West Key Number SystemHaving Fun with the Digests!
Start with Cases
A court issues an opinion in a case.
A copy of the case is obtained by West
Editors read the cases and pick out the points of law addressed in the case.
Written as a short, concise paragraph, these are called headnotes.
Headnotes
One point of law for each Headnote.
Each Headnote has a Key Number
Headnotes
Each Headnote will get a number before it like [1]
Headnotes
Each Headnote will get a number before it like [2]
You can find what that Headnote is referring to by looking for the [#] in the body of the case.
For example, if you hit [3], it will take you to the part of the decision where that rule is
Key Numbers
The Key Number System is big interactive outline that works like this:
First, the American system of law is broken down into Major Topics
there are more than 400, including things like:
Civil Rights,
Pretrial Procedure, and
Criminal Law.
Key Numbers
Each of those topics is divided, in greater and greater detail, into individual units that represent a specific legal concept.
like steps in an outline.
Key Numbers
Each of the lines (more than 80,000 of them) has a unique number that allows you to find it on the outline.
This number is called a Key Number.
The whole outline, along with the case headnotes classified to it, is called the Key Number System.
The Key Number System is found in the Digests.
We use the New York Digests
Scenarios
1) Corpus Juris Secundum to Cases
2) Cases to Better Cases
Scenario 1
PROBLEM: What are the elements of negligence in New York?
You want to find the New York elements of negligence
You can either look in
New York Cases or
Corpus Juris Secundum (You can also look in New York Jurisprudence 2d Series)
Corpus Juris Secundum (CJS)
Elements of Negligence
SEARCH TERMS AND CONNECTORS:
Elements /s Negligence
1
2
3
CJS
You get 220 hits
CJS
What do you look for?
You look for the topic of “Negligence”
Scroll down
CLICK HERE
CJS
What did you get?
The essential elements for an action in negligence are that the defendant was under a duty to protect the plaintiff from injury, that the defendant breached that duty, that the plaintiff suffered actual injury or loss, and that the loss or injury proximately resulted from the defendant's breach of the duty.
CJS
The essential elements for an action in negligence are that:
1) defendant was under a duty to protect the plaintiff from injury,
2) defendant breached that duty,
3) plaintiff suffered actual injury or loss, and
4) loss or injury proximately resulted from the defendant's breach of the duty.
CJS
BINGO!
CJS
BINGO?
No exactly
Corpus Juris Secundum is a secondary source of law
You need primary
CJS
CJS to Primary
Two ways
Footnotes
Key Number
CJS
CJS to Primary
Two ways
Footnotes (there are no footnotes in this text)
Key Number
CJS
CJS to Primary
Two ways
Footnotes (there are no footnotes in this text)
Key Number
CJS to Cases
CJS to Cases
CJS to Cases
CJS to Cases
CJS to Cases
Click on the 202
105 Headnotes
From the Most Recent
Which Courts are these from?
Which Courts are these from?
Which Courts are these from?
Appellate Division, Second Department,
2011
Which Courts are these from?
Which Courts are these from?
Court of Claims, 2011
Which Courts are these from?
Which Courts are these from?
Court of Appeals, 2011
Which Courts are these from?
Court of Appeals, 2011
Court of Claims, 2011
Appellate Division, Second Department,
2011
Which one should you look at?
Court of Appeals, 2011
Court of Claims, 2011
Appellate Division, Second Department,
2011
LOOK FOR HIGHEST COURT
Court of Appeals, 2011
Court of Claims, 2011
Appellate Division, Second Department,
2011
LOOK FOR HIGHEST COURT
Court of Appeals, 2011
Court of Claims, 2011
Appellate Division, Second Department,
2011
CJS TO CASE
CJS TO CASE
LOOK FOR THE HEADNOTE THAT PERTAINS TO THE ELEMENTS OF NEGLIGENCE
CJS TO CASE
CJS TO CASE
CLICK ON THE [3] TO GET TO THE PART OF THE DECISION WHERE YOU MIGHT SEE THE ELEMENTS
CJS TO CASE
CJS TO CASE
Not enough: get this case
Not what I am looking for
CJS TO CASES
GO BACK TO THE DIGESTS
Hold down left (back) button on your browser.
On drop down look for Digest.
Go from there
This looks promising
CJS TO CASE
To prove a prima facie case of negligence, a plaintiff must demonstrate the existence of a duty of care owed to the plaintiff, a breach of that duty, and that the breach of such duty was a proximate cause of his or her injuries ( see Pulka v. Edelman, 40 N.Y.2d 781, 390 N.Y.S.2d 393, 358 N.E.2d 1019; Gordon v. Muchnick, 180 A.D.2d 715, 579 N.Y.S.2d 745; see also Akins v. Glens Falls City School Dist., 53 N.Y.2d 325, 333, 441 N.Y.S.2d 644, 424 N.E.2d 531).
CLEAN IT UP
To prove a prima facie case of negligence, a plaintiff must demonstrate the existence of a duty of care owed to the plaintiff, a breach of that duty, and that the breach of such duty was a proximate cause of his or her injuries ( see Pulka v. Edelman, 40 N.Y.2d 781, 390 N.Y.S.2d 393, 358 N.E.2d 1019; Gordon v. Muchnick, 180 A.D.2d 715, 579 N.Y.S.2d 745; see also Akins v. Glens Falls City School Dist., 53 N.Y.2d 325, 333, 441 N.Y.S.2d 644, 424 N.E.2d 531).
CLEAN IT UP
To prove a prima facie case of negligence, a plaintiff must demonstrate the existence of a duty of care owed to the plaintiff, a breach of that duty, and that the breach of such duty was a proximate cause of his or her injuries (see Pulka v Edelman, 40 NY2d 781; Gordon v Muchnick, 180 AD2d 715; see also Akins v Glens Falls City School Dist., 53 NY2d 325, 333).
CLEAN IT UP
To prove a prima facie case of negligence, a plaintiff must demonstrate
1) the existence of a duty of care owed to the plaintiff,
2) a breach of that duty, and
3) that the breach of such duty was a proximate cause of his or her injuries (see Pulka v Edelman, 40 NY2d 781; Gordon v Muchnick, 180 AD2d 715; see also Akins v Glens Falls City School Dist., 53 NY2d 325, 333).
CLEAN IT UP
The elements of negligence are:
1) the existence of a duty of care owed to the plaintiff,
2) a breach of that duty, and
3) that the breach of such duty was a proximate cause of his or her injuries (see Pulka v Edelman, 40 NY2d 781; Gordon v Muchnick, 180 AD2d 715; see also Akins v Glens Falls City School Dist., 53 NY2d 325, 333).