KeyCite

Definition

KeyCite is a legal research tool provided by Westlaw that helps users verify the current status of a legal case or statute and find relevant case law, citing references, and other legal resources. It enables researchers to track the treatment of a case over time, ensuring they are relying on valid and authoritative legal precedents. KeyCite is essential for updating case law and plays a significant role in enhancing legal research by connecting users to related legal documents and ensuring thoroughness in their findings.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. KeyCite provides visual indicators to quickly show whether a case is still good law, including symbols for negative treatment, neutral treatment, or positive treatment.
2. Researchers can use KeyCite to find out if a case has been reversed, overruled, or distinguished by later decisions, which is crucial for accurate legal analysis.
3. KeyCite not only tracks cases but also provides access to related statutes, regulations, and secondary sources that can enhance understanding of the legal landscape.
4. The tool includes features for searching by citation or party name, making it versatile for different research needs and helping locate relevant authorities quickly.
5. KeyCite is continuously updated to reflect recent judicial opinions and statutory changes, ensuring that users have access to the most current legal information.

Review Questions

• How does KeyCite enhance the process of verifying the current status of legal cases in comparison to traditional methods?
  • KeyCite enhances verification by providing real-time updates on the status of cases, showing whether they are still valid law through visual indicators. Unlike traditional methods that may require manual checking of multiple sources, KeyCite streamlines this process by aggregating all necessary information in one place. This allows researchers to quickly identify how cases have been treated over time and ensures reliance on accurate precedents.
• Discuss the importance of using KeyCite in the context of updating case law and ensuring thoroughness in legal research.
  • Using KeyCite is crucial for updating case law because it provides insights into how judicial opinions have evolved over time. This tool helps legal researchers ensure their references are up-to-date and that they understand any changes in the application of law that may affect their arguments. By utilizing KeyCite, researchers can avoid citing cases that have been negatively treated or overruled, thus strengthening their legal analyses.
• Evaluate the impact of KeyCite on the efficiency of electronic legal research tools and overall research processes.
  • KeyCite significantly improves the efficiency of electronic legal research tools by offering comprehensive citation tracking in a user-friendly format. This impacts overall research processes by reducing the time spent verifying case statuses and finding relevant materials. The integration of KeyCite with Westlaw’s platform allows for seamless navigation between primary sources and related documents, enhancing both accuracy and speed in legal research. Consequently, it empowers users to conduct more thorough analyses with confidence in their citations.

Related terms

Shepardizing: Shepardizing is a similar process to KeyCite, used primarily with LexisNexis, allowing researchers to check the validity of cases and statutes through citation tracking.

Legal Citations: Legal citations refer to the way legal documents reference cases, statutes, or regulations, providing essential information about the source for legal research.

Citing References: Citing references are the cases or legal documents that reference a primary case, offering insight into how it has been treated in subsequent rulings or discussions.