Searching for Case Law
If you aren't already familiar with an area of law and are looking for case law on a certain topic (e.g. Nuisance) it is best to begin your search with secondary sources such as encyclopedias and ebooks that identify relevant case law in context.
Most searches for specific case law are what are called "known item searches," meaning that the style of cause (e.g. James v York University) or important details about it (e.g. "York University" AND soccer) are already known. When looking for a known case, searching using the neutral citation will produce the most accurate results. Neutral citations are produced by the court and are unique to each case. The style of cause, or name of the case, is also useful for searching, although it is important to identify through the case history that the case you come upon is the one you intend (e.g. the Supreme Court decision, rather than the earlier Appeal Court decision with the same style of cause).
How to Write a Case Citation
