Attorney-Editorial Case Enhancements

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Attorney-Editorial Case Enhancements

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Editorial Enhancements

• This slip opinion appears just as written by the
  judge and processed and filed with the court.
• West attorney-editors take the language of the
  court, correct errors, and add features that are
  essential tools for the careful researcher.

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Editorial Scrutiny

• When West receives a slip opinion
• the manuscript is scrutinized for accuracy
• parallel citations are added
• textual information is updated
• the court is contacted if clarification or
  corrections are needed
• More than 1.5 million case citations are checked,
  500,000 parallel citations are added, and 80,000
  errors in opinions are corrected each year.

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Finding Tools

• Both the advance sheets and the bound volumes of
  the reporters include
• a Table of Cases arranged by state
• a Table of Statutes interpreted by cases covered
• a list of Words and Phrases defined by the cases
  covered
• Tables of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
  and Federal Rules of Evidence that are
  interpreted by the cases covered in the advance
  sheet or reporter

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Editorial Enhancements Created by West
Attorney-Editors

• Synopsis A summary of the procedural history,
  the facts, the main points of law, and the
  holding of the case.
• Headnotes (digest paragraphs) Summaries of the
  points of law discussed in the body of the
  opinion.
• Key Numbers Headnotes are assigned to a topic
  and key number in the West Key Number System.

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Synopsis and Headnotes
Synopsis

• The synopsis is the first paragraph of every
  National Reporter System case.
• Headnotes follow the synopsis in every National
  Reporter System case.
• Headnotes appear in the order the points of law
  are discussed in the case.

Headnote
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Editorial Enhancements

• Headnotes and synopses are prepared by West
  attorney-editors using
• consistent and current legal terminology instead
  of ambiguous, regional, or outdated words
• descriptive terms instead of proper names
• Examples
• Tenant is used instead of Mr. Blake or plaintiff
• Aspirin is used instead of Bufferin or Tylenol
• Intoxicated is used instead of tipsy or
  inebriated
• These headnotes can help you retrieve many online
  cases that you might otherwise miss.

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Editorial Enhancements and Fields

• Each online National Reporter System case is
  divided into segments called fields.
• A digest (headnote) field search and/or synopsis
  field search is an efficient way to search the
  online case law databases.
• di(wrongful! /3 terminat! discharg!)
• A digest field search allows you to retrieve a
  great number of cases that you would otherwise
  miss but at the same time will limit retrieved
  cases to ones in which the point of law you are
  researching is central to the holding of the
  case.

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Digest Field Includes and Key Numbers and
Headnotes

• Synopsis Field
• Procedural History
• Central Points of Law
• Holding of Case

• Digest Field
• Key Numbers
• Headnotes

Topic/Key Number Field
Headnote Field
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Field Searches on Westlaw

• Synopsis field search in Westlaw case law
  database
• sy(malpractice /p foreign object)
• Digest field (headnote) search in a Westlaw case
  law database
• di( bystander /p emotional distress)
• A combined synopsis and digest field search in a
  Westlaw case law database
• sy,di(landlord /p common area)

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• Other fields
• Citation
• (volume number, the reporter, and the first
  page number of the case)
• Title or Caption (names of parties)
• Docket Number (the number assigned to the case
  when it is filed with the court this number
  follows the case through its litigation history)
• Attorneys of Record
• Judge(s)
• Opinion

Citation
Title
Docket Number
Attorneys
Judge(s)
Opinion
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You can access a list of Fields from the Search
page.
Fields
This is a partial list of the fields in a case
law database.
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Question

• Which of the following statements is false?
• Attorney-editors spot and summarize up to five
  points of law discussed in the case.
• Attorney-editors prepare a synopsis and
  headnotes, using universally recognized legal
  terminology.
• Attorney-editors contact the court before making
  corrections to the decision.
• Searching in the synopsis and digest fields on
  Westlaw allows you to retrieve more on-point
  documents and ensures that you retrieve only
  cases in which your issue is a central point of
  law in the decision.

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Question

• Which of the following statements is false?
• Attorney-editors spot and summarize up to five
  points of law discussed in the case.
• Attorney-editors prepare a synopsis and
  headnotes, using universally recognized legal
  terminology.
• Attorney-editors contact the court before making
  corrections to the decision.
• Field searching in the synopsis and digest fields
  on Westlaw allows you to retrieve more on-point
  documents and ensures that you retrieve only
  cases in which your issue is a central point of
  law in the decision.