Workflow: How to Analyze a Document in vLex Library

A step-by-step workflow for analyzing documents in vLex Library. Use Vincent's AI summary, verify authority, and find related materials for your case.

Summary

Follow this workflow to efficiently analyze any document in vLex Library. This process helps you quickly understand a document's key points, verify its authority, and find related materials to strengthen your research.

Why This is Important

A systematic analysis workflow saves time and ensures you don't miss critical information. This approach, powered by Vincent, turns a flat document into a dynamic starting point for deeper legal research and analysis.

A Step-by-Step Analysis Workflow

Step 1: Get an Instant Summary (Case Law)

When you open a case, first read the Vincent Case Analysis summary at the top. This AI-powered headnote gives you the key legal issues at a glance, helping you decide if the case is relevant to your matter.

Step 2: Review the Information Cards

Next, look at the Document Information Cards on the right. Pay special attention to:

  • Key phrases: To understand the main topics.

  • Key paragraphs: To identify the most-cited (and likely most important) passages of the judgment.

Step 3: Verify the Authority

This is the most critical step. Use the main tabs above the document title:

  1. Go to the Cited in tab.

  2. Look for any Negative Treatment indicators (red flags) at the top of the list. This immediately tells you if the case is still good law.

  3. Use the Precedent Map to visualize the case's entire citation network.

Step 4: Find Related Documents

Finally, go to the Related tab. Here, Vincent will suggest other relevant documents from the vLex database based on shared citation patterns and topics, helping you find persuasive authority you might have otherwise missed.

Follow this four-step process to analyze any document efficiently.

Analyze Your Own Documents This same workflow can be applied to your own documents. After uploading a brief or memo via vLex Cloud, open it and use the Related tab to have Vincent find relevant published authorities.

Best Practices & Pro Tips

  • Use the "Heat Map": As you read a judgment, notice the blue highlights. The darker the shade, the more frequently that passage has been cited, drawing your eye to the most important text.

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