# Cert™

{% hint style="danger" %}
The information below is only true for United States cases. To see citation information for other jurisdictions, please read our article on [Treatment Types](/document-types/case-law/treatment-types.md).

Please contact your Account Manager if you cannot see Cert citations and you have access to our US content.
{% endhint %}

Cert shows negative treatments resulting from combining case-to-case citations, relevant language patterns, and appellate history. We have combined superior technology with a dedicated team of lawyers with years of editorial expertise to create a superior review process.

<figure><img src="/files/qkC8kZeuFq3aDFN3060g" alt=""><figcaption><p>Image of Cert Citation on the Results Page.</p></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="success" %}
Cert is available for the following US courts:

* Supreme Court
* Federal Circuit Courts

For all states and DC\*:

* The court of last resort/highest court in the state
* Appellate courts

\*Does not include Puerto Rico, USVI, Guam, American Samoa, or Tribal.
{% endhint %}

A negative citator aims to identify the most negative treatment available for each case.

Cert focuses on red (warning) and orange (questioned) treatments. They indicate that a point of law has been overturned, disputed, or questioned; or that a case’s precedential value has been impugned in some way.

## <mark style="color:red;">Red</mark> (Warning) Treatments

* Overrule
* Vacate
* Disavow
* Reverse
* Abrogate
* Supercede

## <mark style="color:orange;">Orange</mark> (Questioned) Treatments

* Criticize
* Disagree
* Decline to Follow
* Decline to Extend

{% hint style="success" %}
Cert treatments for all cases are updated **weekly**, with special exceptions for highly impactful federal cases.
{% endhint %}

Treatments will be displayed alongside the case name on both the [results page](/getting-started/search-results.md) and within the [case](/document-types/case-law.md) itself.&#x20;

<figure><img src="/files/Yem4ji3SGVzx6S6tbQZW" alt=""><figcaption><p>Where to find Cert citations on vLex.</p></figcaption></figure>

You can view additional details by selecting the treatment.

<figure><img src="/files/GBzXc2ogbixEHE8szoBV" alt=""><figcaption><p>Click on a citation with an arrow under to view more details.</p></figcaption></figure>

The treatments will still show on the [Cited Authorities](/document-types/case-law/cited-authorities.md) and [Cited In](/document-types/case-law/cited-in.md) tabs as normal.&#x20;


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://support.vlex.com/document-types/case-law/cert-tm.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.