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How do I narrow my search results?
How do I narrow my search results?

How to filter by jurisdiction, date, party, cause of action, department, judge, or motion type and how to search within your results

Valerie McConnell avatar
Written by Valerie McConnell
Updated over 2 years ago

As discussed below, you can filter your keyword and Parallel Search results by jurisdiction, date, motion type, party type, and cause of action. You can also use the "search within" function to search within your keyword and Parallel Search results for a specific word or phrase. In addition, you can filter your keyword search results by judge, attorney, party name, or appellate department or district.

Filtering by Jurisdiction

Please visit this page for detailed instructions on filtering by jurisdiction.

Filtering by Date

You can select the "All dates" tab in the center-top of the results page to capture cases from specific years. This filter can be found directly below the "Search within" bar at the top of your results page.

  • Enter specific years to capture content starting January 1 of the first year entered and December 31 of the second year entered

  • Enter a year in the box on the left and leave the box on the right blank to capture content between January 1 of the first year to the present

"Search within"

You can use the “Search within” box in the center-top of your search results screen to add terms to further focus your search.  

Filter by Party Name

To search for cases in which a specific company or individual is named as the plaintiff or defendant, use the title: search functionality. Enter title: in the search bar, followed by the party name. 

For example, a search for title:apple will show all cases that contain the word apple in either party name:

For additional examples of how you can search by party name, please visit this page.

Filter by Attorney

Filter your results to cases they were involved in using the lawyer: search technique.
To do so, enter lawyer: in the search bar, followed by the attorney's full name in quotes

For more attorney filter examples, please visit this page.

Filter by Appellate Department or District

Narrow your search down to a specific district or department within a state's appellate court using the department: search functionality. Here's how:

  1. Select your desired jurisdiction

  2. Enter your keyword search into the search bar

  3. Place department:{{number}} at the end of your search string

For more department or district filter examples, please visit this page.

Filter by Judge

Use this technique to help narrow your search to cases where a particular judge was involved.

  1. Set your jurisdiction to the judge's court

  2. Enter your keyword search query into the search

  3. At the end of your keyword search query, enter judge: followed by the judge's last name

For more judge filter examples, please visit this page.

Filter by Motion

If you are researching a legal issue in connection with a motion to dismiss, a motion for summary judgment, or a motion to compel discovery, we recommend using our motion filter to restrict your results to cases on your issue that pertain to that motion type. In the center-top of your screen beneath the "Search within" box, you will see the option "View Advanced Filters". Select this tab.

Opening this tab will allow you to select and apply the motion you would like from the list that appears beneath that heading. 

Filter by Cause of Action

If you are researching a legal issue in the context of a specific type of legal claim or cause of action (for example, a copyright infringement claim, a claim for breach of fiduciary duty, etc.), we recommend using our cause of action filter. Using that filter will narrow your results to include only those cases involving your cause of action. In the center-top of your screen beneath the "Search within" box, you will see the option "View Advanced Filters". Select this tab. You will then see a heading for "Causes of Action," and an automatically generated list of suggested causes of action that you can use to narrow your search results. Click on the link that says "View more causes of action" that appears beneath that list to see the full menu of the different causes of action that you can choose from, and select any cause of action that pertains to your legal research issue.

Filter by Party Type (Industry)

If you want to understand how a legal issue has affected a particular industry or type of party (e.g., an insurance company, hospital), you can apply the "Party Type" filter to your search results. Using that filter will narrow your results to include only those cases involving your selected type of party or industry. In the center-top of your screen beneath the "Search within" box, you will see the option "View Advanced Filters". Select this tab. You will then see a heading for "Party Type," and an automatically generated list of types of parties that you can use to narrow your search results.

Click on the link that says "View more party types" that appears beneath that list to see the full menu of the different party types that you can choose from, and select any party type or industry that pertains to your legal research issue.

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