Quick Tips

Quick Tips

Useful Search Strings:

Have you tried using the ” Search Tools” option on the “Cases & Raw Law Search” page? A number of specific searches are available there.

  • Search Cases By Indexed As Title: Example: black in indexed
  • Search Cases By Name of Party: Example: black … indexed as
  • Search By Citation: Example: 46 B.C.A.C. 1 or 144 N.R. 1 (periods, but no quotation marks)
  • Search Section Number of Statute in a Headnote: Example: sect. 21 in criminal code
  • Search Cases By Date: Example: January 15, 2002 … label summary
  • Search Cases By Year: Example 1: dogs and (1999 or [1999] … mlb); Example 2: Civil Rights – Topic 2368 and (1996 or [1996] … mlb).
  • Search Cases By Court Name: Add the court name to any search string. Example: dogs and label supreme court of the United States.
  • Search By Key Number: If your key number is known: Example: Courts Topic 389; If you have more than one number: Example: Courts Topic (588 or 589 or 591). Note: If you do not know your key number click on Key Number Search on the Home Page.
  • Search The Headnotes Only: Add … [End Headnote] to any search. Example: dog bite* … [end headnote].
  • Search Newest Cases (Cases Recently Added to Databases but not yet headnoted): Add the phrase (tbed. … mlb) to any search. Example: dog and (tbed. … mlb)
  • Search Unedited Cases (Cases that will not be headnoted because they may be of limited usefulness): Add the phrase (uned. … mlb) to any search. Example: dog and (uned. … mlb).

Search by Using Links in Headnotes:

  • Click on the cite at the top of headnote: the next screen will list other cases where this case was judicially considered.
  • Click on the “Indexed As” name: the next screen will list other decisions with the same “Indexed As” name (i.e. a case history).
  • Click a topic number: the next screen will list other cases that have the same topic or point of law.
  • Click on a case name in Cases Noticed: the next screen will list other cases that referred to the case noticed.
  • Click on the citation following the case name in Cases Noticed: the next screen will show the full text of the case cited.
  • Click on a section number in the Statutes Noticed: the next screen will list other cases where this section was judicially considered

Common Searching Problems:

Are you getting no results or not as many hits as you would expect when you are sure there should be cases on point? Are you getting too many hits? Check or try the following:

  • Do not use quotations in a search string.
  • Use the word “and” typed out in full to join phrases or two words in a search string (e.g., dog and cat). Do not use the ampersand (&) in place of the word “. If you want to search the word “and” itself, use _and (i.e., shift dash and) (e.g., palpable _and overriding error).
  • Consider whether the case name or parties might have been initialized (e.g., sexual assault, guardianship cases etc.).
  • Check your search string for the words “and”, “or”, “to”, “not”, “label”, “except” or “in”. If you are using any of these words in a search string, other than as a command word or operator, they need a shift dash in front of them. (E.g., right _to life).
  • Add an asterisk to get plurals and other word endings (e.g., provid* will search provides, provided, providing etc).
  • No need to add french accents to search words in a search string (e.g., dube, cote, etc.).
    If using parenthesis in a search string, make sure the parenthesis are closed.
  • Too many hits – use the Query Within feature to refine search