Statutes Handout

Advanced Legal Research	Robert Harrison, Blair Kauffman, Lisa Spar
Spring 1998

STATUTES

I. Standard Search Strategies

A. Westlaw

scope - to determine what database/file contains
search IDEN database - for availability and coverage
fields

sd(substantial document) for text of section without annotations - [eg text(heart /3 disease) or sd(heart /3 disease)]
ca (caption) - for section number and caption (name of section) [e.g. ca(heart and disease)]
ca,pr (caption and prelim) - for caption and title/chapter info

B. Lexis

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

section - for section number and caption (name of section) [e.g. section(heart and disease)]
unanno - unannotated text (without case citations)[e.g. unanno(heart /3 disease) ]

II. Search strategies for Statutes

A. Westlaw

to find a specific statute
a. with cite - use find [e.g. fi 36 usca 187
-document in sequence browsing - click on Doc in Seq button

b. with name - Popular Names Table - USCA-POP
search for particular statute on subject - (e.g. heart disease) try to know terminology used

full text - [e.g. heart /3 disease]

-field searching particularly useful for searching statutes
sd for substantial document (unannotated text) - [e.g. sd(heart /3 disease) ]

ca,pr for caption and prelim - [ e.g. ca,pr(heart and disease) ]

-HINT: when using fields, remember you are searching a smaller portion of text so you may want to use broader connectors

Updating

- look for Update button or link or choose Update from Services menu

-shepardize - for federal statutes, enter, e.g. sh 8 usca 1184; for state statutes, click on SH without cite to get to Shepards screen, click on Pubs list for format of specific state

Search Table of Contents, Index - TOC USCA (no hyphen),USCA-IDX

B. Lexis

to find a specific statute

a. with cite - lexstat [e.g. lexstat 36 uscs 187]

-to move to consecutive statute sections (browse), type b (type b to exit browse)

b. with name - search Popular Names Table - USNAME

search for particular statute on subject (e.g. heart disease) - try to know terminology used

-segment searching particularly useful for searching statutes, [e.g. unanno(heart /3 disease) or section(heart and disease)]

-HINT: when using segments, remember you are searching a smaller portion of text so you may want to use broader connectors

Updating Statutes online

-look for CONSULT PUBLIC LAWS message and then search publaw file for date after statute updated

-Shepardizing statutes - for federal statutes, e.g. type sh 8 USCS 1187;

for state statutes, enter sh at Libraries screen, follow instructions and link markers to find format, typing state postal code and code for format (e.g. ct code)

Search Table of Contents - USTOC, Index - USINDX

III. Some Relevant databases

A. Westlaw - usc, usca, xx-st, xx-st-ann (where xx is a state's abbreviation)

B. Lexis - genfed:uscs, codes:uscs, codes;xxcode (where xx is a state's abbreviation)

IV. Sample searches [in italics] (used in class)

A. Westlaw

to find particular cite fi 36 usca 187

full text search heart /3 disease

sd(substantive document)- section without annotations sd(heart /3 disease)

prelim - headings that precede the caption (use with caption) ca,pr(heart /3 disease)

to shepardize statutes sh 8 usca 1184

B. Lexis

to find particular cite lexstat 36 uscs 187
full text search heart /3 disease
unannotated text (without case citations) unanno(heart /3 disease)
section number and caption (name of section) section(heart and disease)
to shepardize statutes sh 8 uscs 1187

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