What is Shepardizing on Westlaw?
The term Shepardize means the process of checking a case’s prior precedents. The term comes from the citation service called Shepard’s, which up until the late 1990s was the only real game in town. Then Westlaw quit using Shepard’s, Shepard’s went to Lexis (Westlaw’s main competitor), and Westlaw launched KeyCite.
How do you KeyCite a case on Westlaw?
From the Tabbed Westlaw Page—At the tabbed Westlaw page (Figure 2-1), type a citation in the KeyCite this citation text box and click Go. From Any Page—At the top of any page, click KeyCite to display the KeyCite page (Figure 2-2). Then type a citation in the KeyCite this citation text box and click Go.
How do you Shepardize cases?
Open the full text view of the case. Use the “Next Steps” dropdown box at the top right of the case to select “Shepardize” or click on the Shepard’s Signal on the top left. Review the Shepard’s report automatically produced in response to your query. This report contains a list of the cases that have cited your case.
Why do you Shepardize a case?
What is Shepardizing? Shepard’s allows you to track the citation history of a court case. When you “Shepardize” a case, you will see all of the other cases that have cited that case, and if they treated the case favorably or unfavorably.
What is subsequent appellate history?
Subsequent Appellate History—the direct treatment of your case from the present case moving forward through the appellate process. • Citing Decisions—the indirect treatment of your case through analysis by other cases.
What does Shepardizing a document mean?
The verb Shepardizing (sometimes written lower-case) refers to the process of consulting Shepard’s to see if a case has been overturned, reaffirmed, questioned, or cited by later cases.
What is Shepardizing a case?
Why is Shepardizing important?
Shepardizing cases (as well as statutes and other legal authorities) is important because a citation must be reliable. Lawyers and judges rely on previously decided cases to support their arguments or opinions. If the case cited is no longer good law, reliance on the case is faulty.
What is a KeyCite on Westlaw?
KeyCite is Westlaw’s citation research service that determines whether a case is good law. It provides a report on the case that includes all citing documents (cases, administrative decisions, secondary sources, etc.).
What is a Shepardizing summary?