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

2. Low Cost Databases

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. Contents Unanno Statutes Cases w/o Headnotes Unanno Regs “Shepard’s –Like Feature” Other LoislawYesYes – Ohio unreported 1997- 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

8. Contents Unanno Statutes Cases w/o Headnotes Unanno Regs “Shepard’s –Like Feature” FastcaseInternet links for 8 states Fed App 1925-, Ohio 1950 -, Ohio unreported 2000-.CoverageCoverage Mostly Internet Links Yes Versuslaw See help, Content/ Features Fed if pay more, no state Ohio 1950 -. Ohio unreported 1995 -. Older Fed District More $ Fed if pay more, no State Yes

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

10. 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

19. 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*

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

26. Temporary Login username: CMLaw password: fastcase

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

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

38. 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

39. BNA Current Awareness PLUS Libraries: Primary & Secondary Sources

40. 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

41. 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

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

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

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

53. 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 – 1950. unreported - early-mid nineties

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

55. 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

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

60. Case law Google Scholar – state reported 1950-, fed circuit/ district 1923- Google Scholar Ohio Supreme Court Legal Research Workstation - Case Law

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

64. Why don’t we get the Nash case?

67. 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.

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

74. Ehandout https://www.law.csuohio.edu/lawlibrary/ehan dout/alternatives2011 https://www.law.csuohio.edu/lawlibrary/ehan dout/alternatives2011