Locating Persons and Finding Background Information Sue Altmeyer, JD, MLS Electronic Services Librarian Cleveland Marshall College of Law Library Nov. 11, 2011

For Fee Databases Westlaw & LexisNexis Accurint signup is free – you only pay for each search.Accurint Openonline has minimal set-up fee and annual cost, then you pay for each search.Openonline  Other reputable fee services include: Choicepoint, KnowX.com, 1800US Search.com, NetDetective.net, SearchSystems.com.

People Finders spokeo.com pipl.com 123people Whitepages.com Switchboard.com Virtual Gumshoe Public Libraries may offer Reference USA, Haines Criss+Cross, etc.

Free People Finders, Cont’d Ultimate White Pages Infospace.com Zabasearch

Sneaky Ways to Find People Professional license databases Voting Records Driver’s License databases Return of Service in court cases Accident reports Find their relatives or neighbors

Example: Use portal and voter records to find an address Connect to searchsystems.netsearchsystems.net Search terms “voter registration Ohio” System lists online voter registration databases. To go further via searchsystems.net costs money. So, just google Franklin County Board of Elections. Franklin County Voter Inquiry

Accident Reports Accident reports – Mail request to Department of Public Safety in Columbus. Some accident reports online: Policereports.us. Policereports.us. Some States and cities do so too (eg, Arkansas) but usually have fee. Arkansas

Military Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Centralized Verification ServiceServicemembers Civil Relief Act Centralized Verification Service People Ferret Military Records - Zimmerman's legal researchMilitary Records

Problem – Cell phone and Unlisted Numbers For-fee databases w/ credit header info., ex. Merlin New Lexis database Alternate Phones Some sites claim to provide reverse lookup, but just give general location and name of owner costs money

Cell Phone Numbers contd National Cellular Directory – free, but must provide YOUR cellphone for the directory.National Cellular Directory Some online directories out of date and may still list unlisted number

Finding Married/Divorced Women  Look at marriage licenses, divorce dockets, possibly probate court name change records to determine woman’s current name. See vital records section. New – Daily Legal News has Cuyahoga Marriages presentDaily Legal News

Neighbors, Friends & Relatives Neighbors County Auditor – Lucas County Auditor (tried with Summit GIS)Lucas County Auditor Relatives Peoplefinders.com ; InteliusPeoplefinders.comIntelius Last name only search Friends/Associates Facebook; Friendster.com; LinkedIn; NingFacebookFriendster.comLinkedInNing

Social Security Numbers In court documents (esp. divorce & UCC), but recently courts redact Most pay databases removed social security numbers or mask last four digits - LexisNexis, Westlaw, Openonline, Accurint and KnowX. Can put together SS# if one database provide first digits, other provides last LexisNexis, Openonline provide authorized users with SSN

Social Security Numbers Free verifiers: Social Security Number Validator Carnegie Mellon Social Security Number WatchCarnegie Mellon Social Security Number Watch The Social Security Death Index - for people who died since 1963Social Security Death Index

Bankruptcies U.S. Party Case Name Index (PACER)U.S. Party Case Name Index (PACER) Bankruptcydata.com – major Ch. 11 since 1986Bankruptcydata.com Epiq fka BSI – claims agentEpiq fka BSI Trumbull Group no longer a claims agentTrumbull Group

Lists, Blogs & Social Networks To find statements made by a party or witness To keep current in the law To network with other professionals

Social Networking Sites General – discussed above For attorneys: LawLink –doc sharing, jobsLawLink Martindale-Hubbell Connected JD Diversity

Lists Find Lists for Attorneys: Findlaw Legal Minds LawGuru Listtool ABA Discussion Lists LawMall Lists

s re. New Cases service - Media Alerts on Federal Courts of Appeals Website.Media Alerts on Federal Courts of Appeals Website. , RSS, Twitter FB service -Justia free opinion summariesJustia free opinion summaries

E-Newsletters for Attorneys FREE: Findlaw Newsletters Law.com Newsletters (some free)Law.com Newsletters Mondaq.com LII Bulletin:U.S. Supreme Court DIRECTORY OF FOR-FEE- Newsletter Access.com

Twitter Microblogging – limited to 140 characters

Campaign Donations Transparency Data - federal and state, last twenty yearsTransparency Data FECInfo: Donor look-up for federal campaign contributors.FECInfo Opensecrets.org: Donor name lookup for federal elections.Opensecrets.org Ohio Secretary of State Follow the Money.org: State political campaign donationsFollow the Money.org

Attorneys, Judges & Experts Case opinion databases Newspapers Jury Verdicts General Internet search engines Lexis & Westlaw

Judges Court Websites Books!: Almanac of the Federal Judiciary, Aspen Publishers (on CCH & Westlaw) American Bench, Reginald Bishop Forster & Associates

Judges- Websites Federal Judicial Center –biosFederal Judicial Center Ohio Supreme Court Judge Bios Ohio Judicial Conference Directory TRAC's Federal Judges –for feeFederal Judges Ratings: The Robing Room Courthouse Forum

Attorneys – Law Firm Sites Lawyers on the Internet Fee Fie Fo Firm photo by: Dave Kaup/REUTERS capped and submitted by: Cerene

Attorneys-Directories with Rankings Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Locator Chambers and Partners USA Directory – business & union lawyersChambers and Partners USA Directory Price's List of Lists: Professional Services

Other Legal Directories Thomson Legal Record – lists casesThomson Legal Record Ohio Supreme Court: Attorney Information Search, Disciplinary historyOhio Supreme Court Findlaw Legal Directory Canada Law List Justia Lawyers – free in xchange for contentJustia Lawyers

Lawyer Rating Sites Avvo - Avvo creates a ranking. Clients can review attorneys.Avvo ranking myLawNetwork

Expert Witnesses jury verdict databases, case databases and general Internet searches Lexis Analyzer and Westlaw Profiler search library catalogs or article databases

Expert Witnesses, cont’d Integrity in Science DatabaseIntegrity in Science Database Idex Defense Network – fee, transcripts of trial and depositionIdex Defense Network Technical Advisory Services for Attorneys – locates expert for a feeTechnical Advisory Services for Attorneys

Free Expert Directories Experts.com Expertlaw.com – may have CVs, webpagesExpertlaw.com ALMExperts Database –resume & profileALMExperts Database Jurispro Expert Witness Directory –profile, background, CV, possibly referencesJurispro Expert Witness Directory

Free Expert Directories, Cont’d A.M. Best's Expert Witness Directory Expertwitness.com Directory Findlaw Market Center Expert Witnesses AMA Doctor Finder - specialties, medical school and residency trainingAMA Doctor Finder

Daubert Tracker Daubert Tracker – For fee  Finds cases where an expert’s qualifications or methodology was challenged or where “gatekeeping authority” (case or rule of evidence) is cited.  Fills in missing information about the expert.  Contains copies of the relevant motions and briefs.