s Summary


(2) History (of the statute)
(3) Citing Decisions – cases that cite the statute (positive and negative)
(4) Other Sources – secondary sources that cite the statute (further down the page)
(5) All negative & All positive (top of the page). When viewing the Shepard‟s
Summary, your three options are unrestricted, all negative, or all positive.

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V. Other USCS Tools
A. Return to the Main Menu. Under “Federal Legal – U.S.,” click View More Sources
B. At the next screen, click United States Code Service Materials under the “Find
Statutes, Regulations…” heading.

C. USCS Index – subject search


D. Popular Names Table – look for statute by popular name (e.g. USA Patriot Act)
E. USCS Materials (Archived) – Older versions of the USCS (back to 1992)

VI. Uniform Laws Annotated


A. Under “Legal” tab (on first page), click Secondary Legal (in middle of right column).
B. On the next page, click Model Acts & Uniform Laws (in middle of right column).

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
 LexisNexis – Reporters; Digests; Validating Cases 
I. Research Path – Four ways to search for cases:
A. Citation
B. Parties‟ Names
C. Subject
D. Headnotes

II. Searching by Case Citation – Three ways


A. Shortcuts on LexisNexis Law School portal

Search by citation Search by party name

B. Shortcut (search box) on top of main search screen

C. Get a Document tab

When entering citations, you do not need to capitalize or punctuate (i.e. 952 f supp 1119
is the same as 952 F. Supp. 1119).

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III. Searching by Parties’ Names – Two Ways
A. Click Get a Document tab on main search screen  click by Party Name option
Select your jurisdiction & date (if known).

B. Use Terms and Connectors: name /s name


(1) First select your jurisdiction, if known.

(2) Enter parties‟ names in search box: Zippo /s Zippo

(3) If the case is cited a lot, you will also get other citing cases.

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IV. Searching by Subject – Terms and Connectors or Natural Language
To return to the main search screen: click the red Search tab  click the red by Source tab
 click the Legal tab.

A. First, select jurisdiction


(1) Click Cases – US (heading) or View more sources to open section
(2) On left, select combinations, then click Combine Sources (lower right of screen)
(3) On right, click the appropriate heading in the menu
(4) Click Federal & State Cases by State (on the right)  select state(s)
(a) Select boxes to combine or click on state to select
(5) Click OH  see research trail (sometimes called breadcrumbs)

B. Next, select type of search you will perform

(1) Terms & Connectors


(2) Natural Language
(3) Easy Search (simplified natural language)

C. Next, choose search terms, connectors, etc. (Search Connectors at bottom of page)
(1) Example: Search Ohio state cases about the hostile possession element for
Adverse Possession.
(2) Search terms: adverse possession
hostile (possession)
(3) Connectors:
(a) Adverse possession /p hostile (results = 174 cases)
(b) Adverse possession /s hostile (results= 141 cases)
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V. Viewing a Case – open 487 F.3d 985
A. Information at top: citation, court, case name, date
B. Subsequent/Prior History: Other proceedings of the same case
C. Case Summary: Procedure; Overview; Outcome
D. Core Search Terms
E. Headnotes: legal points discussed in the case (like WL Digest System)
F. More Like This Headnote (or ALL icon) – to find more cases on this point
(1) Select court/jurisdiction

G. Star-paging – tracks the pages in the official and unofficial reporters


H. Above case name

(1) Save As Alert


(2) More Like This – select database, terms, etc.
(3) More Like Selected Text – highlight text & click More Like Selected Text
(4) Shepardize (see Section VI below)
(5) TOA (Table of Authorities) – all authorities cited in the case
(6) FOCUS – to narrow results in search result
(7) Edit search – to return to the search box and adjust your search terms

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I. Related Content (on the left)

(1) Prior and Subsequent Proceedings


(2) Filings – briefs, motions, pleadings
(3) Transcripts (of testimony)
(4) Issue Analysis – secondary sources
(5) Document Outline – jumps to sections in the case

VI. Validating Cases – click “Shepardize”


A. Categories
(1) Cautionary Analysis: overruled, reversed, criticized, distinguished, questioned
(2) Positive Analysis: followed, affirmed
(3) Other Sources: Secondary Authorities

VII. Searching by Topic or Headnote


A. Click the red Search tab  click the red by Topic or Headnote tab

B. Option #1 – Searching the Headnotes


(1) Type search terms into the search box
(2) Click appropriate headnote
C. Option #2 – Drilling Down into Headnotes
(1) Select headnotes
(2) Choose a jurisdiction (Option #2 in the shaded box on the right)

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 LexisNexis – Secondary Authorities 

I. Secondary Sources Available


A. American Law Reports (ALR)
B. Law Reviews
C. Encyclopedias
D. Restatements
E. Treatises
F. For the complete list of Secondary Legal sources – click on “View more sources”

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II. American Law Reports (ALR)

A. Click the title – three ways to search


(1) Easy search
(2) Natural Language
(3) Terms & Connectors – find an ALR article about immigrants seeking asylum in
the U.S. due to persecution in Europe  immigra! /s asylum /p europ!
B. Open the first article – parts of the annotation
(1) Jurisdictional Table of Statutes and Cases – cited in the article
(2) Index of Terms – subject index
(3) Table of References – to secondary authorities
(4) Article Outline

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
C. Top of the screen

(1) Save as Alert – LN will e-mail you when changes are made to the annotation
(2) More Like This – to find sources covering a similar topic
(3) More Like Selected Text – to find sources covering the highlighted text
(4) Copy w/ Cite – to copy-&-paste highlighted text with citation into a document
(5) Edit Search – use to revise your search terms

III. Law Reviews – return to the Secondary Legal screen


A. Select database – many combinations to select from

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
B. Click Law Reviews & Journals (on the right). This offers other options:
(1) Law Reviews by Jurisdiction – combined by state
(2) Law Reviews by Area of Law – combined by topic
(3) Individual Law Reviews & Journals – displays an alphabetical list of all journals
in LexisNexis. Search in individual law reviews or in several at the same time.
(4) A fast way to see if a title is on LexisNexis is to use the gray Find a Source tab.

C. Viewing an Article – at top of page


(1) Save as Alert
(2) More Like This
(3) More Like This Text
(4) Shepardize – lists all sources citing the article
(5) TOA (Table of Authorities) – lists all the authorities cited in the article
(6) Copy w/ Cite
(7) Star-paging (in the article) – tracks the pages in the journal

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© 2010 The University of Akron School of Law, Lynn Lenart & Richard Cohen
IV. Encyclopedias – return to the Secondary Legal screen
A. Select Database – can search separately or combined. Jurisprudences, ALR, &
Encyclopedias (on the right) has encyclopedias listed as separate databases.

B. Viewing an Encyclopedia Section – at the top


(1) Book Browse – enables you to browse sections of the encyclopedia
(2) More Like This, More Like Selected Text, etc.

V. Restatements – return to the Secondary Legal screen


A. Select database: Click Jurisprudences, Restatements, and Principles of the Law
(on the right). Two options at next screen:
(1) Restatement Rules, Combined (on left)
(2) Restatements by topic (on right)
B. At top of a Restatement section: Book Browse, More Like This, etc.

VI. Treatises – return to the Secondary Legal screen


A. Treatises organized two ways:
(1) “Area of Law Treatises” (on the right) – arranged by title and geographically,
and then by topic. Search individually or combine.
(2) Publishers: Matthew Bender, Aspen (only one treatise), John Wiley, BNA,
National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Practicing Law Institute

B. Either combine, search individually, or drill down using table of contents


(1) Search – Full Text or Table of Contents
(2) At top of treatise – Book Browse, More Like This, TOA, etc.

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