Legal Research Cases

1. Legal ResearchCases Leah Sandwell-Weiss Reference Librarian Prof. Hegland’s Small Section www.law.arizona.edu/library/PowerPoint/SWcases.ppt

2. Cases • Reporters – contain cases • Organized by jurisdiction • Cases in chronological order • Digests – summaries of legal issues in every case organized by subject • Summaries often called “headnotes” • Subjects are called topics • Further broken down by “key numbers”

4. States in thePacific Reporter

5. Federal Courts & Reporters Supreme Court = • U.S. Reports (U.S.) • Supreme Court Reporter (S. Ct.) • U.S. Supreme Court Reports, Lawyer’s Edition (L. Ed., L. Ed. 2d) Courts of Appeals = • Federal Reporter (F., F.2d, F.3d) District Courts = • Federal Supplement (F. Supp., F. Supp. 2d)

9. Westlaw – Find by Citation

10. Westlaw - Footman

11. Westlaw – HN 2

12. Westlaw – HN 2 in Text

13. Lexis – Get a Document

14. Lexis - Footman

15. Lexis Case Summary

16. American Digest System • Tied into West’s National Reporter System • All cases on a given legal point collected under the same digest topic & key number • Digest topics & key numbers consistent through all West digests

19. Selecting Print Digests • West’s Federal PracticeDigest (various series) • All federal cases • State digests • State & federal cases from an individual state • Regional digests • State cases within the region – no federal cases • Combined digests (Decennials & General) • All cases, all jurisdictions

20. How to Use Digests • From a case on point • Use the headnotes to identify relevant topics & key numbers • From the Descriptive Word Index • Look up relevant subjects • Check for new entries in pocket part • From a topic entry • Check out the outline of key numbers

21. How to Use Digests, cont’d • Find topic & key number in right volume • Check court & dates to target appropriate cases to read • Read summaries • Update with pocket parts or interim pamphlets

26. Westlaw –Making a Custom Digest

27. Westlaw – Arizona Custom Digest Search

28. Westlaw Arizona Custom Digest

29. Westlaw – 9th Cir. Custom Digest Search

30. Westlaw – 9th Cir. Custom Digest

31. Westlaw – State & Fed. Custom Digest Search

32. Westlaw – State & Fed. Custom Digest

33. Westlaw – Browse & Edit Digest

34. Westlaw – Key Number Digest

42. Additional Features of Digests • Table of Cases • Lists cases alphabetically by both Plaintiff’s & Defendant’s names • Words & Phrases • Provides citations to cases defining terms

45. Lexis – Core Concepts

46. Lexis – HN 4 in Text

47. Lexis – More Like this Headnote

48. Lexis – More Like this Fed. & State Search

49. Lexis – More Like This Fed. & State Results

50. Lexis – More Like This 9th Cir. Search