Successful Summer Strategies: Free & Low-Cost Online Legal Research Going Beyond Lexis & Westlaw

If you have Westlaw or Lexis Understand the firm or organization’s contract and culture ◦ Ask the librarian! ◦ Utilize free time/training Minimize costs ◦ Get help from Reference Attorneys/Customer Service ◦ Use appropriate databases ◦ Don’t spend a lot of time reading online ◦ Minimize printing ◦ Use free services when appropriate

Going Beyond Westlaw & Lexis Don’t forget about print materials, particularly for secondary sources Utilize databases at local law libraries (e.g., TMLL) Understand free and low-cost legal websites ◦ Government-provided information ◦ Information consolidated by a commercial provider but provided at low or no cost

Government provided information Almost all governments now provide most/all of their information via the web But... ◦ It usually only covers the past years ◦ Searching may be primitive or nonexistent ◦ Indexing varies ◦ Be sure to check how up-to-date it is Best if you are looking for a specific source such as a case, statute or regulation

Public Access to Court Electronic Records – Access is not free, but very inexpensive - $.08/page for documents accessed

Free Legal Databases (from commercial publishers) Public Library of Law (from FastCase) FindLaw (owned by Thomson West (Westlaw)) PreCYdent (Beta version) LexisONE

Free, but registration is required

Low-cost legal databases FastCase – included with Maryland State Bar Association membership Casemaker VersusLaw Loislaw Westlaw by Credit Card

Legal Directory Sites Most of these contain lists of links to legal information on the web ◦ Legal Information Institute ( ◦ WashLaw web ( ◦ Hieros Gamos ( ◦ LLRX ( (good for forms)

This research guide has details on much of what was covered today