FindingLegal Information

Using Lexis Nexis Academic

Laura WilsonReference Librarian

Framingham State CollegeFall 2010

What is Lexis Nexis Academic? Database that offers full-text access to

news, business and legal information Legal information includes:

Case law, statutes and regulations▪ U.S. Supreme Court decisions 1790-present

Legal news and law reviews State court decisions at all court levels Federal laws from 1988 to present Federal regulations Codes for all 50 states and territories

Getting Started

Searching a database is a different experience than using a search engine like Google

In a database, search using keywords - specific words and synonyms of those words related to your topic Brainstorm for keywords before starting your

research Combine two or more keywords with the word AND▪ Ex: health care and elderly▪ Combining keywords will retrieve results that are more

specifically related to your topic if your original search retrieved too many irrelevant results

Getting Started

Go the library’s homepage: http://www.framingham.edu/henry-whitt

emore-library Click “A-Z List of Databases” Click “Lexis Nexis Academic Universe” If you are off-campus, you will be

prompted to login to the database using your Blackboard username and password

Getting Started

There are two main areas where you can search for US legal information in Lexis Nexis Academic

Search for a Case

Search for a case in the “Look up a Legal Case” box

Search by citation, specific party names, or topic Searching by topic

will search for your keywords in the headnotes and core terms of the case. Headnotes summarize the points of law involved in a legal case using the same language employed by the judge in writing the decision. Core terms are index terms assigned to the case by Lexis Nexis.

US Legal Tab

By clicking the “US Legal” tab in the left column, a number of options open that you can use to search or browse for information

US Legal: Federal and State Cases

Click on the “US Legal” Tab, then click “Federal and State Cases” Combine citation, party names, legal topics,

etc. Limit by date or jurisdiction

Combine name, topic, etc.

Limit by date and /or jurisdiction

Search Results

When you click on a result from your search, the record will include a “Case Summary” section near the top, which will tell you the summary of the case and its outcome

US Legal: Shepard’s Citations

Shepard’s Citations and Shepardizing: Gives the entire history of how a particular case is treated in the legal world “Shepardize” directly within the record of a case Enter a legal citation in the Shepard’s Citations section of

the US Legal tab to review if the case is still “good law” Part of the ruling may have been overruled, overturned,

reversed, etc.

US Legal : Landmark Cases Browse though a list of the most “popular”

Federal and State cases Organized by topic (abortion, civil rights, etc.)

US Legal : Supreme Court Briefs

Search Supreme Court Briefs Search for your keyword in the full-text

by selecting “everywhere” You can also search for briefs by citation,

party names, counsel, brief type, and more.

US Legal: Federal and State Statutes, Codes and Regulations

Search or browse federal or state statutes, codes and regulations

US Legal : Law Reviews

Search secondary source materials (law reviews, articles in law journals)

Limit Date

Limit by topic

Search

US Legal : Legal Reference Search in legal reference materials

including American Jurisprudence 2d and legal dictionaries

Need help?

If you need help, click the or the

There are also guides and video tutorials available under “Help & Instructions”

Need help?

If you need more help searching Lexis Nexis Academic, feel free to contact or make an appointment with a librarian at FSU Call the Reference Desk at 508-626-4654 Email : reference@framingham.edu