Home > West's Encyclopedia of American Law > Keycite™

An interactive, computer-assisted citatory service that allows legal researchers to verify the validity of a case and to find all references that have cited that case as authority.

Every day, lawyers are asked by their clients to persuade judges to rule in their favor. One way in which they try to accomplish this task is by citing prior legal decisions, called precedent, that support their clients' positions. Depending on its factual similarity to a pending legal dispute, a relevant precedent can control or influence the outcome of a case. Consequently, lawyers look for ways to make precedents appear more persuasive, while courts look for ways to determine which precedents are relevant, important, or controlling in their jurisdictions.

KeyCite is designed to expedite the process of assessing a case's presidential value. Released by West Group in July 1997, KeyCite was initially available only through Westmate, an online...