| [Basic Citation Forms] | [Source Materials] | [Legal Research ] | [References] |
Statutory: Example for federal laws:
42 US Code. Sec. 405. 1998. Online.
LEXIS-NEXIS Academic
Universe. 5 August 1999.
(MLA style includes Title #, set & section, copyright date, and year
of online access)
42 US Code. Sec. 405. 1998. Retrieved August 5, 1999, from
LEXIS-NEXIS ACADEMIC UNIVERSE on the World Wide
Web:http://www.lexis-nexis.com/universe
(APA style includes copyright date retrieval statement, database and URL)
Example for NYS laws:
N.Y. Soc Serv Law Sec. 409-i 1992. Online. LEXIS-NEXIS
Academic Universe. 5 August 1999.
(MLA)
N.Y. Soc Serv Law Sec. 409-i 1992. Retrieved August 5, 1999,
from
LEXIS-NEXIS ACADEMIC UNIVERSE on the World Wide
Web:http://www.lexis-nexis.com/universe
Case: Citation
to a case contained in a legal computer service (e.g., LEXIS, WESTLAW)
or in
a CD-ROM service is permissible only when the case is not otherwise published
in book
form, either officially or unofficially. Examples of electronic citations
are as
follows
(Use Federal case example for State cases):
United States v. Carlisle, No. 90-2465SI, 1991 U.S. App. LEXIS 5863
(8th Cir. Apr. 10, 1991) (per curiam)
(The Bluebook: A Uniform system of Citation 5th ed.: name of case,
docket #, year,
Court, Lexis identification #, the Circuit # and filed date; opinion.)
Fullilove v. Klutznick. 448 U.S. 448. 448-554. No. 78-1007. US Supreme
Court.
1980. Online. LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe. (5 August 1999).
(MLA style includes inclusive pages, docket no. court, year of decision
and
date of access.)
Fullilove v. Klutznick, 448 U.S. 448 (1980). Retrieved August 5, 1999,
from
LEXIS-NEXIS ACADEMIC UNIVERSE No. 78-10007 on the World Wide
Web:
http://www.lexis-nexis.com/universe
.
(APA style includes year of decision in parenthesis, retrieval statement,
database name, docket #, and URL for Lexis-Nexis)
* According
to the Bluebook : a Uniform System of Citation (REF KF 245 .U5 1991) Statutory
or legislative
materials may be cited in their original form even if they are found or
obtained by
means of a database search. Be sure to check with your professors for their
preferences.
Articles:
Wildstrom, Stephen H. "A Big Boost for Net Privacy." Business Week
Apr. 5, 1999:23. Online. LEXIS-NEXIS® Academic Universe. 5 August 1999.
(MLA lists the author's name, article title, magazine or newspaper
title, publication
data, Online, name of the online service and date of accessing the site.)
Wildstrom, Stephen H. (1999, April 5 ). A big boost for net privacy.
Business
Week,
p. 23. Retrieved January 9, 2001, from LEXIS-NEXIS ACADEMIC UNIVERSE
on the World Wide Web : http://www.lexis-nexis.com/universe.
(APA lists the author's name, date of publication, article title, magazine
title,
retrieval statement , database and URL).
Lexis-Nexis provides full text of federal, state & international legal materials. These include legal news, law reviews, code, regulations, and cases at the federal and state courts. Some of the important source materials are:
Federal: U.S. Code Service
Code of Federal Regulations
Opinions of the U.S. Attorney General (1791+)
U.S. Internal Revenue Code
U.S. Supreme Court (1790+)
U.S. Supreme Court Briefs (1979+)
U.S. District Courts (1789+)
U.S. Court of Appeals (1789+)
N.Y.:
New York Considated Law Service
NY Attorney General Opinions (1976-2000)
NY Advance Legislative Service (complete session laws 1990+)
NY Supeme Court Cases - Appellate Division (1896+)
NY Lower Court Decisions (N.Y.S. - 1888+)
NY Court of Appeals (1791+)
Law Reviews:
Columbia Law Review
William & Mary Law Review
Harvard Law Review
Yale Law and Policy Review
2) Search for Title/Section in Basic search
e.g. 2 pre/6 1602
(search for title 2, section 1602)
^--------------------> pre/6=operator
3) More option search by: Case Notes, Cite, Current
Status, Full Text, Heading, History.
Some of these are paragraph headings of the full text documents. Particularly
useful are
searching by Cite and History.
e.g. select Cite
then type: 2 pre/6 1602 (search for
title 2 section 1602)
e.g. select History
then type: PL pre/6 104-65 and pre/2 3
The History example retrieves the code section directly related to
Public Law 104-65 sec 3.
Using pre/2 will ensure the number 3 is 2 spaces apart from 104-65.
This method can be used to identify any amendments to the code since passage
of a PL.
New York State Code
1) Basic search by Keywords: e.g. drinking age (subject of interest)
2) Search for law topic and section in basic search:
e.g. al bev pre/6 65 (search for Alcoholic beverage
section 65)
3) A more sophisticated use of Basic Keyword search:
e.g. History and 1998 pre/6 ch 383 pre/2 10
This above example searches for session law of 1998 chapter 383 section
10.
Using the operator "pre/2" will ensure that #10 is 2 spaces apart from
#383.
This method can be used to link session law section to the consolidated
law section
4) More option search by: Full Text, Cite, Section, Heading.
e.g. select Cite
then type: al bev pre/6 65 ( Alcoholic berage
section 65)
Note: In Cite search, you must use the abbreviations assigned by
Lexis-Nexis to the
legal topics, e.g. Alcoholic Beverage Control Law = al bev; Education
Law = educ;
Social Service Law = soc serv. A complete listing can be found at
http://web.lexis.com/Help/Xchange/statuteformats.asp
Federal Cases: Be sure to select the appropriate court and All Available Dates.
1) Basic search by Keywords: e.g. discrimination and education (subject of interest)
e.g. 347 pre/6 483 (citation
for case Brown v. Bd of Educ Topeka)
Note: Be sure to select the appropriate court and All Available Dates
options.
However, such a citation search will include all cases using the Brown
case
as precedence. To retrieve that landmark case ONLY, use the following
example for citation search.
2) More options search: There are 12 options, such as Full Text,
Plaintiff, Defendant,
Citation, Opinion by. Particularly useful are:
a) Plantiff Defendant combination
e.g. select Plantiff then type Brown
and
select Defendant then type Board of Education
select All available dates
The above example will also retrieve cases using Brown case as precedence.
b) Citation (use this to identify the specific case ONLY)
e.g. Brown v. Board of Ed Topeka
e.g. select Citation
then type 347 pre/6 483
select Supreme Court cases
select All available dates
The above example will retrieve ONLY the Brown v. Board of Ed Topeka case.
New York State Cases
1) Basic search: e.g. age discriminiation and SUNY
2) Basic search of case 606 N.Y.S.2d 70 (Semann v. State
- age discrimination SUNY)
e.g. 606 pre/2 n.y.s.2d pre/2 70 (select
All courts & All available dates)
3) More options search: has 12 options from Full text,
Citation, opinion by, etc.
e.g. select Citation
select NY All Courts (or name of court if known)
then type: 606 w/2 n.y.s.2d w/2 70 (w/2 ensures 2 spaces apart)
The above example retrieves ONLY the Semann v. State case on
age discriminiation against SUNY
Legal News: Full text articles are available.Choose
"More options" search if you want to restrict to
a particular magazine or legal letter and bulletins
Law Reviews: Full text review articles
are available "More options" search allows you to restrict
search to several law review journals. Click on Source List to display
titles for
your selection
American Psychological Association Electronic Reference
Formats Recommendations.
http://www.apa.org/journals/webref.html
Official New York Law Reports Style Manual. REF KFN 5075.O33 1998
Lexis-Nexis Citing References for MLA & APA style:
http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/form/academic/help.html
Created by Betty Chan
updated 12/20/01