An often pivital point in an appellate arguement is the knoweldge of how a specific term, like "due diligence", has been previously interpreted. Unfortunately, because phrases are so frequently used and so rarely defined, finding quality references that define a term can be a time consuming and frustrating task. Recently, the folks at LexisNexis offered a great tip on how to make this search much easier. "When you search for references that define a term, include words that often surround definitions. These are some of the more common terms that surround definitions:
- construe, construes, construing
- define, defined, definition
- deem, deemed
- explain, explanation, explaining
- interpret, interpretation, interpreted, interpreting
- mean, meaning, meant
For example, to find definitions of due diligence construct a boolean search like this: "defin! or interpret! or constru*** or mean! or expla! or deem! or consider*** or requir! or includ! w/10 due diligence and atleast5 (due diligence)". This tip should work in any search engine that utilizes boolean search terms. Try it out and let me know how it goes.
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