• Locate Volume 14 & 15, Table of Cases, of the United States Supreme Court Digest. These volumes index all Supreme Court cases.

• Look up the case alphabetically, by the first party named in the case. For example, for "Brown v. Board of Education (Topeka, Kansas)," look under Brown.

• When you have located the case in the list, examine the group of citations given next to the name.

This case is printed in the United States Reports, the Supreme Court Reporter, and the United States Supreme Court Reports Lawyer's Edition. Use the "S.Ct." citation whenever possible. If you find it in one set, don't waste your time trying to find it in another set. It is the same case!

• Select the Practice Digest set that covers the cases within the time frame of interest (see "coverage" for dates). Once you locate the set, find the volumes labeled Table of Cases. (These usually are found near the end of the set.) These volumes index all Federal law cases since 1939.

• Look up the case alphabetically, by the first party named in the case.

• When you have located the case in the list, examine the group of citations given next to the name. Opinions issued by the Court of Appeals will bear an "F." citation, those issued by the District Courts will be referred to as "F.Supp." Match the citation to the sources listed above, and follow the procedures for reading a Supreme Court citation.

• Look up your legal concept in West's Encyclopedia of American Law (ref KF 154 W47 1998). Citations to landmark decisions as well as issue-specific analyses are provided.

• You can also use the United States Supreme Court Digest to find subject. Locate the Descriptive Word Index, the first volumes in the set. These refer to other volumes in the Digest.

• Look up your legal concept, and choose the most appropriate heading. For example, the index will list something like this:

EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAWS

ELECTIONS-

Nonproperty owners, excluding from voting to approve issuing general obligation bonds. Elections 18
School districts, limiting franchise to owners or lessees of taxable realty and parents or guardian of public school children. Elections 18

ELECTIONS and voting-

In general. Const Law 225.2, 225.3
Race Discrimination. Const Law 215.3

• Look up the reference in bold (at the end of the entry) alphabetically - then numerically - in the digest's previous volumes. Once found, cases related to the heading are summarized and cited.

• Use the citation to locate the title, volume, and page in which the court opinion was published.

• Choose the best Practice Digest, and locate the Descriptive Word Index for that set. It will index all of the volumes in the set.

• Look up your legal concept, and choose the most appropriate heading (see above).

• Look up the reference in bold (at the end of the entry) alphabetically - then numerically - in the digest's previous volumes. Once found, cases related to the heading are summarized and cited.

• Use the citation to locate the title, volume, and page in which the court opinion was published.

• Access the library's ReSEARCH Station (http://www.csuchico.edu/library/); click on "Articles & Databases" then click on Lexis/Nexis Academic.

• Click on "Legal" tab to find legal information.

• To find a specific case when you know the citation or party names, select Federal & State Cases from the menu on the right side of the screen. Search by "Case Name" (plaintiffs and defendants) or by "citation number" to retrieve cases from any jurisdiction.

• Access the library's ReSearch Station (http:www.csuchico.edu/library) and click "Articles & Databases," then click on Westlaw at the bottom of the page.

• Using the boxes on the left-hand panel, search for your case using the citation or the "title" (plaintiffs and defendants ) to retrieve cases from any jurisdiction.