LexisNexis is a comprehensive legal research database that provides access to an extensive collection of legal resources, including case law, statutes, legal journals, and other secondary sources. It plays a crucial role in the legal research process, offering tools for searching and analyzing legal information efficiently and effectively.
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LexisNexis was originally created in the 1970s as a service to provide lawyers with access to legal research materials in electronic format.
The platform allows users to conduct Boolean searches, which enable complex querying of data to refine search results.
It includes not only case law and statutes but also news articles, business information, and public records that can support legal arguments.
LexisNexis offers advanced tools for analyzing case law trends and judicial opinions, helping users stay informed about developments in the law.
The database is widely used in law schools for educational purposes, as it provides students with real-world experience in legal research methodologies.
Review Questions
How does LexisNexis enhance the efficiency of legal research methodologies?
LexisNexis enhances the efficiency of legal research methodologies by providing a centralized platform that combines multiple types of legal resources into one accessible database. Users can perform sophisticated searches that yield relevant case law, statutes, and secondary sources in a matter of seconds. This integration of resources minimizes the time spent searching multiple databases, allowing researchers to focus on analyzing and applying the information they find.
What features does LexisNexis provide for conducting case law research, and how do these features benefit legal professionals?
LexisNexis offers features such as citation analysis tools, comprehensive databases of case law, and the ability to Shepardize cases. These features allow legal professionals to assess the current validity of cases quickly and understand how they have been treated in subsequent rulings. By providing access to up-to-date information about cases and relevant precedents, LexisNexis enables attorneys to build stronger arguments and better advise their clients.
Evaluate the impact of LexisNexis on the accessibility of secondary sources in legal research compared to traditional methods.
LexisNexis significantly increases the accessibility of secondary sources in legal research by digitizing vast amounts of information that were previously available only in print or through specialized libraries. This transformation allows users to quickly locate articles, treatises, and commentary on legal issues without the limitations of physical collections. As a result, both students and practicing lawyers can gain insights from diverse perspectives on legal matters more easily than ever before, which contributes to a more informed approach to legal analysis.
The standard format used to reference legal documents, including cases, statutes, and regulations, which allows users to locate and identify legal sources quickly.
Shepardizing: A process used to verify the validity and subsequent history of a legal case by checking its treatment in later cases and ensuring it is still good law.
Another leading online legal research service that provides access to a vast database of legal resources, similar to LexisNexis, often used by legal professionals for research.