Bloomberg, Westlaw & Lexis

1. Bloomberg Law, Lexis Advance &
WestlawNext
1Ls
Professor Lisa Smith-Butler
Charleston School of Law
Sol Blatt Jr. Law Library
Fall 2014

2. Introduction
Using both Bloomberg, Lexis Advance, and
WestlawNext, today we’ll review:
 how to locate cases;
 how to locate statutes; and
 how to update with citators.

3. How do I find a case?
Cases can be located in one of three ways:
 party name (Harris v. Forklift);
 citation (477 U.S. 57); or
 subject/keyword searching.
This is true regardless as to whether print or
electronic resources are being used.

4. Party Name
If you know the names’ of the parties involved in a
case, you can:
 key in the parties names’ in the search bar on Bloomberg, Lexis
& Westlaw after selecting the appropriate
jurisdiction/database for searching; or
 use the Table of Cases volume of the appropriate digest, in
print, to obtain a citation to the decision.

5. Citation
Key the citation into the search bar on Bloomberg,
Lexis Advance, and WestlawNext.
Pull the book off the shelf when using print.

6. Subject or Keyword Searching
If you lack a party name or a citation, you will need to do a
subject search either in an electronic database such as
Bloomberg Law, Lexis Advance or WestlawNext or you will
need to a consult a print resource such as a case finding
tool.
Case finding tools include, but are not limited to, digests,
legal encyclopedias, American Law Reports, and other
sources.

7. What search terms do I use? Where do I look?
When you receive a research project, you should
answer three questions before beginning either print
or electronic research:
 What is the issue in dispute between the parties?
 What search terms should be used?
 What database or book should be selected?

8. Locating a Case by Party Name

9. Bloomberg Law

12. Lexis Advance

14. WestlawNext

16. Locating a Case by Citation

17. Bloomberg Law

19. Lexis Advance

21. WestlawNext

23. Locating a Case by Subject
Lacking a citation or party name requires you to
locate a case by subject.

24. How do I locate a case by subject?
Define the issue.
From this, create your search terms.
Decide which database or print resource needs to be
consulted.
Create your search query, including terms and
Boolean connectors if appropriate.
Only after completing the above, should you log onto
Bloomberg Law, Lexis Advance, or WestlawNext.

25. Boolean Connectors
Boolean connectors allow you to either expand or
limit your search.
Boolean connectors include:
 And (contracts search)
 Or (expands search)
 Not (excludes items so contracts search)
 Within (requires items to be located near each other so
contracts search)

26. Boolean Connectors
To use a Boolean connector with WestlawNext, click on
Advanced Search next to the search bar.
To do a Boolean search with Lexis Advance, use Boolean
operators/connectors as you usually would although use
lower case letters and do not use an ampersand (&).
Field searching on Bloomberg Law is possible once a
library is selected with a pre-existing template. Boolean
connectors can also be used in the template’s keyword
search box.

27. Defining our Query

28. Bloomberg Law

33. Lexis Advance

36. WestlawNext

42. Editing your search terms & limiting your results

46. How do I get my case?
You can:
 download the case directly to your hard drive;
 email it to your email address;
 Place it online in a personal folder, storing it on WestlawNext,
Bloomberg Law, or Lexis Advance; or
 print it to the library’s printer room on the Lexis printer.

50. Statutes
While cases are a primary source of American law,
statutes are also a primary source.
Cases are decided and published by the judicial
branch of the government while statutes are enacted
and published by the legislative branch of the
government.

51. How do I locate applicable statutes?
As with cases, statutes can be located in three ways.
They can be located via:
 Citation (17 U.S.C. §107);
 popular name (Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act); or
 subject/keyword searching (authorizing war in Iraq in 2002).

52. Locating statutes by citation

53. Bloomberg Law

55. Lexis Advance

57. WestlawNext

59. Get a statute by popular name

60. Bloomberg

64. Lexis Advance

70. WestlawNext

75. Getting a statute by subject/keyword

76. Bloomberg Law

78. Lexis Advance

80. WestlawNext

82. Updating Your Research
You should always update your research.
On the Bloomberg Law system, this means that you
Bcite your cases and statutes.
On the Lexis Advance system, this means you
Shepardize your cases and statutes.
On the WestlawNext system, this means you Keycite
your cases and statutes.

83. Citing: BCite, Shepard’s or KeyCite
What information should you be looking for when
you Shepardize or Keycite your case?
 You should be checking to see if your case was later reversed or
overruled.
 You should be checking to see how later cases have treated
your case.
 You should be checking to see if the legislature amended or
repealed your statute.
 You should be checking to see if secondary articles are
available that cite to your case or statute.

84. Bloomberg Law: BCite

87. Lexis Advance: Shepard’s

89. WestlawNext: KeyCite

91. Help!
Bloomberg Law tutorial videos are available @
http://
www.bloomberglaw.com/help/Videos_Overview.htm
Lexis Advance tutorial videos can be found @
https://
www.youtube.com/user/LexisNexisLawSchools/videos
WestlawNext tutorial videos are @ https://
www.youtube.com/user/WestlawInsider

92. Conclusion
Remember: the best researchers use a mixture of
sources and formats.
Questions? Stop by the Sol Blatt Jr. Law Library
Reference Desk, located in Room 120 on the 1st floor
of the library.