Law 11Legal Digest Systems

Digests

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Digests

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o Published by commercial publishers – Westo Organizes cases with similar points of

law with brief descriptive abstractso Helps find cases by subjecto Has no legal authorityo Should never be cited as legal

authorityo Use as a guide to find caseso Important to read the case opinions

o West uses the Key Number System

Descriptive Word Index

o Headnotes are assigned a Topic and a specific Key Number

o When reading an opinion, the numbers in brackets [ ] indicate the corresponding headnote

o The Topics and Key Numbers can be located by using the Descriptive Word Index

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Descriptive Word Index con’t

o Can search by analysis or by topico Analysis is a topical outline that

may give you additional issues that you may not have identified

o Table of Caseso Lists parties to all cases by plaintiff

and defendant name.o Arranged alphabeticallyo Includes citations, Topics, Key

Numbers

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Updating

o Should consult advance sheets of the relevant reporter

o Check under the same Topic and Key Number in the pocket part of that volume

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Words and Phrases

o Words and phrases defined by courts are reprinted in Words and Phrases, a set containing alphabetically arranged judicial definitions of legal and non-legal terms

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Popular Name Tables

o “Right to Die” caseso “Right to Counsel” cases

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