Tip #7 - Notes of Decisions

Ah, liquid gold.  "Notes of Decisions," or, as you probably know them "NOTES OF DECISIONS" is a fantastic resource for finding cases when you're starting with a statute.

Here's how it works.  Type in your statute and you'll get a screen that starts off with the heading and the text of the statute.  I'm using Westlaw again, despite the fact that they refuse to give me an endorsement deal...

Scroll down until you reach the famous "NOTES OF DECISIONS" heading and you'll see a list of categories.  These categories will always include the elements of your statute as well as other things that have come up as difficult issues for courts.

Click on whichever category suits your needs, and the document will move to a list of headnotes that fit under that category.  Click on any case that interests you, and you're in business.