WESTLAWNEXTWaiver of Right to Counsel

Right to Counsel: What’s this about?

The “right to counsel” standard of American law is found in the U.S. Constitution.

For the U.S. Constitution go to “Statutes & Court Rules.”

Once you select U.S. Constitution, search within the Constitution to

find “right to counsel.”

Right to Counsel – Located in Sixth Amendment

The Amendment itself

“Right to Counsel” = Sixth Amendment

• “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.”

• Knowing “right to counsel” is in the Sixth

Amendment may help with searching for case law.

To go back to main screen in Westlaw

Click onWestlawNext

To search case law

First case law search defaults to federal

Simple natural

language search

Federal court cases in relevance order

Search terms “right to counsel” highlighted in yellow

Click on link for case

Finding states cases

Select “Cases.”

You can search all states or individual.

Let’s pick New York

You are given the option: NY federal or state. Pick state.

You can search all NY state cases at once or search individual court

levels, such as the New York Court of Appeals.

Go ahead! You now have the

tools to do this!