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WestlawNext Tutorials

Step-by-step guides and tutorials for key features of the Westlaw Campus Research database.

FIND A LEGAL CASE OR STATUTE BY CITATION

Start with Find a Document by citation under Shortcuts.

For legal cases, use the short case citation, e.g.,

          367 U.S. 643

          rather than

          Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643 (1961)

Westlaw is generally forgiving about punctuation and citation format, but if your search finds no results, be sure to double-check your citation for those things.

You can also use Find a Document by citation box to find statutes, regulations, and other documents, e.g.,

  • V.T.C.A., Alcoholic Beverage Code 101.03
  • 18 U.S.C.A. 981
  • U.S.C.A. Const. Amend. IV

FIND A LEGAL CASE BY PARTY NAMES

Start with Find a Document by title under Shortcuts.

Enter the party names in the boxes provided, e.g.,

  • Reno v. Flores.

Searching by party names can be imprecise, so you may need to browse through several pages of results.

Keep in mind that a case may be decided by various courts of appeal.  When you search by party names, your search will find all of those appellate decisions.

For these reasons, if you know the exact citation, it usually best to start with Find a Document by citation.

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