Finding Cases Using the Advanced Search Form on Lexis

The following sample searches illustrate common methods for searching case law materials on the Lexis^® Research service using the Advanced Search Form.  For more information on the Advanced Search Forms, see Advanced Search Forms on Lexis.

For alternative ways to construct a search on the Lexis service, see Creating a Search on Lexis.
 

 Party Name

Use the Party Name segment field in the Advanced Search form to retrieve a case when you know the parties' names.

Take the following steps to retrieve the Supreme Court of the United States' decision in Wright v. Universal Maritime Serv. Corp.:

1. Click Advanced Search.
2. Click Select a specific content type.
3. Click Cases.
4. Enter wright and universal maritime in the Party Name field.
5. Click Search.

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 Attorney Name

Use the Attorney Name segment field in the Advanced Search form to retrieve cases when you know the name of the attorney or law firm representing one of the parties. 

Take the following steps to retrieve all Illinois cases that list Davis Polk & Wardwell as counsel:

1. Click Advanced Search.
2. Click Select a specific content type.
3. Click Cases.
4. Enter davis polk & wardwell in the Attorney Name field.
5. Click Search.
6. Click Court under Filters.
7. Click More under State Courts.
8. Click Illinois.

Take the following steps to retrieve all Supreme Court of Tennessee cases that list Clarence Darrow as counsel:

1. Click Advanced Search.
2. Click Select a specific content type.
3. Click Cases.
4. Enter clarence w/3 darrow in the Attorney Name field.
5. Click Search.
6. Click Court under Filters.
7. Click More under State Courts.
8. Click Tennessee.

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 Judge

Use the WRITTENBY segment field in a specific jurisdiction source to find decisions written by a judge. 

Take the following to retrieve decisions written by the Honorable J. Vincent Aug, Jr. from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio:

1. Click Advanced Search.
2. Click Select a specific content type.
3. Click Cases.
4. Enter aug in the Writtenby field.
5. Click Search.

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 Court

Use the Court segment field to retrieve cases from a particular court. 

Take the following steps to retrieve cases decided in the previous month by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York:

1. Click Advanced Search.
2. Click Select a specific content type.
3. Click Cases.
4. Enter southern district of new york in the Court field.
5. Select Date is after in the Date field.
6. Enter the appropriate date in the field below the Date field.
7. Click Search.

Take the following to retrieve cases from Alabama, Georgia, and Florida courts that discuss freedom of information:

1. Click Advanced Search.
2. Click Select a specific content type.
3. Click Cases.
4. Enter foia or f.o.i.a. or freedom information in the Search box.
5. Enter alabama or georgia or florida in the Court field.
6. Click Search.

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 Docket Number

A docket number is a series of alpha and/or numeric characters assigned by the court to identify a case. Use the NUMBER segment field to retrieve a case when you know the docket number. 

Take the following to retrieve the full text of an Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals case with docket No. 93-2314:

1. Click Advanced Search.
2. Click Select a specific content type.
3. Click Cases.
4. Enter 93 and 2314 in the Number field.
5. Enter eleventh in the Court field.
6. Click Search.

Note: Docket number formats vary and may have intervening characters, such as cv, civ, cr, and crim, that appear between the first set of numbers and the last set of numbers. Use the AND connector to find docket numbers containing these intervening characters.
 

The following list illustrates some docket number variations:
 

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