Common questions

What is a digest topic and key number?

What is a digest topic and key number?

A digest helps you to find cases on a specific legal issue or topic. West digests use headnotes and key numbers to organize and summarize all cases by subject.

How do I access Digest on Westlaw?

The West Key Number Digest helps you identify topic and key numbers related to your issue and to headnotes classified under those topic and key numbers. To access the West Key Number Digest on WestlawNext, click the Tools tab in the Browse section of the home page, then click West Key Number System (Figure 3).

What is the West Key Number System?

What Is the West Key Number System? The West Key Number System is a classification system of U.S. law that indexes cases into over 400 topics and more than 98,000 legal issues. Westlaw assigns a topic and key number to each legal issue within a case.

How do you find the key number?

Find the key number for the expression by multiplying the whole numbers in the first and last terms of the expression. For example, in the expression 2×2 + x – 6, multiply 2 and -6 to get -12. Calculate factors of the key number that also add up to the middle term.

What is the key number?

Key Numbers® A system devised by West Group involving the classification of legal subjects that are organized within their publications according to specific topics and subtopics. A particular point of law can be traced through different law books by following the cases listed under a Key Number in each series.

Where are the headnotes in a case?

Headnotes are summaries of a point of law that appear at the beginning of a case. Headnotes are written by editors at Westlaw and Lexis (sometimes the language is verbatim from the text of the opinion).

What key is 192?

Table B-1. U.S. English keyboard and corresponding keycodes

Key Key Value Key Value
J 74 219
K 75 220
L 76 221
M 77 192

Does Lexis have key numbers?

In Lexis Advance, researchers can click on links stating “Narrow by this Headnote” to identify cases on similar issues. Lexis does NOT use the Key Number system.

How can you use a digest to locate a case?

A digest is essentially an index to case law; it takes the headnotes that summarize the points of law discussed in each case and organizes them by subject. Determine the jurisdiction for which you need to find cases, then consult a digest that covers that jurisdiction.

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Ruth Doyle