Alternatives to Lexis & Westlaw Sue Altmeyer c 2010

Topics Covered Lexis/WL Costs - briefly Stripped Down Versions of Lexis/WL Topic Specific Databases – BNA, CCH Free Internet Sources Library Sources

Data from a Local Law Firm, 2008

2010 Westlaw Law Firm Costs File/ServicesHourly (Per Minute) Transactional (Per Search) All Federal Cases$19.05 Ohio State and Federal Cases $23.08 Sixth Circuit Cases $8.60 All Ohio Cases$8.60 Get a Document/Find (primary), $24.00 (secondary) Keycite$6.25

Low Cost Databases

Stripped down versions of Lexis/WL Casemaker –Free w/ free student OSBA membership Casemaker OSBA membership Fastcase – Free w/ Cleve bar membership Fastcase Lois Law – C-M has - Instructions for password Lois Law Instructions for password Versus Law – Free to Law students Versus Law

Stripped Down Versions of Lexis/WL Links to these four databases on the library’s Electronic Resources pageElectronic Resources Have primary sources – cases, statutes, regulations for states and federal

Stripped Down Versions of Lexis/WL What does Lexis/Westlaw have these do not? Editorial features – headnotes, annotations Practice Books (except Loislaw) Law Review articles Better search mechanisms and coverage

Contents Unanno Statutes Cases w/o Headnotes Unanno Regs “Shepard’s –Like Feature” Other LoislawYesYes – Ohio unreported Yes Treatises, Forms, Public Records (depends on plan) Case maker YesYes – Ohio unreported Yes Some Jurisdictions - Jury Instruc., Jury Verdicts, More

Contents Unanno Statutes Cases w/o Headnotes Unanno Regs “Shepard’s –Like Feature” FastcaseInternet links for 8 states Fed App 1924-, Ohio , Ohio unreported CoverageCoverage Mostly Internet Links Yes Versuslaw See help, Content/ Features Fed if pay more, no state Ohio Ohio unreported Older Fed District More $ Fed if pay more, no State Yes

Comparison of Fedl Ct Coverage SupremeCircuitDistrict Loislaw Unreported Selected Case maker Fastcase VersusLaw1886-Varies, 1930-,1981- Varies, pay more. About 1940-

Research Question Bob works as a baggage handler for Midwest Airlines. He missed a lot of work, due to his alcoholism. Midwest fired him for violation of the attendance policy. Does Bob have a claim against his employer based on the Americans with Disabilities Act?

Casemaker Search Syntax Search on Casemaker= alcohol* ada (absenteeism,attendance) Could also do: alcohol* (ada or “americans with disabilities act) (absenteeism,attendance)

Loislaw

Searching BooleanNatural Language FieldsSearch databases together LoislawYes - near2NoYes CasemakerYes - w/n, w/sent, w/para NoYesFed together, State CASES together

Special Feature of Loislaw “ MY SAVED SEARCHES”!

Searching BooleanNatural Language FieldsSearch databases together FastcaseYes - w/nYesDate, cite look-up only Yes Versus Law Yes - w/nYes default connector is ADJ 4 fields, see help For addtl fee

Practice Area Specific Databases

Primary & Secondary – Specific Subjects BNA CCH RIA Checkpoint See Electronic Resources page for links.Electronic Resources NOT low cost, but not charged back to clients

BNA Current Awareness PLUS Libraries: Primary & Secondary Sources

BNA Current Awareness Articles, cases May contain past 12 years ex. U.S. Law Week/Supreme Court Today ; Daily Labor Report (DLR expensive!).U.S. Law Week/Supreme Court Today Daily Labor Report Sign up for BNA Current Awareness Services Sign up for BNA Current Awareness Services

BNA Libraries Cases, statutes, regs Practice books Forms ex. Labor and Employment Law Library, Intellectual Property Library or ABA/BNA Lawyers' Manual on Professional ConductLabor and Employment Law Library Intellectual Property LibraryABA/BNA Lawyers' Manual on Professional Conduct

CCH Intelliconnect Both Primary and Secondary Sources Topics Covered: Antitrust Banking Corporate Governance Health Care and Medicaid/Medicare Labor & Employment, Pensions Securities

CCH Boolean searching, w/n etc. Federated Searching Indexes Current awareness s – Sign up InstructionsSign up Instructions Known for their fifty state charts

Free Internet

Benefits of Low Cost Databases Over Free Internet Better Search Mechanisms Coverage May be more current Trustworthiness Aggregated Info – One stop shopping

What’s on the Free Web All US Supreme Court Cases Reported Federal Appellate from 1882 Some Unreported Fed App, Fed District State cases: reported – unreported: early-mid nineties

What’s on the Free Web, contd Statutes & Regulations- federal and states Municipal Ordinances Law Review Articles Forms Dockets, Briefs & Pleadings LOTS more!

Start with a Good Internet Portal From the Library Home Page – Legal Research on the WebLibrary Home PageLegal Research on the Web Public Records & People Finders Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII) FindLaw Other Portals

American Law Sources Online

Use LEGAL Search Engines Cornell University Legal Research Engine Cornell University Legal Research Engine LexisWeb FindLaw LawCrawler Justia List of Search Legal Engines

Try with ADA example

Case law Legal Research Workstation - Case Law Google Scholar – state reported 1950-, fed circuit/ district 1923-Google Scholar Ohio Supreme Court LexisOne – Last 10 yrs, Lexis searchingLexisOne Public Library of Law - booleanPublic Library of Law Open Jurist – fed reported appellate 1882-Open Jurist

Demo Ohio Supreme Court case search

Evaluating Web Sites Credibility: author; possible bias, accuracy. Currency / Updating, Coverage Writing Quality Ease of use – Design, navigation, searchability, help Stability

Sites with More Credibility Government Sites Site from a Legal Publisher, ex. Findlaw, LexisOne Bar Association

Gov’t Sites for Research Question Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – EEOCEEOC A-Z Index of U.S. Government Depts. & Agencies A-Z Index of U.S. Government Depts. & Agencies E-CFR – current to last Federal Register, one day or so E-CFR

Web Sites to Know C-M Guide Forms & Practice MaterialsForms & Practice Materials Thomas.gov – Federal Legislative HistoryThomas PACER – Federal Court docketsPACER LLRX to find state court docketsLLRX GPO Access – Fed’l Govt. will be FDSysGPO AccessFDSys Martindale Hubbell Law Digest Ohio Supreme Court

Library Resources C-M - Lexis Academic Cleveland Public - Ohio Westlaw Pro se Lexis - Justice Center County Law Libraries – may charge fee to use computer. Lexis, Westlaw or both

Conclusion Start with one of these to save money: Low cost alternatives to Lexis and WL BNA, CCH Free Web, but be aware of limitations Print materials at your employers’ Books and databases at the library

E-Handout sources/lawpubs/alternativeslexiswl.html