SOME LOW COST OR FREE RESOURCES

LOW COST OR FREE RESOURCES - FASTCASE Fastcase is a Florida Bar Benefit (Appellate Plan Only) Or, you can subscribe Various payment plans They have various different coverage Let’s see what Fastcase looks like (Scroll down to Fastcase, if you are off campus, you will need your i.d. with your barcode to sign in)Fastcase You can search state and federal together You cannot limit by court You can change your display and sort how you want to see the results Has a citator, but not with editorial content

FASTCASE Fastcase is a simple search engine – at least at log on. But you can switch to an advanced caselaw search, or you can search in statutes or other legal resources.

ADVANCED SEARCHES IN FASTCASE Searches can be carried out in natural language, using Boolean search terms, or by using a citation. This is true for cases, as well as statutes and other legal sources.

LOW COST OR FREE RESOURCES - CASEMAKER You may have CaseMaker as a Bar Benefit. If not…. Sorry. CaseMaker is only available to members of the CaseMaker Consortium – no individual subscriptions allowed. You should be able to sign up as a law student at the CaseMaker website Let’s look at CaseMakerCaseMaker You cannot search state and federal together You can search in several states at one time Has a citator, and it has editorial content

CASEMAKER You have to choose where to search with Casemaker. The home page is not a search page. You have to choose a library to search in.

SEARCHING IN CASEMAKER You have to go into a library, and then pick a specific state to search in to get to the search screen.

ADVANCED SEARCHED IN CASEMAKER CaseMaker has many advanced search options that come up when you select a library to search.

WHEN RESEARCHING LOW COST SITES ONLINE, SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER: Is the website reliable? Take a look at the first module if you don’t remember how to analyze reliability What do they cover? Kind of information Scope of information How do they work? Do they have an advanced search? Do they have a citator? You always have to update your research, is it easy to do in the resource you are using? Can you rely solely on these databases and still meet the ethical standards for legal research? You must do enough research to find the answer to a legal question. How and when should you combine these services with other sources?

LOW COST OR FREE RESOURCES Federal Digital System (Fdsys)Fdsys United States Code – no Citators Federal Register – official, but no Citators Code of Federal Regulations – official, but no Citators Legal Information Institute (LII)LII State statutes – no Citators U.C.C. – no Citators Research guides

LOW COST OR FREE RESOURCES Google Scholar Gives citation to one other case Not a full citator – although it has citations, it has no editorial comments to help you Findlaw Limited courts-only Florida Supreme Court or Florida Court of Appeals No Citators

MORE LOW COST OR FREE RESOURCES Justia U.S. case law No Citators Public Library of Law U.S. Case law No Citators Library of Congress- ThomasThomas Congressional research 1990 to present