Legal Research Certification Program (Prepare to Practice): Lesson Four- Headnotes and Key Numbers

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Technical Assistance: Meredith Kostek

Content Help: Meredith Kostek

General Questions: lawlib@lclark.edu

On Westlaw

Using KeyNumbers see if there are any Oregon or 9th Circuit cases on the prosecution's burden of proof when dealing with perjury. Which one would you use to start your research for an Oregon appeal?

On Lexis

Using Lexis Topics see if you can find case law about the exclusive jurisdiction of child support. How many cases in Oregon are there that could help you start your research?

This lesson will teach you how to use headnotes and Westlaw's KeyNumbers to expand your case law searches. These two tools enable you to locate cases by topic across jurisdiction and link form one case to another. In this lesson you will learn about the two tools in the overview, then the best ways to find and use Headnotes and KeyNumbers online. If you want extra practice on this topic, check out the "preparing to practice" column in the lower left corner. This is a place to practice what you've learned in the videos before moving on to the next lesson.

Congratulations! You've completed Lesson 4. Click on the Lesson 5 link to continue with this module. Want more practice? Try the questions in the "Preparing to Practice" section in the bottom left column.