Basic Legal Skills Finding Cases Jan. 28, 2005

Cases: terminology Case = decision= opinion Published vs. unpublished Mandatory and persuasive authority

Court Structure – Federal and State FederalState Court of Last Resort U.S. Supreme Court WA Supreme Court Intermediate Appellate Court ↑ Ninth Circuit* Ninth Circuit* Court of Appeals * = Circuit map WA Court of Appeals Trial Court ↑ U.S. District Court for Western District of WA King County Superior Court

Reporters “slip opinion” → “advance sheet” → Reporter official vs. unofficial (parallel citations) National Reporter System (West) – All federal and state cases; chronological – 7 Regional Reporters (state cases) – Reporters in the Law Library,

Traditional Case Finding Methods 1. Digests 2. American Law Reports (ALR) and Secondary Sources 3. Electronic databases

American Digest System (West) What is a Digest? Acts as an index to the National Reporter system – find cases by legal issue or subject A tool that collects and organizes case law by subject (“topic”) and narrow sub-headings (“key numbers”) – over 400 “topics” (e.g., contracts, searches and seizures, wills) Gives brief summaries of cases – headnotes from cases

Using Digests – 4 steps 1. Select best Digest 2. Locate Topic and Key Number 3. Read case summaries 4. Update (pocket parts etc.)

Locating the Correct Digest 1.Jurisdiction Federal, State, Regional & Combined 2.Date Cover a set period of time – ie. 10 year blocks 3.Digests in the Law Library,

Law Library has these:

Topic and Key Number The Topic and Key Number

Find Topic & Key Number (3 ways) 1. One good case 2. Descriptive Word Index 3. Review Topic outline

(1) One Good Case Approach 1. You have a case that is on point 2. Find the Topic and Key Number of the relevant issue (looking in headnotes) 3. Go to that Digest volume and search for cases in your jurisdiction

(2) Use Descriptive Word Index 1.Generate some general Search Terms 2.Look in Descriptive Word Index to narrow down terms and locate correct Topic 3.Use the Key Numbers within the Topic to pinpoint relevant issues

Generate search terms.

(3) Use relevant Topic Volume 1.Retrieve the Digest volume containing your Topic (on spine) 2.Scan Topic/Subject & Key Number outline 3.Browse the relevant Key Number sections for cases in your jurisdiction

The digest topic “Animals” appears in this book

Scan the “Analysis” table for a relevant key number

Updating Digest Research 1.Check pocket part of volume you are using --- including Descriptive Word Index 2.Check the Interim pamphlet – updates pocket part 3. Check Mini-Digest in relevant Reporter volumes

American Law Reports Full-text of important cases from variety of jurisdictions AND “Articles” or “annotations” providing in-depth analysis and overview of legal topic – case citations and summaries – references to other secondary sources

Research Process for A.L.R.s 1. Look for your search term in the Index 2. Narrow down your issue and go to the appropriate volume. * Read the same as a case citation* 97 A.L.R. 3 rd 688 Volume Series Page

Update by referring to the pocket part.

Finding Cases with Secondary Sources Annotated StatutesRCWA, USCA or USCS CitatorsKeyCite or Shepard’s Legal Encyclopedias AmJur or CJS Treatises Nimmer on Copyright Environmental Law by Professor Rodgers

Finding Cases... Continued Law Review Articles King-Ries, Andrew. Crawford v. Washington: The End of Victimless Prosecution? 28 Seattle U. L. Rev. 301 (2005). Looseleaf Services Standard Federal Tax Reporter Labor Relations Reporter Judicial Definitions Words and Phrases -”unreasonable” -”vague statute”

Westlaw Key Number Digest: “Custom Digest”Custom Digest – Topics translated into numbers (Adoption = 17) – Adoption “key number” 16 (revoking adoption) Key Search – “scripted” searches with Key Numbers and Terms Go to

Exercise  Question: if I stop using the easement over my neighbor’s property to access my house will I lose my rights to that easement? – ½ class uses Westlaw Key Number Digest – ½ class uses Westlaw Key Search Go to:

Lexis: Search Advisor

Lexis Search Advisor Classification system of over 4000 legal topics – Retrieve cases and secondary sources (law review articles etc.) on topic. – -uses Lexis Headnotes (different Westlaw headnotes)

Lexis Exercise  Question: Is probable cause required to order a person to participate in a witness lineup in a criminal investigation?  Go to:  Use Search Advisor to locate Washington state cases on the topic.

Caselaw Research Checklist Preliminary Analysis – jurisdiction, terms, time period Consult Secondary Sources – note Topic/Key Numbers, cases, statutes Annotated Statutes Read cases Use Digest or other secondary sources to find more cases Update (review citators next week)