Research Guides: Researching Case Law: More Help for Case Law Research

Case Law

Please note that Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law are only available to law students and law faculty.

Hierarchy of Case Law Authority Video -- by Susan Boland This video discusses the hierarchy of case law authority, the parallel federal and state systems, stare decisis, and how a case moves through the courts. It is 14:41 minutes long and features closed captions.
Parts of a Case Video -- by Susan Boland This video breaks down the parts of a case from the citation to the holding. It is 8:39 minutes long. It is closed captioned.
Finding Cases by Citation Video -- by Susan Boland This video breaks down the citation of a case and demonstrates how to find it in a print reporter, on Lexis Advance, and on Westlaw. It is 2:49 minutes long and features closed captioning.
Using Westlaw Topic & Key Numbers to Find Cases Video -- by Susan Boland This video covers how to use one case to find more cases on Westlaw. It breaks down the parts of a headnote, discusses the topic and key number system and instructs on how to use these features to find cases. The video is 6:57 minutes long and features closed captioning.
Using Lexis Headnotes & Topics to Find Cases Video -- by Susan Boland This video explains the differences between Lexis and Westlaw headnotes. It also demonstrates how to find cases using the headnote topics from another case. It also covers browsing Lexis Topics to find cases. The video is 3:56 min. long and features closed captioning.
Using Citators for Cases Video -- by Susan Boland This video covers using Shepard's and KeyCite with cases. It identifies what a citator is, discusses the citator symbols and what they mean, and gives examples of using a citator for research and to determine if your case is still good law. The video is 13:35 minutes long and features closed captioning.
Finding Dockets & Litigation Documents Video -- by Susan Boland A docket is a calendar and a table of contents for the materials filed in a court case. Once upon a time, you would have had to go to the courthouse to get a docket. Now most Federal and some state court dockets are available online. This video, updated in 2024, demonstrates how and where to find dockets and court documents online. It is 12:16 minutes long and features closed captioning.
Federal Law Part 4: Researching Federal Case Law Video -- by Susan Boland This video covers how to research federal case law. It explains the federal court hierarchy, using headnotes for research, using citators to validate cases and for research, and other methods of finding cases. The video is 16:47 minutes long and features closed captioning.

Lexis

Please note that Lexis Advance is only available to law students and law faculty.

Lexis+ Overview (PDF)
Starting Your Search on Lexis (YouTube) This short Lexis Training on the Go video shows you about Starting Your Search on Lexis Advance. It is 3:08 minutes long.
Common Research tasks (PDF)
Lexis + Overview Brochure (PDF)
Lexis Overview (YouTube) This 5:45 min. video provides an overview of Lexis

Westlaw

Please note that Westlaw is only available to law students and law faculty. Note: You must sign on to Westlaw in order to access the tutorials.

Bloomberg Law

Please note that Bloomberg Law is only available to law students and law faculty. You must sign on to Bloomberg Law in order to access the tutorials.

B-Cite
This video from B-Law covers using B-Cite, the Bloomberg Law citator to make sure cases are still good law and to find additional research sources. It is 9:04 min. long.