How do I view my result list?
How do I edit my search?
How do I restrict my result by jurisdiction?
How do I view the complete text of a document?
How do I locate specific terms within the document I am viewing?
How do I find related materials?
After your search has run, the Results page displays the documents retrieved by your search. A portion of each document containing your search terms is displayed below the document title. To hide the search terms or jump to a specific document, choose the appropriate option from the Result Options drop-down list at the top of the page and click Go.
If your search retrieves more than one type of document, e.g., state statutes and regulations, only the first three documents of each type are displayed. The left frame of the Results page will display a list categorizing the document types retrieved by your search. To view all the documents in a category, click the document type under Result Summary in the left frame, or click view all in the category heading in the right frame. To hide the search terms in the list or jump to a specific document, choose the appropriate option from the drop-down list in the left frame and click Go.
The current search is displayed in a text box at the top of the Results page. To revise your search, click Edit Search, or type your changes in the text box and click Search.
How do I restrict my result by jurisdiction?
When you are viewing a result list that contains documents from multiple jurisdictions, you can restrict the result by jurisdiction. Click Change under View only these jurisdictions. In the dialog box that is displayed, select your jurisdictions and click Focus Search.
How do I view the complete text of a document?
To view the complete text of a document, click its title, citation, or number. To return to the full result list from a document you are viewing, click Full Screen List in the left frame. To view a list of all retrieved documents that are in the same category as the document you are viewing, click the Result List tab.
Hypertext links allow you to jump from a citation in the document you are viewing to the full text of the cited document. Simply click the hypertext link, and the full text of the cited document is displayed in the Link Viewer. You can browse the document for particular terms using Locate without leaving your original document.
How do I locate specific terms within the document I am viewing?
Locate allows you to browse the documents in your search result or a cited document displayed in the Link Viewer for particular terms whether or not these terms appeared in your original search. To use Locate, follow these steps:
Click Locate in Result at the top of the Links tab or Result List tab or click Locate in the Link Viewer.
Type an advanced search in the Locate text box.
Click Locate.
To view the Locate terms, which are highlighted in each document, click the Terms arrows.
How do I find related materials?
When you are viewing a statute, regulation, or court case, the Links tab in the left frame displays links to additional information, such as related administrative materials, court documents, or analytical materials. To view citations to related documents, click a link on the Links tab.
You can also use the KeyCite History and Citing References tabs at the top of the document to retrieve additional information. KeyCite, the powerful citation research service available exclusively from Westlaw, can help you track changes in the law and easily find related information.
Statute history lists cases affecting the validity of the statute plus legislative materials related to the statute. These materials are divided into the following categories:
Updating Documents lists citations to recent session laws that have amended or repealed the section.
Proposed Legislation lists citations to proposed bills that reference the section.
Bill Drafts lists all drafts of bills proposed before the section was enacted into law.
Reports and Related Materials lists reports, journals, Congressional Record documents, presidential or executive messages, and testimony relevant to the section.
Credits lists in chronological order citations to session laws that have enacted, amended, or renumbered the section.
Historical and Statutory Notes describes the legislative changes affecting the section.
KeyCite history for regulations includes proposed regulations and prior versions of the regulations from the Federal Register.
Case history is divided into the following categories:
Direct History traces your case through the appellate process and includes both prior and subsequent history.
Negative Citing References lists cases outside the direct appellate line that may have a negative impact on the precedential value of your case.
Related References lists cases that involve the same parties and facts as your case, whether or not the legal issues are the same.
Case history also includes links to related court documents, such as briefs, petitions, motions, and transcripts of oral arguments.
Citing references includes cases, administrative materials, secondary sources, and briefs and other court documents that cite the document you are viewing.