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Finding Briefs

Accessing briefs, motions and pleadings has expanded through LexisNexis® Total Litigator.

The initial collection consists of documents obtained from noteworthy cases decided or pending from 2000 to the present in the federal courts and state courts around the country. The emphasis is on cases involving intellectual property, securities, labor & employment, insurance and complex litigation, such as mass tort actions. These briefs, motions and pleadings are retrieved from cases that have been identified as noteworthy by experienced legal editors from Matthew Bender® and skilled litigation journalists from Mealey Publications™.

For example, to search for only briefs concerning Chapter 13 and bankruptcy:

1. Go to www.lexisnexis.com/litigatorand sign on.
2. Click on the tab Draft, File & Send Documents.
3. Click Briefs, Pleadings and Motions.
4. Select a jurisdiction (Federal) from the pull-down menu.
5. Select a source (Selected Briefs and Motions, Combined) from the pull-down menu.
6. Enter your terms - document-type(brief) and chapter 13 and bankruptcy
7. Click Search.

From any given brief, motion or pleading, you can link to any related case opinion. Conversely, when you’re reviewing a case opinion, you can link to available briefs, motions and pleadings.

Within lexis.com, similar searches can be initiated in the file Selected Briefs and Motions, Combined.  You can use the DOCUMENT-TYPE segment to retrieve only briefs. For example, take the following steps to locate briefs filed during October of 2005:

1. Click the Search tab.
2. Click the Legal source tab.
3. Click the following links in the order listed: Briefs, Motions & Pleadings / Selected Briefs and Motions, Combined
4. Enter document-type (brief) and date is 10/2005 in the search field.
5. Click Search.

In addition to the information listed above, you will also find briefs available in the following sources within lexis.com Legal tab – Briefs, Motions & Pleadings, including selected state and issue-related sources

• U.S. Supreme Court Briefs

• All Mealeys Publications

• Brief Reporter

• Newsworthy Litigation Documents