Updating using Shepard's via LexisNexis

To Shepardize a case via LexisNexis, you may start from a found case or you may directly Shepardize a case.

  • To start from a found case, click on the Shepard's symbol next to the citation to the document or click on the Shepardize link near the top of the page.
  • To go directly to Shepard's, click on the Shepard's tab at the top of your page. Type the citation in the box labeled "Enter the Citation to be Checked".
    • Select Shepard's for Validation to check whether your case is still "good law" .
    • Select Shepard's for Research to view all history and citing references for your case.

When you invoke Shepard's for Research, you will see a Shepard's summary of the history and all citations to your case. The summary divides citations into cautionary, positive, neutral, and other sources. Each subset of citations contains links to quickly jump to the section of the Shepard's report that may interest you.

The Shepard's report is divided into two sections:

  • The Case History provides prior history as well as subsequent appellate history for your case.
  • Citing Decisions includes all citations to your case in later cases, secondary sources, statutes, and administrative materials.

The default Shepard's report is unrestricted, listing all references to your case. You may limit the results in a number of ways:

  • All Neg(ative): See only citations that have negative treatment of your case including overruled, reversed, distinguished, questioned, or criticized.
  • All Pos(itive): See only citations that have positive treatment of your case including affirmed, followed, harmonized, explained.
  • Custom: Limit by analysis (positive, negative, or any subset thereof), jurisdictions, Lexis headnotes, West Reporter headnotes, date.
  • Focus: Search the text of the citing references.

For more information on Shepard's Citations via LexisNexis:

Page maintained by Raquel Ortiz
Last updated: August 2006