KeyCite for Statutes
• KeyCite History indicates whether the statute is
GOOD LAW.
• KeyCite Citing References lists cases, pending legislation, administrative materials, and secondary sources that discuss or cite the statute.
• Notes of Decisions (annotations) are the headnotes from cases that significantly interpreted or applied the statute.
KeyCite History for Statutes
KeyCite flags indicate the status of the statute.
A red flag indicates that the statute has been
• Recently amended
• Repealed
• Ruled unconstitutional
• Preempted
KeyCite History for Statutes
A yellow flag indicates that the statute
• Has pending legislation
• Has been renumbered
• Has been transferred
• Contains an editor’s amendment note
• Was limited on constitutional or preemption grounds or its validity was otherwise called into doubt
KeyCite History for Statutes includes
• Updating documents (recently passed public laws) that have amended or repealed the statute
• Pending Legislation (current bills) that may affect the statute (available for USCA and most state statutory codes)
• Credits, also called Text Amendments, are public laws that have enacted, amended, or renumbered a statute)
• Historical and Statutory Notes, also called Editor’s Notes, describe the legislative changes that have affected the statute
• 12 USCA 3401 was amended December 13, 2004. • 3401 links to Legislative Action, which are Updating Document(s).• Updating Documents are recent Public Laws.• Updating Document page links to Public Law 108-177.
PL 108-177Updating Documents
• The yellow flag indicates there is pending legislation • Pending Legislation are bills that could affect the statute.• You can link to the pending legislation.
Pending Legislation
Pending Bills
Pending Legislation
KeyCite Citing References for Statutes • KeyCite Citing References are legal documents that
discuss or mention your statute.
• Citing references include• Pending legislation • Notes of Decisions (annotations) in USCA• Cases on Westlaw that do not appear in Notes of
decisions (for example, unreported cases or cases too new to have headnotes)
• Administrative materials• Secondary sources, such as ALR articles, Am Jur 2d
sections, law reviews, and treatises.
• 42 USCA 1981 (the equal rights statute) had 33,931 Citing References on January 16, 2004.
• Click Limit KeyCite Display to limit the citing references to the ones of most use to you.
Citing References
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• Notes of Decisions (by subtopic)• Locate• Jurisdiction• Date• Document type• Select the limits you want to
apply to your list of citing references
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