Search Tip

Problem

To save browsing time, you want to exclude a certain category of cases.

Solution

Include the BUT NOT connector (%) in your query.

Occasionally when you formulate a query, you retrieve documents that are not relevant to your issue. To exclude these documents, include the BUT NOT connector in your Terms and Connectors query. Westlaw excludes everything that follows this connector in a search.

For example, to retrieve malpractice cases discussing duty to a third party, but not those involving medical issues, access an appropriate database and type the following query:

third-party /s duty /p malpractice % medical /3 malpractice

You can also use the BUT NOT connector to eliminate cases with headnotes classified under particular West digest topics. For example, to retrieve cases that discuss carpal tunnel syndrome, but do not contain headnotes classified under topic 413 (Workers’ Compensation), formulate a query like the following:

carp*l-tunnel % to(413)