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How to Find Definitions of Terms or Phrases
When you search for references that define a term, include words that often surround definitions. Some of the more common terms that surround definitions include:
- construe, construes, construing
- define, defined, definition
- deem, deemed
- explain, explanation, explaining
- interpret, interpretation, interpreted, interpreting
- mean, meaning, meant
Use a W/10 connector to join your term or phrase with definition terms. Use an OR connector between the alternatives. Use the exclamation mark ( ! ) to find all forms of the words. Use an asterisk ( * ) to replace a letter or number in a search term.
For example, take the following steps to find definitions of due diligence in Texas court cases:
- Click the Search tab.
- Click the Legal source tab.
- Click the following links in the order listed to search Texas state cases:
States Legal - U.S. / Texas / Cases / TX State Cases, Combined
NOTE: Because the LexisNexis services list some of the most popular sources on the main search page, you can often link to the source you want directly from the Look for a Source box.
- Click the radio button in front of Terms and Connectors.
- Enter defin! or interpret! or constru*** or mean! or expla! or deem! or consider*** or requir! or includ! w/10 due diligence in the search field.
- Click Search.
Use the ATLEAST command (where n = the number of times you want your term to appear in the document) to limit your search to documents that contain multiple instances of your term or phrase. For example, use the FOCUS™ feature to ensure that the phrase due diligence appears at least five times in the same case. Enter the follwing terms in the FOCUS Terms box:
| FOCUS: |
defin! or interpret! or constru*** or mean! or expla! or deem! w/10 due diligence and atleast5 ( due diligence) |
And remember that many Matthew Bender treatises often include a Glossary of Terms as an Appendix.
- Click the following links in the order listed:
Legal - Area of Law - By Topic - Corporate - Treatises & Analytical Materials - Matthew Bender(R) - Corporate Acquisitions and Mergers
- Enter (glossary or defin!) and due diligence in the search field.
How to Find Briefs
Accessing briefs, motions and pleadings has expanded through LexisNexis®.
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:
- Go to www.lexisnexis.com/litigatorand sign on.
- Click on the tab Draft, File & Send Documents.
- Click Briefs, Pleadings and Motions.
- Select a jurisdiction (Federal) from the pull-down menu.
- Select a source (Selected Briefs and Motions, Combined) from the pull-down menu.
- Enter your terms - document-type(brief) and chapter 13 and bankruptcy
- 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:
- Click the Search tab.
- Click the Legal source tab.
- Click the following links in the order listed: Briefs, Motions & Pleadings / Selected Briefs and Motions, Combined
- Enter document-type (brief) and date is 10/2005 in the search field.
- 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
Did you know you can combine sources across tabs?
LexisNexis released this enhancement recently. For Example, to combine the following files, check the box to the left of the following sources (or sources of your choice), Federal and State Cases, Federal Agency Decisions, News, Most Recent Two Years and Standard & Poor’s Corporate Descriptions, Plus News, and click on the red Combine Sources box located on the menu screen on the upper right, and type in your search.
The results screen provides links to each of the sources searched so that you can see how many cases, agency decisions, news articles, and S&P results you retrieved.
For example:
name(merck) or (company(merck pre/3 #90plus#) and subject(litigation pre/3 #90plus#) and hlead(vioxx)) and date geq (02/13/2004) retrieves all of the cases with Merck named as a party in a case and news articles where Merck is tagged as a company, litigation is tagged as a subject, and the Hlead segment contains Vioxx.
Using Combine Sources allows you to do one search across several sources and see the results for each source separately. Using Combine Sources is a great way to save time!
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