Skip to Main Content Custom Header
Western Washington University. Make waves.
Western Libraries

Legal Research Strategy

Ways to Use Citators

A citator is "a catalogued list of cases, statutes, and other legal sources showing the subsequent history and current precedential value of those sources.  Citators allow researchers to verify the authority of a precedent and to find additional sources relating to a given subject." Citator, Black's Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019).

Each major legal database has its own citator.  The two most popular are Keycite on Westlaw and Shepard's on Lexis. We have access to Shepard's through NexisUni. 

Making Sure Your Case is Still Good Law

This video answers common questions about citators. This video is from Harvard Law Library and references two databases, LexisNexis (Shepardize) and Westlaw (KeyCite). We have access to Shepardize through NexisUni)

Running Time: 6 minutes, 26 seconds.

Using Citators For

Citators serve three purposes: (1) case validation, (2) better understanding, and (3) additional research. 

Case Validation

Is my case or statute good law?

Look for:

  • Parallel citations
  • Prior and subsequent history
  • Negative treatment suggesting you should no longer cite to holding.

Better Understanding

Has the law in this area changed?

Look for:

  • Later cases on the same point of law
  • Positive treatment, explaining or expanding the law.
  • Negative Treatment, narrowing or distinguishing the law.

Track Research

Who is citing and writing about my case or statute?

Look for:

  • Secondary sources that discuss your case or statute.
  • Cases in other jurisdictions that discuss your case or statute.