Westlaw Topic Key Number Searching Westlaw Key Search Lexis Search Advisor 1.Westlaw Topic Key Number Searching a.Table of Contents arrangement by topics. Each topic is subdivided into narrower points of law 2.Westlaw Key Search a.Same system w/o the numbers, alphabetical arrangement by topic. 3.Lexis Search Advisor a.Search advisor is an alphabetical arrangement by topic. Sub topics are arranged in a table of contents format.

Online: Westlaw Custom Digest

West Custom Digest 1.Same Topic & Key Numbers as the West Print Digests 2.Only Access Point is the Topic Outline a.NO Descriptive Word Index 3.How to get into it a.Select a caselaw database and click on “Custom Digest” link b.Find it on the Site Map c.One Good Case Method

Custom Digest from within a database.

Select one or more topics by placing a check mark next to it, or click on the plus sign (+) to view and select subtopics and their keynumbers. When you are ready to search, click “Search Selected” in the lower left hand corner.

Select Options and add terms and connectors

If you do not expand the topic, you will search all subtopics (Key Numbers). Subtopic results are listed individually, you must browse through to see if there are any results for your search.

Custom Digest Using the One Good Case Method

When you have a good case and want to find more like it, click on the KeyNumber next to the relevant Headnote

Select your options, and click the Search button

Online: Westlaw KeySearch

Westlaw KeySearch 1.Browse a detailed list of legal topics and subtopics (different, and some say more intuitive) than the Digest topics & keynumbers 2.Keysearch then identifies the terms and key numbers most relevant to your legal issue and creates a query for you. 3.How to get into it a.Click on Key Numbers at the top of the Westlaw window

Note the Change Jurisdiction carrot. Click on the key number.

Online: LexisNexis Search Advisor

LexisNexis Search Advisor 1.LexisNexis subject access to cases through a taxonomy of topics and subtopics 2.Subtopics are represented by words, and not by numbers 3.How to get into it a.See ‘Search by Topic or Headnote,’ in the right hand frame. b.You can select a topic from the pull down menu or click on more.

You can enter terms in the search box: ‘Option 1: Find a legal Topic’ OR you can click on a topic, ‘Evidence.’

Click on Evidence and you will see an expanded menu. You can further expand the menu by clicking on the Plus sign ‘+.’ You can also add terms in the search box to search within the topic, try ‘clergy.’

Click on ‘Clergy Communications.’

When you have selected a topic, you will see a template. You have two options: 1. To Search Across Sources or, 2. To Search by Headnote. Under ‘Search by Headnote, select a jurisdiction and click on ‘Retrieve All.’

When you have selected a topic, you will see a template. You have two options: 1. To Search Across Sources or, 2. To Search by Headnote. Under ‘To Search across sources, you must select a jurisdiction, a souce and you may add search terms (this is optional).

1.Select a Jurisdiction – New York. 2.Select a source – NY State Cases, Combined. 3.Add additional term (optional) – deposition.

Online LexisNexis One Good Case Method

1.Click “More Like This” text link at the end of a relevant Headnote a.Matches on the language of the headnote, searching headnotes in other cases. Results are listed by relevance. 2.Click on the “Retrieve All” icon at the end of a topic classification. a.finds other cases with similar topic classifications Two Ways to Use One Good Case on LexisNexis

Retrieve all Headnotes and Additional Cases on This Topic

Selecting Cases 1.Similarity Your goal is to obtain both factual and legal parallelism. 1.Clarity The clearer and more convincing, the better. 1.Recency Age by it self does not render bad law, but it may make it less credible than a more recent case.

Research Safety Rules! 1.Case finding tools are never a substitute for reading the actual case. 2.Never cite to a digest or quote from a headnote or synopsis. 3.Never rely on a secondary source's interpretation of a case without reading the case yourself to determine how it applies to your situation.