| Advanced Legal Research |
Robert Harrison, Blair Kauffman, Lisa Spar |
| Spring 1998 |
|
HANDOUT - CLASS 1
INTRODUCTION
I. Standard Search Strategies
A. Lexis
- choose library and page through file directory
.gu - to determine what database/file contains
Source Info - under More Sources (from Searcher)
search GUIDE;GUIDE - for availability and coverage
segments - .se
B. Westlaw
scope - to determine what database/file contains
search IDEN database - for availability and coverage
fields
II. Search Techniques
A. Lexis
- find key concept/term of art
- focus - search within a search
- Freestyle - natural language search - useful to start or when stuck - avoid common
words like "cases"
B. Westlaw
- find key concept/term of art
- locate - search within a search
- WIN - natural language search - useful to start or when stuck - avoid common
words like "cases"
- must use quotation marks around phrases - e.g. "death penalty"
III. Sample Searches
A. Lexis
lawrev;allrev - counsel /s inadequa! or adequa! and death penalty
modified search - counsel /s inadequa! or adequa! /p death penalty
Freestyle search - when is counsel considered adequate in death penalty cases
B. Westlaw
jlr - counsel /s inadequa! or adequa! and "death penalty" - must have quotes
- WIN search - when is counsel considered adequate in death penalty cases
Advanced Legal Research 1998 - WESTLAW/LEXIS Handout
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