A case digest is an indexing system which enables the researcher to find appellate court opinions that deal with particular subject matter. There are digests for federal cases and/or state cases. There are digests that cover the entire country, groups of states or individual states.

The structure and function of the many digests published by West Group are described here. Other digests are similar; each contains instructions on its use. The reference librarians are available to answer any questions you may have.

A West digest has the following parts:

Descriptive-Word Index
Digest (alphabetical arrangement of topics)
Table of Cases/Defendant-Plaintiff Table
Words and Phrases

1. To find cases involving a particular subject or legal issue
1. First, select a digest which covers the appropriate jurisdiction and time period. See section IV below for digests in the law library.
2. Look for your subject (e.g., airplane) or legal issue (e.g., negligence) in the alphabetical Descriptive-Word Index. If you find it, you will see references to one or more bold face abbreviated digest topics, each followed by one or more key numbers which represent subtopics.
3. Once you have found a topic and key number, look at the main part of the digest, which is a multi-volume alphabetical arrangement of topics. Locate your topic in the appropriate volume (and its pocket part supplement). The spine of each volume tells the range of topics covered. Then look for your key number within your topic. There you will find brief summaries of court opinions that deal with your subject or legal issue.
   At the beginning of each digest topic is a table of contents to help you identify additional key numbers which might be relevant.
4. For more recent cases, look for your topic and key number in any paperback supplements shelved at the end of the digest.
5. To find even more recent cases, first determine the exact coverage of the West digest you're using by looking at the lists of West reporter volumes covered. Such a list appears on the back of the title page (or on a nearby page) in each digest volume, pocket part and paperback supplement. Then go to the West reporter volumes (including the paperback advance sheets) published after those covered by the digest. Each reporter volume contains its own little digest. Look for your topic and key number there.
6. Once you have identified a topic and key number under which you find relevant cases, you can use the same key number in all other West digests to search for like cases in other jurisdictions. If you do not find your key number in a particular West digest, that simply means there were no cases indexed under that number in that jurisdiction during that time period.

2. To find a case when you know its name
1. Choose the digest that covers the appropriate jurisdiction.
2. Look up the case name (e.g., Smith v. Jones) in the Table of Cases. If you know only the defendant's name, check the Defendant-Plaintiff Table. Don't forget to check pocket parts and paperback supplements.
3. If you know only the popular name of the case (e.g., the Tailhook case), look for it in Shepard's Acts and Cases by Popular Name.

3. To find a case whose opinion contains a definition of a particular word or phrase
1. Choose the digest that covers the appropriate jurisdiction.
2. Start by looking for your word or phrase under "Definitions" in the Descriptive-Word Index. If you find it there, it will be followed by a relevant topic and key number under which you will find cases whose opinions contain judicial definitions of your word or phrase. Some digests have separate "Words and Phrases" volumes or parts of volumes. These are alphabetical lists of terms defined in court opinions. Also see the separate multi-volume Words and Phrases which contains terms defined in both federal and state cases nationwide.

4. Case digests (West's and others) in the State Law Library

Digests of State Cases

• Michigan Digest (West Publishing Co.), 1836-1990

• West's Michigan Digest 2d, 1932 to date

  Michigan cases and federal cases originating in Michigan.

• Michigan Digest (Lexis Law Publishing)

  Michigan cases and federal cases originating in Michigan.

• Michigan Appellate Digest (Michigan Court of Appeals)

  Michigan cases. The library has annual volumes from 1972 through 1997. Ceased publication.

• North Western Digest (West Publishing Co.), 1836-1981

• West's North Western Digest 2d, 1932 to date

  Cases from Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

• Century/Decennial Digests (West Group)

  Federal and state cases. Divided into 10-year segments through 1976 and 5-year segments thereafter. The library has microfiche from 1658 through 1906, and paper from 1907 to date.

• West's General Digest

  Updates the latest Decennial Digest with federal and state cases in non-cumulative volumes. Cumulative indexes and tables in every tenth volume.

• American Law Reports (ALR) digests and indexes (West Group)

  Subject indexing of the annotations in the American Law Reports, covering federal and state case law from 1919 to date.

Digests of Federal Cases

• United States Supreme Court Digest, 1754 to date

• Federal Digest

  Covers reported cases from all federal courts through 1938. Continued by the next four titles.

• Modern Federal Practice Digest, 1939-1960
• West's Federal Practice Digest 2d, 1961-1975
• West's Federal Practice Digest 3d, 1976 to mid-1980s
• West's Federal Practice Digest 4th, mid-1980s to date
• Century/Decennial Digests (see above)
• West's General Digest (see above)
• American Law Reports digests and indexes (see above)

Selected Specialized Digests

• PUR(Public Utilities Reports) Digest

  State and federal cases and state administrative rulings. Law library coverage extends from 1915 through 1993.

• West's Bankruptcy Digest

  Federal and state cases from 1979 to date.

Updated 02/05/2008