Alternatives to Lexis & Westlaw Prof. Carolyn Broering-Jacobs’ Legal Writing Class Feb. 2011

Low Cost Databases

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

Access to Low Cost Databases Library Website, Electronic Resources Page. Library Website Casemaker: ohiobar.org. Free with FREE student membership to the Ohio State Bar Association OR Librarians can sign you inFREE student membership Fastcase – fastcase.com.

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

Stripped Down Versions of Lexis and Westlaw Casemaker – best coverage for Ohio. Odd search syntax Fastcase – Natural Language, Visual Charts Loislaw - Best terms and connectors, field searching. Treatises. Alert searches. VersusLaw – Cheapest, worst 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 Yes Yes – Ohio unreported 1981-, All Ohio Misc. 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 1925-, 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

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

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

Issue= Whether in Ohio, two people can marry if they are the opposite sex because one person had gender reassignment surgery, and that person’s birth certificate was amended to reflect the sex change? Search = “birth certificate” (transsexual, transgender, “sex change”) marri*

Casemaker Session Part of Research Certificate Seminars Wednesday, 3/2, 3pm-4pm Register by ing Laura Ray

Temporary Login username: CMLaw password: fastcase

“birth certificate” AND (transgender OR transsexual OR “sex change”) AND marri* Natural language – birth certificate marriage transsexual

Fastcase Webinar Thursday, 3/24, 4:30pm-5:30pm –– LB Room 208 or remotely via your own computer Contact Laura Ray to register

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

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

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, cont’d 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 Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII) FindLaw ALSO (American Law Sources Online) ALSO Other Portals

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

Case law Google Scholar – state reported 1950-, fed circuit/ district Google Scholar Ohio Supreme Court Legal Research Workstation - Case Law

Search = “birth certificate” marriage transsexual OR transgender OR “sex change”

Why don’t we get the Nash case?

Google Advanced Operators AROUND –ex. constitution AROUND(5) "home rule“ ~ searches for synonyms and related words ex. ~constitutionality - searches for constitutional, unconstitutional, etc. * placeholder for a word. Ex. sexual * abuse picks up “sexual misconduct abuse”, “sexual child abuse”, etc.

Web Sites to Know Thomas.gov – Federal Legislative History Thomas FDSys - Fed’l Govt. FDSys PACER – Federal Court dockets PACER Martindale Hubbell Law Digest

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