Law Library

What is a Digest

A digest helps you to find cases on a specific legal issue or topic.

West digests use headnotes and key numbers to organize and summarize all cases by subject. 

Print digests are available in the library, but Kentucky digest is the only we update.

WestlawNext  also offers a searchable key number system

What is a Headnote

  • Before a case is published in a reporter, an editor at West reads the case and selects the important issues of law.
  • For each major issue, the editor then writes a short description called a headnote.
  • These headnotes are typically found at the beginning of each opinion and help the reader quickly determine the issue(s) discussed in the case.

For example here are some of the head notes for  Tinker v. Des Moines School District, 393 U.S. 503, 89 S.Ct. 733, 21 L.Ed.2d 731 (1969)

Constitutional Law Display Key Number TopicsSymbolic speech

Constitutional LawDisplay Key Number TopicsStudent Speech or Conduct

Digests in the Law Library

Decennial Digest

 Stack 3

Not Kept Up to Date

Kentucky Digest

Stack 1

Current

Federal Practice Digest

Back Wall

Not Kept Up to Date

Supreme Court Digest

Stack 11

Not Kept Up to Date