Shepardizing is very simple in Lexis. There are two ways to validate authority online.

ENTERING A CITATION

1. Click on the Shepard's tab at the top of the page.

2. Enter your citation. You do not need a title. Just the volume, publication, and page number. If you are Shepardizing a statute, simply type the statute's citation in. (Lexis also provides a link to help with citation formatting at the right of the text box.)

3. Click Check or press enter and Lexis will bring up the Shepard's results.

 

SHEPARDIZING THE CASE BEING VIEWED

If you have conducted a search and found a case that is relevant, you will want to Shepardize it prior to relying on it. To to so is simple:

1. At the top of the page adjacent to the case title, you will see a symbol, such as a yellow triangle or a green circle.

2. Click on that symbol (called a signal by Shepard's) and Lexis will Shepardize the case for you.

 

SHEPARD'S RESULTS PAGE

In the results page you will want to pay special attention to cases that have a negative warning (Red Stop Sign signal). That signal indicates that your case is no longer valid and should therefore not be cited.

You will want to pay attention to the Yellow "Q" and the Yellow Triangle. These do not technically invalidate your case, but they do criticize it and some attorneys would rather not used a case that has been criticized.