Date restrictions: Don't search everything since 1789 if you don't have to!

One of the most useful ways to narrow your Westlaw search is by restricting your search to documents decided, added to Westlaw, or issued on, before, or after a specific date (or between a range of dates). Date restrictions are especially useful when searching case law, law review articles, administrative decisions, and news. You can also use a date restriction when viewing a KeyCite® citing references result.

Here's a refresher:

Drop-down list at database Search page

The easiest way to restrict your Terms and Connectors or Natural Language search by date is by using the Dates drop-down list at a database Search page. Simply select a date restriction, e.g., Today or Last 3 Years, before running your search. The restriction is automatically included. If you are using a search template, you can use the Date drop-down list or text boxes.

Typing da(date goes here)

In the alternative, in the Search text box you can type a Terms and Connectors query that includes da followed by a date or date range in parentheses, e.g., type da(aft 4/15/2005) & depreciat! (Note: To use a date restriction with a Natural Language search, select a date restriction from the Dates drop-down list.) Many date restriction formats are acceptable, though the year in a date restriction must be entered as a four-digit number:

da(3-1-2008)
da(before 2008)
da(bef 3/1/2008)
da(aft jan 1, 2008)
da(aft 1985 and bef 2008)
da(aft 1985 & bef 2008)
da(2005 2006)

Added date (the date a document is added to Westlaw)

You can also use an added-date restriction (ad) to restrict your result to documents added to Westlaw since you last ran a Terms and Connectors search. For example, suppose you ran exten! /5 time in a case law database on September 1, 2008, and, in October, you want to see whether the same search retrieves any new cases. Type ad(aft 8/31/2008) & exten! /5 time in the Search text box. Then click Search Westlaw.

KeyCite citing references: Limit KeyCite Display

A KeyCite citing references result for a single document may contain hundreds—maybe thousands—of references. To make a long list of KeyCite citing references more manageable, you can restrict the list by any of several criteria, including date.

To restrict a list of citing references by date, click Limit KeyCite Display at the bottom of the page. The KeyCite Limits page is displayed. Click the Date arrow in the left frame. To restrict the citing references to documents issued or added to Westlaw before or after a specific date or during a specific date range, use the drop-down lists or text boxes. After you finish making your selections, click Apply.

See all articles in current issue