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Strategies for Success with Legal Research

Steps for conducting efficient and effective legal research

Authority on point

Look for controlling primary authority. If unsuccessful, try to find persuasive authority.

1. Ask: Is there a STATUTE on point?

2. If so, are there also ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS?

3. If there are no annotations to statutes on point, try a Legislative History.

4. Ask: Are there CASES on point?

5. Find an applicable West TOPIC and Key Number or Lexis headnote or topic.

Search here to retrieve links to the most relevant points of law represented by your search terms. West attorney editors have read, summarized and classified case law by topic and subtopics that represent specific points of law. Each specific point of law is assigned a unique number, called a Key Number. When you click a Key Number link, you will retrieve the case headnotes classified to that particular Key Number.

Shepard's® More Like This Headnote feature lets you find other headnotes that are similar to the one you are currently viewing. Just click the magnifying glass to see similar headnotes and/or paragraphs from the case. The results will include up to three headnotes for each case, or a paragraph of text with similar terms from the headnote.