Research Tip: Use Notes of Decisions to Quickly Find Relevant Cases Interpreting a Statute or Regulation

This is a good tip from the Westlaw Legal Solutions blog:

Have you ever searched in cases for a procedural issue and come up empty? Are you not sure how a court might refer to a particular word or concept in a statute or rule? If so, please do not hesitate to make Notes of Decisions your starting point. Notes of Decisions are short summaries of cases interpreting a particular aspect of the statute or rule and can quickly help you find what you need because they are organized by common procedural topics.

Westlaw OnePass Password Reset

As part of a system-wide security review, West is requiring all Westlaw users to reset their OnePass passwords. Instructions to change or reset your password may be found on the Legal Solutions website. You may do it now, or when prompted at login. If you have a problem, please do not hesitate to contact the Reference Desk or 1-800-WESTLAW.

Learning (and CLE) Opportunities at the Supreme Court Library in December

We have lots of training (and CLE) planned for December.  Stop by the Reference Desk, or call (775-684-1640) or email reference (at) nvcourts (dot) nv (dot) gov to reserve a seat. 

• Tuesday, 12/9/14 - 4-5 p.m. - Substance Abuse Research on Westlaw (1.0 substance abuse credit)
• Wednesday, 12/10/14 - 9-10 a.m. - Ethics 2014 (1.0 ethics credit)
• Wednesday, 12/10/14 - 10:30-11:30 a.m. - Transitioning from Westlaw Classic to WestlawNext (1.0 general credit)
• Wednesday, 12/10/14 - 12-1 p.m. - Substance Abuse Research on Westlaw (1.0 substance abuse credit)
• Friday, 12/19/14 - 10:30-11:30 a.m. - Getting Started in HeinOnline (1.0 general credit) webinar
• Friday, 12/19/14 - 12-1 p.m. - Advanced Searching in HeinOnline (1.0 general credit) webinar

The HeinOnline training is by webinar.  You can sign up to participate from your computer or you can join us in Room 107 of the Law Library.   

For additional information about Nevada requirements and links to a few CLE providers, check out our October 16th post:  It's That Time of Year:  CLE Requirements and Opportunities.

Save the Date: Westlaw Classic Will Be Retired on August 21, 2015

West has announced Westlaw Classic's retirement date: August 21, 2015. Read more on the Legal Solutions blog and download the free user guide "Comparing Westlaw Classic to WestlawNext," to help you make the transition.

Additionally, the Law Library offers a variety of WestlawNext training opportunities. The next class, WestlawNext Refresher, will be held on December 10 from 10:30-11:30* a.m. in Room 107 of the Law Library. There will be additional classes scheduled in March and June as part of our quarterly Westlaw training series, and we will probably add additional sessions to help patrons make the transition. If you would like to meet with our Account Manager for individual training, she generally comes to Carson City monthly, each second Wednesday.  Call (775-684-1640) or email (reference at nvcourts dot nv dot gov) to schedule an appointment or to sign up for a webinar.

*Edited on 12/1/14 to change time from 9-10 to 10:30-11:30.

From the Thomson Reuters Westlaw Library Relations Newsletter, October 2014:

New Title Added to USCA:  Title 52 Voting and Elections

A new subject matter title, Title 52 Voting and Elections, has been created within United States Code by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, an independent, nonpartisan office in the U.S. House of Representatives.  It is important to note: 

• Title 52 contains provisions that are being relocated from Titles 2 and 42

• No substantive content has been altered  

• The relocated provisions have new citations

• The Westlaw USCA team was notified by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the Title 52 addition several weeks in advance of the release of the United States Code on the government’s website

• The Westlaw USCA team transferred code text, credit provisions, and all of our editorial features including editorial notes and Notes of Decisions

• The new title was released to Westlaw on September 3, 2014 

Find out more on the Legal Solutions Blog.   

Westlaw Tip of the Week: Searching Secondary Sources More Efficiently

This is an old(ish) Tip of the Week, but still helpful information.  One tip I give our patrons is WestlawNext can be a good way to identify relevant chapters of treatises, since it searches across the entire West platform, not just the materials included in our contract.  And, if your search retrieves documents that are not included in our plan, come see the reference librarians and we will help you find the treatise in print.  The Law Library has an extensive collection of West treatises in print and if we don't have it we might be able to borrow it from another library.

Finding the document you need within Secondary Sources may take time, especially if you are starting a new research project and are searching through all Secondary Sources on WestlawNext. Here are some tips to make this process easier.

Narrow the Results List Using FiltersThe filters are especially helpful when you are looking for a Secondary Source from a particular jurisdiction. For example, try setting your jurisdiction to California and then run a search for “equitable estoppel”:

- See more on the Legal Solutions Blog.

Westlaw Tip of the Week: Why WestlawNext?

Still using Classic Westlaw?  You might want to check out the West Legal Solutions Blog for tips on Westlaw and WestlawNext:

WestlawNext has many resources beyond cases, statutes, and secondary sources. Knowing what they are, where to find them, and how to use them can greatly increase your research efficiency. - See more on the blog.

Another Tip of the Week covers historical statutes:

Legal research often requires us to find prior laws. For example, you may need to view the statute that was in effect on the date a legal matter actually occurred. Likewise, the proper application and understanding of legislative intent behind a current law often requires examining older versions of that law. There are several ways to find prior laws on WestlawNext.

Westlaw Training (and Free CLE Credit) at the Law Library

Once again the Law Library is hosting Westlaw training sessions that qualify for CLE credit.  Dates and topics follow.  Seating is limited. Please call the Reference Desk (775-684-1640) to reserve your seat.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

10:15-11:15 am - Advanced WestlawNext

Designed for those researchers who have some experience with WestlawNext, this seminar focuses on:

• folder-sharing,
• advanced search,
• utilizing filters,
• customizable features of WestlawNext, and
• the WestlawNext iPad app (v 2.0.1), including search, result filtering, touch-screen navigation, notes and highlighting, research history, foldering options, and VGA capability to experience WestlawNext on the “big screen.”

11:30 am - 12:30 pm - Topical Research on WestlawNext

This course builds upon your legal research skills using WestlawNext to delve into topical content sets of law. Attendees will learn how to find case law, statutes, regulations, and administrative documents specific to a topical area of practice. Attendees will explore WestlawNext’s Related Documents feature which will suggest secondary resources that are on-point for the topical search performed. Finally, attendees will learn advanced research techniques for WestSearch, a multi-functional search box that simultaneously searches all core legal content sets on WestlawNext as well as learn how to perform legal research using West’s Topic and Key Number System from the West National Reporter System (NRS).

 

June Events at the Law Library

We are hosting Westlaw for some CLE training this month, as well as Nevada Legal Services's monthly forms-completion clinics. 

6/11/14, 10-11 a.m. - Intermediate Westlaw** - Room 107 - 1.0 hours of general CLE credit
6/11/14, 11:15-12:15 a.m. - Employment Law Research using Westlaw** - Room 107 - 1.0 hours of general CLE credit
6/12/14, 1:30-3:30 p.m. - NLS Forms Completion Clinic* - Room 103

*Drop in, for more information, contact NLS at 775-284-3491 x214.
**Seating is limited, please contact the Reference Desk at 775-684-1640 to reserve your seat.

Upcoming Events in May and June at the Law Library

Here are a few upcoming events that might be of interest to Law Library patrons:

5/8/14, 1:30-3:30 p.m. - NLS Forms Clinic* - Room 107
5/22/14, 1:30-3:30 p.m. - NLS Forms Clinic* - LOCATED AT THE BRIC, 108 E. Proctor St.
6/11/14, 10-11 a.m. - Intermediate Westlaw** - Room 107 - 1.0 hours of general CLE credit
6/11/14, 11:15-12:15 a.m. - Employment Law Research using Westlaw** - Room 107 - 1.0 hours of general CLE credit

*Drop in, for more information, contact NLS at 775-284-3491 x214.
**Seating is limited, please contact the Reference Desk at 775-684-1640 to reserve your seat.

More Westlaw Training (and Free CLE) at the Law Library

On Wednesday, June 11, 2014, in Room 107 of the Law Library, we will be offering the following two CLE programs:

10-11 a.m. - Intermediate Research on WestlawNext (1 hour of general credit)

Take the next step in your research training with Intermediate WestlawNext. Find our more tips and tricks for getting the best results from your research time utilizing WestlawNext.

11:15a-12:15 p.m. - Employment Law Research Using Westlaw (1 hour of general credit)

Efficient online access to comprehensive, current, and accurate information is an indispensable competitive advantage in the practice of employment law. Westlaw provides access to a comprehensive online library of relevant materials.  This training will focus on using these materials as you perform research tasks such as:

• evaluating clients and their claims, including potential recovery or exposure,
• investigating facts, parties, and issues,
• researching the law, including the most recent developments,
• preparing a case for trial,
• litigating a case, and
• devising programs and policies for your clients.

RSVP by calling the Reference Desk (775-684-1640).

Free WestlawNext Training and CLE at the Law Library

On Wednesday, March 19, 2014, in Room 107 of the Law Library, we will be offering the following two CLE programs:

10-11a - Introduction to WestlawNext (1 hour of general credit)
11a-12p - Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Using Westlaw (1 hour of ethics credit)

Introduction to WestlawNext
*New easy to use interface
*Search from an all-in-one search box
*Customize your display of information
*Browse faster with case summaries
*Track research with visual indicators
*Sort and filter results
*Email and download your search results

Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Using Westlaw
*Research strategies for searching primary and secondary sources of law on legal ethics and professional responsibility

RSVP by calling the Reference Desk (775-684-1640).

Is the NRS Updated Yet?

No, LCB staff is hard at work codifing acts passed by the 2013 Legislature.  We do not expect to receive the 2013 Nevada Revised Statutes until November or December.  Supplements to Lexis' Michie's Nevada Revised Statutes Annotated and West's Nevada Revised Statutes Annotated should be available shortly thereafter.

In the meantime, update the 2011 NRS Reprint using the tables and indices available on the LCB's 2013 Bill Information page. 

• If you have a NRS section and want to know if it has been updated, use the table of sections proposed to be amended or repealed.
• If you have an NRS chapter and want to know if it has been amended, use the table of chapters proposed to be amended by the addition of new sections.
• There are also tables for amended titles and titles and sections amended by initiative petition, as well as a subject index.

If you prefer print, you can use the tables in the 2013 Statutes of Nevada advance sheets (REF KFN625 .A2 2013 and READY REF KFN625 .A2 2013). The bound 2013 Statutes of Nevada has not yet been published, and will be added to the collection as soon as it is available.

A word of caution:  don't think you can avoid updating by using Westlaw and Lexis.  Currently the NRS available on Lexis and Westlaw is the 2011 version, though there should be red Shepard's and KeyCite flags for those sections which have been amended.  Titles and chapters, however, are trickier and it is good practice to review the tables linked above.

Oh, and when you are done with the 2013 session, you can do it again with the tables for the 27th Special Session.

tl;dr:  no, use these tables to update the 2011 NRS.

Westlaw Search Tip - Stop Words

You may be used to using the number sign (#) on Twitter as a hashtag.  Searching for #HR4636 from the example below will retrieve other tweets with #HR4646.

Check out THOMAS' Top Ten legislative items, compiled on 8/12/2012 thomas.loc.gov/home/topten/to… #HR4646 #HR1776#HR1627 #HR3012#HR4348
— THOMASdotgov (@THOMASdotgov) August 13, 2012

The number sign has a different function on Westlaw.  Use it to turn off auto-equivalents (1 or one), alternative spellings (color or colour) and plurals (join and joins) in your boolean search.  It also makes stop words searchable.  Stop words are common words like after, before, between and adding the number sign before the word forces Westlaw to include it in the search result. You can read more about stop words in the September/October 2010 issue of Westlaw Edge.

Westlaw Training at Nevada Supreme Court Library

The Supreme Court Library will be hosting a Westlaw* Patron Access training session on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, from 10-11 a.m. in Room 107.

Topics include using Westlaw Library Patron Access to:

• Use West editorial enhancements to get better results in both cases and statutes;
• Understand and use KeyCite graphical indicators to improve search results and citation validation;
• Review of natural language, and terms & connectors searching, and
• Review of online workflow tools such as using the “Copy with Reference” feature, Limit document display by fields, and efficient statutes browsing.

Attorneys can earn one general credit towards their Nevada CLE requirement.

*Free to search; results may be printed at $0.10 per page; downloading and emailing not available at this time.

*****************

Who:  Patrick McCahill, Research Specialist, Government Sales & Account Management

What:  Westlaw Training
When:  Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Where:  Supreme Court Library, Room 107
Why:  Learn to use Westlaw more efficiently to obtain better results in less time

No need to sign up in advance, drop-ins welcome.

Free Westlaw Training at the Supreme Court Library

Did you know the Supreme Court Library offers free access to Westlaw*?  The Supreme Court Library will be hosting a Westlaw Patron Access training session on Thursday, February 23, 2012, from 10-11 a.m.

Topics include using Westlaw Library Patron Access to:

1. Use West editorial enhancements to get better results in both cases and statutes;
2. Understand and use KeyCite graphical indicators to improve search results and citation validation;
3. Review of natural language, and terms & connectors searching,  and
4. Review of online workflow tools such as using the “Copy with Reference” feature, Limit document display by fields, and efficient statutes browsing.

Attorneys can earn one general credit towards their Nevada CLE requirement.
 
*Free to search; results may be printed at $0.10 per page; downloading and emailing not available at this time.

Changes coming to Westlaw and Lexis

West and Lexis have been revamping their services. West debuts WestlawNext on February 1st and New Lexis will be released later this year.

Attorney and legal blogger Robert Ambrogi had the opportunity to use WestlawNext and says:

This is no mere cosmetic redesign. WestlawNext completely changes the search interface and the search engine behind it. In fact, the change is so dramatic that West has given its new search engine its own name: WestSearch. This new search engine does not just look at the terms you enter, a West executive said. Rather, it tries to identify the issue of law based on the terms you searched.

Less is known at this point about New Lexis. The February ABA Journal has an article on both Westlaw and Lexis and includes the following regarding New Lexis:

“Our new search engine is radically different,” says Marty Kilmer, vice president for new product strategy at LexisNexis. “Under the old system you had to know what you wanted to search. You had to drill down to find the right databases.”
....
An early preview of the New Lexis opens with a simple query box. Boolean search terms—like “Roe and Wade” or “Scalia or Roberts”—are a thing of the past. Users can type a simple query with natural language, a la Google or Yahoo. Queries can be filtered by jurisdiction, type of content or other restrictions. The search engine, like Google, has artificial intelligence that will help pull more relevant results.