If you are new to searching cases in CasePortal, please read Introduction to Searching for Cases first. 

All case libraries in CasePortal use a single search field to support simple keyword searches and advanced search queries (using Lucene Query Syntax).

For guidance on how to target specific fields in each library using search commands, please see the related articles linked below.

What I want to do

How to do it

Example Query

Search for one term or another

Apply the OR operator. This is the default operator.

google OR apple will return matches with either Google or Apple or both

Search for one term and another

Apply the AND operator

google AND alphabet will only return matches with both values

Search a phrase

Add quotations around the phrase (")

"google inc." will only return results that include both keywords

Target values in a specific field

Use the search command for that field followed by a colon (:) and the value

def:google will only search the defendant field and return results that match google as the defendant. See related articles for a complete list of search commands by library

Apply operators when targeting multiple values in a specific field

Use the property name followed by a colon (:) then group terms together using parentheses ()

def:(google OR alphabet)

Search for variable endings of a root word

Apply a wildcard using asterisk (*)

educat* will match educate, educated, educating, education, and so on. Wildcards do not work inside quotations (")

Search for words with possible misspellings or variations

Apply the fuzzyness operator (~)

rise~ will match risk, rising, risen, rose, and so on

Search for words that are close together (“proximity search”)

Use the tilde (~) symbol at the end of a phrase

"Carole Sage"~3 will search for "Carole" and "Sage" within 3 words of each other

Apply operators when targeting multiple values in more than one specific field

Group terms together using parentheses ( ) and operators like AND or OR

(google OR alphabet) AND (samsung OR sony)

Exclude certain keywords or phrases

Apply the NOT or AND NOT operator

def:Apple AND NOT def:"Apple Inc."

Combine the actions above to create a complex query

Use the example queries above to guide you

"class action" AND def:(Google OR "Alphabet Inc.") AND plaint:(Samsung* OR Apple~)