In the Paul Meek Library reports of cases can be found online (Internet databases) and in paper. How to find case reports published in online databases and in paper sources is explained below.
(A List of Supplemental Paper Sources begins on page 3.)
Case Reports Online (Internet)
Searching for case reports and other legal research can be done online by using the LEXIS-NEXIS and Westlaw Campus databases. Both databases are described below.
LEXIS-NEXIS
Federal and State court reports can be accessed quickly through the LEXIS-NEXIS database. To log on: click on the “Full-Text Resources” button on the Library’s Catalog screen. A screen will come up containing several logos, click on the LEXIS-NEXIS ACADEMIC UNIVERSE logo. The LexisNexis screen that comes up will display a “Get a Case” window. You can find a case, Federal or State, quickly if you have the exact citation and type it in the “Citation” window. For example, 451 U.S. 232 is a citation to Volume 451, page 232 of the United States Reports (U. S. Supreme Court cases). The citation must be typed in exactly as the example above, 451(space)U(period)S(period)(space)232. Type in the citation exactly as it appears in the source where you got it, text, syllabus, etc. Tennessee cases are found in the South Western Reporter and this reporter is cited “S.W.3d” or “S.W.2d” or “S.W.”, depending on the year a particular case was heard. An example of a citation to this source reads: 63 S.W.3d 338.
If you don’t have a citation such as the one in the paragraph above, but you do have a reference to the litigants or parties involved, it can be searched in the “Get a Case” window by typing their names in the “Party Name” window. For example, Arizona v. Manypenny typed in the “Party Name” window will bring up not only the Supreme Court case cited in the previous paragraph, but will also retrieve all Arizona v. Manypenny litigation ranked from most recent (first document on the list, or Document #1) to the oldest (last Document on the list).
Searching a Case by Topic
To search a case by topic, click on “Legal Research” in the sidebar located at the upper left of the screen. It will bring up a menu and on this menu one of the entries will be “Area of Law by Topic.” Click on the entry and it will bring up a search screen which has a drop down “Topic” window. Clicking the button on this window reveals several areas of law. At the bottom of the screen, under Tips, these areas are defined and advice on how to search is provided. Below the “Topic” window are “Date” windows of which the top window is set to default to the most current six months. This default setting can be expanded by dropping down the window and selecting another default parameter. Two search windows at the top of the screen “Keyword” and “Narrow search with additional terms” will help focus your search. For example, if your topic is criminal law, set the “Topic” window to that area. Then, suppose subject you are searching is juveniles tried as adults, type juveniles in the “Keyword” window and tried as adults in the “Narrow search…” window and set a default in the “Date” windows if you want to expand your search beyond the current six month period.
OTHER INFORMATION ON CASES IN LEXIS-NEXIS
For articles in law reviews on your case(s), go to the Legal Research menu and under the caption “Secondary Literature” you will find two entries, “Law Reviews” and “Legal News”. You can search your case(s) for additional information, if you need to, in both of these databases.
Westlaw Campus
Westlaw Campus offers the following materials online: Cases from the courts of all 50 states and the federal courts, the statutes of all 50 states and the federal statutes published in the United States Code Annotated, federal regulations as published in the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations,American Jurisprudence 2d, a comprehensive encyclopedia of state and federal law, and American Law Reports, a publication containing attorney-written articles that summarize and analyze case law on particular legal issues.
To search Westlaw, click the “Electronic Databases” button on the Library’s Catalog page. When the databases page comes up, click on “W” in the alphabetical menu provided on that page. When the “W” page comes up, click on Westlaw Campus. The Westlaw access agreement document will come up next, scroll to the bottom of that screen and click “GO”. This will bring up the search screen. At the left margin of the screen is the sidebar labeled “Find”. Within this sidebar can be searched those cases for which the citation or names of the litigants are known, just follow the brief instructions.
CASE REPORTS – PAPER
Currently, the Paul Meek Library carries 3 court reporter series for U.S. Supreme Court cases, and 1 reporter series which covers the Supreme Court of Tennessee ( it also contains reports from the Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Texas Supreme Courts.)
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT CASES:
United States Reports (REF. KF 101 .U58). Holdings: Vol. 443 (1978) – Current.
Supreme Court Reporter (REF. KF 101 .S9). Holdings: Vol. 1 (1882) – Current.
United States Supreme Court Reports (REF. KF 101 .S5). Holdings: Vol. 1 (cases before and since the Revolution) – Vol. 26 (1881).
All the titles above are indexed by case in Volumes 14 & 15, “Table of Cases”, in:
United States Supreme Court Digest (REF. KF 101 .1 .U54). The Digest volumes are updated annually by pocket parts which are inserted in the back of each volume.
TENNESSEE SUPREME COURT CASES:
South Western Reporter , 3d Series (REF. KF 135 .S73).
Holdings: Vol. 1 (1999) – Current.
South Western Reporter , 2d Series (REF. KF 135 .S7).
Holdings: Vol. 1 (1928) – Vol. 999 (1999).
Tennessee Decisions , (REF. KF 135 .S68). Tennessee cases taken from the South Western Reporter. Holdings: Vol. 1 (1886) – Vol. 300 (1927).
All Tennessee cases in the South Western Reporter are indexed in Volumes 35 – 37, “Table of Cases” in:
West’s Tennessee Digest, 2d (REF. KFT 57 .T42). Updated annually with pocket parts.
Searching a Case by Topic
For United States Supreme Court cases:
United States Supreme Court Digest (REF. KF 101 .1 .U54), Vols. 2 – 13A.
For Tennessee Supreme Court cases:
West’s Tennessee Digest, 2d (REF. KFT 57 .T42), Vols. 1 – 31.
In both of the above titles, the case reports are digested and gathered under topic headings. The topic headings are then arranged alphabetically in the volumes. A list of topic headings can be found at the beginning of each volume.
Supplemental Law Sources available in the Paul Meek Library
(Paper).
Black’s Law Dictionary. 7 th Ed. (REF.DESK KF 156 .B53 1999)
One of the better law dictionaries, Black’s gives precise definitions and examples of use. It includes American, English and Latin law words and phrases.
Legal Thesaurus. 2 nd Ed. (REF. KF 156 .B856 1992)
Brief definitions, parts of speech, synonyms and associated legal terms.
Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage. (REF. KF 156 .G367 1995)
Good for practical guidelines on language and style.
Prince’s Bieber Dictionary of Legal Citations: A Reference Guide for Attorneys, Legal Secretaries, Paralegals, and Law Students. 6 th Ed. (REF. KF 246 .P73 2001).
This book is a combination of two formerly separate titles, The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation and Prince’s Bieber Dictionary of Legal Citations. The 17 th edition of the Bluebook is included as an appendix to this edition of Prince’s Bieber. Together, the forms in this book have been designed for types of legal writing, including general rules of citation and style. United States, foreign and international reporting services are listed along with dates of coverage.
Bieber’s Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations. 5 th Ed. (REF. KF 246 .B46 2001)
This work contains and extensive range of acronyms, abbreviations and symbols used in legal literature and it includes a forward/reverse dictionary of abbreviations and acronyms. This expanded edition also has many abbreviations and acronyms for foreign agencies, reporters, periodicals, etc., cited in American legal literature.
Fundamentals of Legal Research. 8 th Ed. (REF. KF 240 .M469)
This is the eighth edition of one of the standard texts in the field of legal research. This edition incorporates electronic research methods with print or traditional methods to reflect contemporary trends in legal research. It also uses graphics effectively to complement and supplement the text.
Finding the Law. 11 th Ed. (REF. KF 240 .B45 1999).
The purpose of this book is to instruct the reader in the basics of legal research.
Legal Research in a Nutshell. 7 th Ed. (REF. KF 240 .C54 2000).
A brief but information packed guide to legal research. It incorporates electronic research into its text and includes an informative description and analysis of two databases the Paul Meek Library provides, LEXIS-NEXIS and Westlaw. Another useful inclusion is a description of and instruction in how to use West Group’s Key-Number Digests, a very comprehensive digest system.
12/2004
