Which citation element indicates a Lexis database reference rather than a print reporter?

• A. 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 21537
• B. 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 21537 (4th Cir. Dec. 2, 2016)
• C. 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 21537 (4th Cir. Dec. 2)
• D. 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 21537 (Dec. 2, 2016)

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that Lexis database citations explicitly include the database name to show retrieval from a commercial database rather than from a printed reporter. When you see the label LEXIS in the citation, it signals a Lexis database reference. The most direct example is the citation that reads “2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 21537” because it uses the database name without attaching an official reporter citation (no F.3d, no U.S. App. reporter page). The other forms mix Lexis with parentheticals that resemble print reporter pinpointing, which can obscure whether you’re looking up a database entry or a print reporter. So the presence of LEXIS itself identifies the citation as a Lexis database reference, and the clean Lexis-only form is the clearest signal.