Should you quote or rely on digest summaries in research?

• A. Yes, always quote the digest
• B. Never quote from the digest or rely on its summary; read the case itself first
• C. Only rely on the digest if the case is long
• D. Digest summaries are sufficient authority

Answer: (B)

In legal research, always anchor your analysis in primary sources—the actual court opinions—rather than secondary summaries. Digest summaries are handy for quickly locating cases and getting a quick sense of holdings, but they are not binding and can omit important nuances, misstate the scope, or oversimplify the decision. Because of that, you should not quote from the digest or rely on its summary as authority. The best practice is to locate the case, read the opinion to understand exactly what the court held and why, and quote or cite language directly from the case itself when needed. Digests can help you find the right case, but verification against the full text is essential to ensure accuracy and proper interpretation.