Your expert’s credibility can determine the outcome of a case. That’s why you must uncover the strengths and weaknesses of any expert involved. Be sure your expert witness research is bulletproof.   LexisNexis ® has more information...

All 150 Martindale-Hubbell Law Digests describing the laws of U.S. and foreign jurisdictions are now available on www.martindale.com for FREE! The searchable digests are loaded and available to those who register to use the site. The digests summarize...

To become a good legal writer, most of us have to go through two stages of intellectual growth. In law school we learned that what seems simple to non-lawyers is, in fact, complex. Then we learn that, to write well about the law, we must return to simplicity,...

One search can be powerful.   At lexis.com ® , one search can cover multiple jurisdictions and multiple content types.   LexisNexis Search by Topic or Headnote compiles a thorough overview on your legal topic, pinpoints...

publication: JD Supra   This article, written when the author was a law student, critiques the law school legal research experience, observing that much legal research instruction is lost on students who are ill-prepared to receive it, do not understand...

So you like the reassurance of using an online research service like lexis.com®, but you are worried about the cost? Lexis® Representative Mary Beth Drain has prepared a "Cost Effective Research for Summer Associates" primer that is useful...

Shepard's allows you to use Custom Restriction options to restrict your report to specific treatments (overruled, reversed, etc.), jurisdictions, headnotes (now including LexisNexis® Headnotes), and dates. It also lets you find specific words or phrases...

An important thing to remember about the red “Stop Sign” signal you sometimes see when Shepardizing ® a case on LEXIS is that it does not necessarily mean that the case is no longer good law. Although the signal can indicate this of...

David Hricik, a Professor of Law at Mercer University School of Law in Macon, Georgia, advocates a simple, two-step approach to legal research and writing: First, when reading the legally pertinent cases, focus first on the result the court reached,...

In this economy, you need more of a foundation than ever in cost-effective research techniques: when to use a book, how to select the right database for the search, and how to use tables of contents or Shepards® for research. Law Librarians have...

By the time that you graduate from law school, you probably feel that you have a pretty good concept of legal writing, especially if you have an undergrad degree that concentrated heavily in drafting. Before you get too confident, I’ll share a story...

If you’re reading this, you’re interested in improving your writing skills and you have internet access. Lucky you! Blogs on improving legal writing skills abound. Here are a few that I’ve found to be helpful: The (new) Legal...

Which state courts are the most influential? One way of judging influence involves identifying rulings that have been the basis for other states’ judgments. However, the challenge in defining influence has been determining whether another state court...

Special Offer for Registered Lexis Hub Users! Download this Expert Witness Research Checklist to en to ensure you’re consulting all of the available sources the next time you perform critical expert witness research.

While you might be tempted to submit a pleading or brief without proofreading it because of time limitations, you might want to think twice about that. As Shannon P. Duffy reported in the Legal Intelligencer , one attorney had his requested attorney...

Are the cases, statutes and other authorities that you plan to cite still good law? Summer associates as well as experienced attorneys check using Shepard’s ® Citations Service, available online through the LexisNexis® services. Law professionals...

If you are helping attorneys in your firm analyze the elements of a case, it’s worth finding out whether CaseMap® case analysis software from LexisNexis® is available to you. U sed in 97 of the AmLaw Top 100 law firms, CaseMap is standardized...

When you know the most relevant sources for your research, you can stay focused and complete work more quickly and effectively. But of course you can’t know every available source every time. Even your assigning attorney may not know the most pertinent...

  It’s 5 p.m. and a partner at your firm asks you to research an unfamiliar topic of law. What do you do? You’re not sure about the search terms and sources to use for a particular research...

The Lexis® Transactional Advisor gives you a unique combination of due diligence tools, legal analysis and practice capabilities―all in one place―to help your firm build a road map to success for your clients.   Structured Around Specific...

Where can you find external model documents to use in drafting compelling briefs, pleadings, and motions? Are you skilled in gathering intelligence on experts, opposing parties, attorneys, and judges? Where do you turn when you cannot find support for a...

Interactive Online Training Sessions that guide you through the LexisNexis® services at lexis.com®. Take these brief sessions at your convenience to learn about lexis.com® from signing on to analyzing search results, as well as new enhancements...

As you move from law school into the real world of practicing law, it may surprise you to find out what online legal research really costs. During law school it’s easy to use a computer for all your research without any concern about the expense. But...

The FOCUS feature provides a simple and efficient means of getting to the information you need, be it an on-point case or primary source document, or an important fact that can strengthen your case. The FOCUS feature allows you to narrow your results...

You already know LexisNexis as the premier provider of comprehensive case law, news and public records material, as well as the renowned Shepard’s ® citations service. But did you know that LexisNexis also brings you a wide range of legal analysis...

An open memo discusses preliminary research on an issue, presents recommendations, and suggests additional research and inquiry that a senior attorney may wish to pursue to form his or her own conclusions and determine a specific course of action....

You’ve been making progress at the firm, and now you’re drafting pre-trial motions. Are you ready to work on a motion for summary judgment?   Why Firms Seek Summary Judgment   When the material facts of a controversy...

Although most graduating law students and new attorneys understand the need to gain experience in the substantive areas of law, most feel relatively confident about their writing skills. Such confidence may be misplaced, however, as the requirements for writing...

You have been assigned to draft your first internal legal memorandum for a particular partner. What approach should you take? How much detail should you include? What aspects of the legal issue should you cover? It’s your job to find out.  ...

            In most ABA-approved law schools, “Legal Research and Writing” is a class that gives far more work than credits and is typically a law student’s first exposure to one of...

It strikes everyone as an extreme case of the evils of jargon when a man is tried by a law he can't read, in a court which uses a language he can't understand.   --A.P. Rossiter, Our Living Language p. 86 (1953) (quoted in J. Kimble, ...

In most movies and television shows, lawyers are shown interviewing clients, investigating the facts, and making witty, barbed comments when examining a witness on the witness stand. However, for most attorneys, document preparation is one of the most important...

You need to initiate a legal action on behalf of one of your firm’s clients. Of course your overall objective is to put the opponent on notice. But whether the action involves personal injury, breach of contract, wrongful death, or any other issue,...

It's easy to cost-effectively deliver the research documents you need through LexisNexis®.   1.        As you look at research results in Cite, KWIK™, Full or Custom view: Click the...

Shepard’s ® Citations Service helps you build your arguments efficiently and reliably—and ensure that you have good law. Because Shepard’s is conveniently integrated into the LexisNexis® services at www.lexis.com , it’s...

Secondary sources are an excellent starting point when researching. Secondary sources provide:   An overview of a specific area of law, as well as detailed, critical analysis of key concepts and theories within the various areas of law....

The PowerPoint presentation below provides an excellent review on how to search federal and state statutory law, including topics such as the use of the following: • Popular Names Table • Public Laws • United States Code (U.S.C.) •...

Surprised? Actually, some Web sites (see attachment below) —both general and legal—can get your research off to a good start and can even be a means to accomplish certain kinds of research tasks. With that said, thorough research calls for a...

Do you know all the different ways you can use  www.lexis.com, including the Federal Litigation Research Tasks page, to find on-point results for your legal research assignment? If you can’t think of at least six different options, let’s...

Although the United States didn’t sign the Kyoto Protocol, which sets binding emission limits for developed (Annex I) countries, U.S. corporations that have facilities in developed countries which have signed the Protocol must comply with emissions...

You are tasked with developing a memo for a partner discussing lawsuits over defective insulation for an insurance company client. Where do you start?   o        Emerging issues coverage is found in a number of...