How to know if a case is good law on Lexis?
Asked by: Hellen Cartwright Sr. | Last update: January 29, 2026Score: 4.6/5 (57 votes)
To know if a case is "good law" on Lexis, use the Shepard's® citator to check its subsequent history and treatment, looking for negative signals like red flags (overruled/bad law) or orange squares (superseded by statute), but always read the citing cases to understand why the treatment is negative, as symbols like yellow flags (distinguished) don't automatically mean it's bad law, just that you need to understand the context.
How to tell if a case is still good law on Lexis?
To determine whether a case is still good law, you need to check the subsequent history of the case as well as subsequent citations to see how other cases have treated your case by using citators (Shepardizing on Lexis or KeyCiting on Westlaw).
How to tell if a case is still good law?
The only way you can know if your case is still good law is to validate your research. "Validating" your case research means to run your case through a citator service to see if there are subsequent legal authorities that invalidate your case and then reading those cases that negatively impact your case.
What is good case law?
If you find a case you want to use to support your legal arguments, you will want to figure out if the case is still valid (called good law) and if it is a case that the court must follow. Even if a court is not required to follow it, it may find it persuasive.
How to tell if something is good law on Westlaw?
KeyCite® is the citator in Westlaw. KeyCite can be used to determine whether a statute remains good law. When you retrieve a statutory section in Westlaw, if a red or yellow flag is displayed, that means that there is negative treatment for that statute.
Using Shepard’s® Case Analysis Tools Inside the Lexis® Service
What does blue A mean on Lexis?
Green diamond with “+” — Positive treatment indicated: History or treatment has a positive impact (for example, affirmed or followed). Blue circle with “A” — Citing references with analysis available: Treatment that is neither positive nor negative (for example, explained).
Is Westlaw or Lexis better for legal research?
Schulke, legal reference librarian for the San Francisco Law Library for over 17 years, says he personally favors Westlaw over other search engines. The reason? “It features more California-specific materials. It's also easier for laypeople to use than Lexis.”
What is considered good law?
Good law is the concept in jurisprudence that a legal decision is still valid or holds legal weight. A good law decision has not been overturned (during an appeal) or otherwise rendered obsolete (such as by a change in the underlying law).
How to shepardize on Westlaw?
"Shepardize" a Case: Westlaw KeyCite
- Find a case; go to the full text of the case.
- At the top of the screen, there should be a brief note stating if the case is overruled, superseded, etc.
- KeyCite information is under the tabs, Negative Treatment, History, and Citing References.
What makes a law a good law?
Just Law The law is clear, publicized, and stable and is applied evenly. It ensures human rights as well as property, contract, and procedural rights. Open Government The processes by which the law is adopted, administered, adjudicated, and enforced are accessible, fair, and efficient.
What is the red flag in Westlaw?
Westlaw uses two flags to indicate negative treatment: A red flag warns that a case is no longer good law for at least one of the points of law it contains, e.g., reversed or overruled. A yellow flag warns that the case has some negative treatment, but has not been reversed or overruled.
What tool is used to validate case law?
There are two main case law citators to verify the status of your case - on LexisNexis, it is Shepards and on Westlaw it is Keycite. Keyciting and Shepardizing are also a method for finding other cases and secondary sources relevant to your topic.
Can ChatGPT analyze legal documents?
ChatGPT can interpret legal documents but with significant limitations. Yes, it can summarize basic contracts or explain common legal terms, but it lacks the legal training, jurisdictional awareness, and accuracy needed for complex or high-risk interpretation.
How to properly shepardize a case?
Shepardizing a Case
- Look at the Treatment Levels. Note the different treatment levels, outlined in PURPLE below. ...
- Shepardize the Headnotes. You can also Shepardize the Headnotes. ...
- Display a Shepard's Map. ...
- To show a chart, click on the Map icon on the far right. ...
- Below you see a display of the case's appellate history.
What is the biggest advantage Lexis has over Westlaw?
Lexis-Nexis' tax flat rate plan offers more tax information than Westlaw, specifically, secondary source material and cases and statutes from the 50 states. However, Westlaw's flat rate tax plan, when combined with a PRO plan, offers both federal tax and non-tax information from a host state.
How to search case law on LexisNexis?
Enter the citation for your case in the Red Search Box. This will retrieve the document. Read a case once and understand it. Lexis Advance® has built-in tools that make case law easier to understand.
What does it mean to shepardize a case on Lexis?
To “Shepardize” a case or statute means to use a “citator” to find out which later cases, articles, etc. have discussed the case or statute at hand. This is done by using Shepard's on Lexis, KeyCite on Westlaw or BCite on Bloomberg Law.
What does the blue I mean in Lexis?
The blue “I” signal indicates that citing references are available in the Shepard's Citations Service for your case, but the references do not have history or treatment analysis (for example, the references are law review citations).
What makes a case good law?
Look to see if your case has been overruled by a higher court in another case. If your legal proposition comes up in another case, a higher court could overrule your case explicitly. If your case is overruled on the grounds for which you cite it, your proposition is bad law.
How to tell if a case is good law on Westlaw?
After you find a case that is authoritative for your issue, use KeyCite to see if it is good law. A KeyCite status flag (a red or yellow flag, a blue H , or a green C) indicates that information for the case is available in KeyCite.
What are the 4 features of a true law?
For a rule of law system to function, the laws themselves must be public, fair, stable, and understandable.
How does the UCC define a good?
(1) " Goods " means all things (including specially manufactured goods) which are movable at the time of identification to the contract for sale other than the money in which the price is to be paid, investment securities (Article 8) and things in action.
What is better, LexisNexis or Westlaw?
Both Westlaw and Lexis offer excellent value for the money. However, Westlaw is generally more affordable than Lexis and may be more suitable for some solo practitioners and small firms.
Who are the 5 magic circle law firms?
The "Magic Circle" refers to five elite, prestigious, London-headquartered law firms known for corporate, finance, and M&A work, generally including A&O Shearman, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters, and Slaughter and May, recognized for their global reach, high profitability, and significant trainee intakes. This term, coined by legal reporters, signifies the pinnacle of the UK legal market, offering lucrative careers in a demanding, high-pressure environment.
What is the LexisNexis controversy?
LexisNexis controversies center on its business as a data broker, facing criticism and lawsuits for allegedly violating privacy rights by collecting and selling vast amounts of personal data, facilitating government surveillance (especially by ICE), contributing to potential identity theft, and mishandling data in background checks, leading to issues like inaccurate reports and the selling of sensitive driving data without clear consent. Key issues include its role in mass data collection for immigration enforcement, selling data to ICE to bypass sanctuary city laws, and issues with data accuracy in background checks.