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Federal Caselaw

Using Case Verification Citators

Citators, like KeyCite (available on Westlaw), Shepard's (available on Lexis), and BCITE (available on Bloomberg Law), can help attorneys determine if a case is "good law". They also provide references to additional legal materials, including treatises and law reviews.

"Citators perform three major functions:

  • They provide parallel citations and references to other proceedings in the same case, allowing you to trace a case’s judicial history;
  • They indicate if subsequent cases have overruled, limited, or otherwise diminished a case’s precedent, enabling you to determine whether it is still good law; and
  • They list citing cases, as well as treatises, law review articles, and other resources, providing research leads needed to trace the development of a legal doctrine forward in time." Kent C. Olson, Principles of Legal Research § 8.5, at 274 (2nd ed. 2015).

Citators

KeyCite Westlaw
Available on the library's Westlaw computers.

To KeyCite a citation from the main search box, type KC: before the citation and click Search. To KeyCite when reading a case, click on the Negative Treatment, History, and Citing References tabs above the text of the case.

Shepard's Lexis
Available on the library's Lexis computers.

To Shepardize a citation from the main search box, type shep: before the citation and click Search. To Shepardize when reading a case, click on the Shepardize document link located on the right side of the screen.

BCITE Bloomberg Law
Available on the library's Bloomberg Law computers.

BCITE is available once you are in the full text of the case. To access BCITE, select the BCITE Anaylsis icon from the menu on the right. From there, click on Direct History, Case Analysis, Table of Authorities, or Citing Documents.