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Legal Studies and Legal Research

Library resources for legal research, briefing and case preparation

Shepard's Citations

Shepardizing™ is the practice of using the Shepard's Citations Service to validate a citation. When you Shepardize™ a case, LexisNexis provides a report showing every opinion where that case has been referenced, all treatments of the case, and, most importantly, whether or not the case is "good law." If the case has been overruled, it is considered "bad law" and may no longer be cited as a legal precedent.

Shepardizing™ a Case

Westlaw KeyCite

KeyCite is West's citation research service, which helps you determine whether your case, statute, administrative decision, or federal regulation is good law and then find cases and other sources that cite it. A red or yellow flag, blue H, or green C at the top of a displayed document or in your KeyCite result indicates that KeyCite information is available for the associated document.

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