Finding Statutes
In Westlaw and Lexis, you may enter a known citation in the search bar to navigate directly to a statute of interest. Navigate to statutory publications by browsing under “Content type” or jurisdiction from the home page or entering the name of the desired code or resource in the search bar (e.g., “USCS Popular Name Table.”). When searching for statutes, consider initially using one of the below findings aids.
Finding Relevant Code Sections
Since codes are organized by subject, using a hierarchy of general to specific, you may be able to locate a relevant statute by browsing the Table of Contents accompanying a statutory code. Even when you have located what appears to be a relevant statute, it is wise to browse the TOC to locate other relevant sections and to understand the statutory scheme.
In Westlaw, users can open the Table of Contents directly from a statute using the link at the top left side of the section.
Users in Lexis can likewise open a Table of Contents from a statutory section using a link at the top left of the section. After opening the TOC to the left, the user will see the sections in the same subchapter as the current section, but can select "View full Table of Contents" to see the TOC beyond the immediate subchapter.
Indices contain an alphabetical listing of subjects, and code indices provide references to code sections covering those subjects. Both the USCA and USCS provide an index. Indices may help you identify legal terms of art and provide more targeted results than a keyword search.
Below is a screenshot of the USCS Index in Lexis Advance.
Lists all of the popular names of legislation (e.g. the Americans with Disabilities Act) passed by the United States Congress, with relevant history information and code citations.
Below is a screenshot of the Popular Name Table accompanying West's annotated version of the U.S. Code.
As discussed in the Secondary Sources section of this research guide, secondary sources discussing a particular area of law will, in many cases, cite to relevant statutes.
Though not the most efficient means of locating statutes, judicial opinions and court filings will cite to statutes governing the cause of action at issue in the dispute. See the Cases section of this guide for more information about locating and reading cases, and updating your case research.
Westlaw and Lexis offer users the option to search statutory codes using a single search bar, or from an Advanced Search page with fields, and using either natural language or Boolean search strategies. See the Search Techniques section of this guide for guidance on constructing effective searches.
