A Citator is a tool that updates cases that have been cited. If a new case has been published relating to an issue, a citator will update an original case to show whether there is positive treatment (affirming past precedent) or negative treatment (changing past precedent).
You will want to always make sure you “Shepardize” or “Keycite” to ensure you are conducting research that is most up to date. Shepardize and Keycite are citator tools from West and Lexis. When it comes to practice, having the most updated case could make or break an argument.
Additionally, you will want to be careful in determining what is good law and what is not. Just because a case has negative treatment for one part of the case, that does not mean that other parts of the case is no longer good law. Therefore, make sure you understand what is still relevant and what is not.
Disclaimer
The content contained in this article may contain inaccuracies and is not intended to reflect the opinions, views, beliefs, or practices of any academic professor or publication. Instead, this content is a reflection on the author’s understanding of the law and legal practices.
