Lexis Advance Quicklaw (or Quicklaw) can be used to locate the full text of Canadian and foreign (including American) case law. It also includes federal and provincial legislation and regulations, case reports, digests, tribunal decisions, and statutes, as well as secondary materials such as law journals and newsletters.
The interfaces for searching for American and Canadian legal cases differ slightly. Here are tips for searching in each:
Canadian cases
- Ensure the Canadian flag is selected on the left side of the search bar.
- Click on Advanced Search to the right of the search bar.
- Select the drop-down next to Select a specific content type and select Cases.
- If you have the citation, this is the best way to search. To do so, enter this information in the Citation box (e.g. 2000 O.J. 740).
- Tip: If you are reading a journal article that mentions a legal case, check out the article's References list. The entry for the case should include the legal citation.
- If you only have the case name (or "style of cause"), you can enter that information in the Case Name box (e.g. R. v. Smith). However, your results will likely be less specific than searching by citation, and you may need to search through multiple entries with the same or similar names, or use the filters on the left side of the screen to sort through your results.
American cases
- From the home page, ensure the American flag is selected on the left side of the search bar.
- Click on Advanced Search
- If you have the citation, this is definitely the best way to search for American legal cases. Scroll down to the Document Segments/Fields section and enter the citation in the Citation box (e.g. 479 U.S. 157)
- Tip: Again, if you come across information about a legal case in a journal article, check out the article's References list. The listing for the case should include the legal citation.
- If you only have the case name, (e.g. Colo. v Connelly), then enter it in the This exact phrase search box, then click Add to add the phrase to the search box. Click the magnifying glass to search.
- Again, your results will likely be less specific than searching by citation. You may need to search through multiple entries with the same or similar names, or use the filters on the left side of the screen to sort through your results.
