Campus Research West Law

Law

Basics

• select "Law" tab (top left)
• shortcuts appear on the left:
  • citation
  • title (case name)
  • doesn't matter if there are spaces, caps/no caps
• cases set up the same as they are in the Reporter volumes (same formatting)

Headnote paragraphs

• under "3"
  • keywords/phrases
  • headnote paragraph
    • written by Campus Law researchers, corrects any errors in text
    • check every other case judges cite in the case
    • editors summarize every issue in the case
• every headnote paragraph is indexed (all the way to the first West-published cases)
  • indexed terms are the keywords/phrases that appear above the paragraph
  • hierarchically-organized topics (broken down into key numbers)
    • the last key number is the most specific one
      • click on it to search for similar cases
      • use about 450 different legal topics to subdivide by
        • searching similar key numbers brings headnote paragraph results

Key-Cite notes

• shows other cases that cite this case
  • click box at left to select jurisdiction(s), then click "go" at top
• click on number in brackets to left of Key-Cite, to jump to the place that headnote is taken from

Copy/Paste

1. highlight text
2. click on bottom right "Tools"
3. select "Copy with reference"
4. should bring up selected area, plus citation (ready for inclusion in a paper)

Key-Cite features

• yellow flag = some negative history but not reversed or overruled
  • click on flag, you see the negative history only
• red flag = reversed or overruled
  • click on flag, you see the negative history only
  • may have only been overruled in one point of case (check case for details)
  • will show which headnotes have been overruled (see flags next to headnote numbers/summaries
• green C = citing references
• blue H = history, been on appeal, but no citing references
• no symbol = pretty new case, no citing references yet
• Campus-Law is the only service that will flag statutes
• direct history (at left)
  • can follow all appeals, etc.
  • "HN" = "headnotes"
  • stars indicate how much the case discusses the case you've looked up (four stars indicates at least a full page of discussion on the original case)
    • click on the number to be taken directly to the part of the case that discusses the original case
• "citing references"
  • all the documents that cite to this case (not just appellate history)
    • grouped by amount of discussion related to original case (not by date, etc.)
  • can limit citing references: bottom right "limit Key-Cite display"
    • list of the headnotes from the original case (usually a lot of these in federal cases)
    • click appropriate box to left (can select more than one)
    • can also list by jurisdiction, date, document type, etc.
    • then click "apply"
  • to print statutes, select "print" and under "page options" select "statutory text only" (shorter, no annotations)

Find Case by Title

• type in names of case (normal)

Key-Search (browse)

• left-hand navigational option
• very easy to use: broken down into general topics
• good way to BROWSE
• can use this feature for both state and federal jurisdictions
  • view/edit full query = shows the headnotes and numbers that it is searching

Famous Documents

• left-hand nav.
• frequently-used docs for students

Legal Guides (various law topics)

• overview/description of topic

Search Methods

• the main (or right-hand) side of the screen
• basic search vs. advanced search (default)
• advanced search (best for cases)
  • select a jurisdiction in which to search; click "search"
    • some of these selections have "table of contents" next to them
      • helps students determine what titles are included, better know what they want to search, or narrow search by section of the contents (for instance, specific titles/sections of the US Code)
    • click on plus-signs to expand to lower levels of the document/contents
  • highlights search terms
  • displays most recent cases first (org. by date, not relevancy)
  • bottom "term" with arrows, jumps to search terms within the documents
• basic search (best for statutes)
  • good for searching phrases, sentences, concepts ("penalty for using a weapon during a drug crime")
  • works well for searching statutes, treatises
  • looking at statues:
    • can navigate by section (arrows at top, beside citation/title)
    • links within headings (without annotations--easier to print)
    • yellow flag: unconstitutional or preempted (previous version)
    • yellow flag: proposed legislation: indicates proposed legislation that would affect it
    • red flag: unconstitutional or preempted (current version)
  • left-hand nav.: "table of contents" (sections of document)
  • "versions" = prior versions and dates
  • legislative history, etc.
  • "i" icons (information buttons) tell about background of databases/serials
    • ALR (American Law Review) = descriptive titles help finding relevant information

Print/Email Options

• "quickprint" vs. "print"
  • "quickprint" sends entire document to printer (good for cases)
  • "print" gives customizable options (different pages, etc.); good for long statutes

News and Business

• Publications List (top left)
  • feel for what sources are included (alphabetical)
    • click on a particular title to search within that title only
• Hoover's Company Records (top left)
  • overview of using this: "Using Campus Research" handout, on back
  • search by company name, ticket symbol, etc.
  • approx. 8,000 US companies included
• SEC Filings
  • (full EDGAR filings from 2004 to present; some back to 1968)
  • search by company name, ticket symbol, etc.
• right side of screen ("Search")
  • defaults to "All News" search
  • select database below to limit search to that topic area
  • "advanced search" lists most recent results first
  • "basic search" lists by highest concentration of search terms
    • "identify duplicate documents" (like wire sources producing same articles)
  • browsing technique (using basic search)
    • click into a record
    • at bottom, "best" with arrows (takes you to section within the results with the highest concentration of search terms)
  • databases are broken down into topics and publication types

• at top center, "Research Trail" links to the history of your search during this sign-in