CASES - PART 1

I. Standard Search Strategies

A. Lexis

• .gu - to determine what database/file contains
• search GUIDE:GUIDE - for availability and coverage
• segments - .se

name - use if have name of case, [e.g. name(Roe and Wade)] opinionby - for majority opinions by certain judge [e.g. opinionby(Breyer)]
concurby - for concurring opinions by certain judge [e.g. concurby(Breyer)]
dissentby - for concurring opinions by certain judge [e.g. dissentby(Breyer)]
writtenby - for all opinions by certain judge [e.g. writtenby(Breyer)]

B. Westlaw

• scope - to determine what database/file contains
• search IDEN database - for availability and coverage
• fields
• ti - title, use if have name of case, [e.g. ti(Roe and Wade)]
• judge - for majority opinions written by or joined by certain judge [e.g. ju(Breyer)] (cannot search for dissenting or concurring opinions by a particular judge on Westlaw)

II. Search strategies for Cases

A. Lexis

• case finding tools - Am Jur (2ndary;amjur), ALR (ALR;ALR)
• Focus search - a search within a search (e.g. bulletin board after running search copyright! /p software )

B. Westlaw

• case finding tools - Am Jur, ALR in amjur , alr
• Big advantage is key # searching - next week
• Locate search - a search within a search (e.g. locate"bulletin board" after running search copyright! /p software )

III. Some Relevant databases

A. Lexis - genfed:courts, states:courts, genfed;us, genfed:usapp, genfed:dist, states:xxxx (where xxxx is a state's abbreviation)

B. Westlaw - allfeds, allstates, sct, , sct-old, cta, dct, xx-cs(where xx is a state postal code)

IV. Sample searches [in italics]

A. Lexis

• genfed;us - name(brown and board of education) and date is 1954
• 2ndary;amjur - copyright /s software
  Focus - bulletin board
• alr;alr - copyright /s software
  Focus - bulletin board
• genfed;courts - copyright! /p software and criminal and bulletin board or world wide web or internet
• genfed;courts - copyright /p software and court(new york)
• genfed;courts - copyright and opinionby(rehnquist)
• genfed;courts - copyright and writtenby(rehnquist)

B. Westlaw

• sct - ti(brown and "board of education") and da(1954)
• allfeds - copyright! /p software and criminal

locate "bulletin board" "world wide web" internet
• allfeds - copyright! /p software & co(california)
• sct - copyright! & ju( rehnquist)
• sct - ju(breyer)