Lexis

Definition

Lexis (Legal Exchange Information Service) is an advanced, subscription-based legal research system provided by LexisNexis. It offers a wide range of legal resources, including federal and state case law, statutes, legal periodicals, and law reviews. Additionally, Lexis provides legal news, business data, and public records. This platform is instrumental for legal professionals, scholars, and researchers in gathering authoritative and comprehensive legal information efficiently.

Examples

Case Law Research: Attorneys often use Lexis to find precedents and opinions from various courts to support their cases.
Statutory Research: Legal professionals utilize Lexis for searching through federal and state statutes to find relevant laws applicable to a case.
Academic Research: Law students and professors rely on Lexis for accessing legal periodicals, law reviews, and scholarly articles.
News Monitoring: Lexis provides updates on legal news, which is crucial for attorneys to stay informed about significant legal developments.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is Lexis used for? A: Lexis is primarily used for legal research. It provides access to case law, statutes, regulations, and secondary legal materials that are essential for practicing attorneys, law students, and researchers.

Q: How does Lexis help in legal practice? A: Lexis helps legal practitioners by offering a comprehensive repository of legal documents and resources that can be used to find precedents, support arguments, stay updated on legal trends, and perform thorough legal analysis.

Q: Is Lexis available worldwide? A: LexisNexis operates globally, and Lexis is available in various countries, providing region-specific legal information along with international content.

Q: Can law students access Lexis? A: Yes, many law schools provide their students with access to Lexis as part of their legal education. Students can use it for research purposes and to enhance their legal studies.

Q: Are there alternatives to Lexis? A: Yes, some popular alternatives include Westlaw, Bloomberg Law, and Fastcase. Each of these platforms offers similar legal research capabilities with some differences in features and content libraries.

Westlaw: Another major legal research service used by legal professionals, offering extensive databases of case law, statutes, legal journals, and news.
Bloomberg Law: A comprehensive legal research and business intelligence platform that combines legal research with market and company data.
Case Law: The law as established by the outcome of former cases, which Lexis provides extensive access to for research purposes.
Statutes: Written laws passed by legislative bodies that Lexis allows users to access and analyze.
Legal Periodicals: Journals and reviews that are scholarly publications covering legal topics extensively; available through Lexis.

Online References

Suggested Books for Further Studies

“The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation” by Columbia Law Review, Harvard Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and Yale Law Review.
“Legal Research and Writing for Paralegals” by Deborah E. Bouchoux.
“Basic Legal Research: Tools and Strategies” by Amy E. Sloan.
“Legal Research in a Nutshell” by Morris L. Cohen and Kent C. Olson.
“Fundamentals of Legal Research” by J. Myron Jacobstein, Roy M. Mersky, and Donald J. Dunn.

Fundamentals of Lexis: Legal Research Basics Quiz

### What is Lexis primarily used for? - [x] Legal research - [ ] Medical research - [ ] Market analysis - [ ] Educational assessments > **Explanation:** Lexis is primarily used for legal research, offering access to a range of legal resources including case law, statutes, and legal periodicals. ### Which platform is NOT an alternative to Lexis? - [ ] Westlaw - [ ] Bloomberg Law - [x] PubMed - [ ] Fastcase > **Explanation:** PubMed is a database for medical research and not a legal research platform. Westlaw, Bloomberg Law, and Fastcase are alternatives to Lexis. ### Can law students access Lexis? - [x] Yes - [ ] No - [ ] Only after graduation - [ ] Only if they have a paid subscription > **Explanation:** Many law schools provide their students with access to Lexis as part of their legal studies programs. ### What type of content is NOT typically found on Lexis? - [ ] Case law - [ ] Statutes - [ ] Legal journals - [x] Cooking recipes > **Explanation:** Lexis focuses on legal resources such as case law, statutes, and legal journals, and does not provide cooking recipes. ### Who primarily uses Lexis? - [x] Legal professionals and researchers - [ ] Medical doctors - [ ] High school students - [ ] Construction workers > **Explanation:** Lexis is primarily used by legal professionals, including attorneys, law students, and legal researchers. ### What is an alternative platform to Lexis? - [ ] WebMD - [ ] TripAdvisor - [x] Westlaw - [ ] Zillow > **Explanation:** Westlaw is an alternative platform to Lexis, offering similar legal research capabilities. ### Does Lexis provide access to international legal content? - [x] Yes, it provides region-specific and international content. - [ ] No, it only provides U.S. legal content. - [ ] Only for specific cases. - [ ] Only for subscribed users from Europe. > **Explanation:** Lexis provides access to both region-specific and international legal content, making it a global research tool. ### What is case law? - [ ] Law established by treaties. - [ ] Law passed by the legislative body. - [x] Law established by the outcome of former cases. - [ ] Hypothetical law discussed in academic settings. > **Explanation:** Case law refers to the law established by the decisions in previous court cases. ### What is included under legal periodicals? - [ ] Daily newspapers - [ ] Magazines - [x] Scholarly legal journals and reviews - [ ] Fiction novels > **Explanation:** Legal periodicals include scholarly journals and reviews that cover legal topics in depth. ### Where can one commonly find legal statutes? - [x] On platforms like Lexis - [ ] Television - [ ] Weather websites - [ ] Gaming forums > **Explanation:** Legal statutes can be found on legal research platforms like Lexis, which provide comprehensive access to legal documents.

Thank you for exploring Lexis and participating in our quiz. Continue your journey in legal research and enhance your comprehension of the law!