Internet Legal Research for Professor Mika’s Legal Writing

Class

Mar. 1, 2011

Outline

Internet v. Lexis, WestlawLegal Portals and Search EnginesFree Case Law/Primary Sources FormsEvaluating Web Sites

Internet v. Lexis/Westlaw

Internet is Free. No charges to clientsSome info exclusive to Internet

Municipal Ordinances Some Court FilingsNew case/regulation (within one day)New topics/issues

Internet v. Lexis/WL

Benefits of Lexis, WL:Coverage. Internet, Ohio cases back to

1950Better Search MechanismsEditorial features – headnotes, annotationsSecondary sources – treatisesAggregate Info Trustworthiness

What’s on the Free Web

All US Supreme Court CasesReported Federal Appellate 1882-, Fed

District 1932-Some Unreported FedState cases: Reported 1950-, unreported

varies -1990s-Statutes & Regulations- federal and

states LOTS more!

Internet Portals

Library Home Page – Legal Research on the Web

Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII) FindLaw

Use LEGAL Search Engines

• Cornell University Legal Research Engine

• LexisWeb

• List of Search Legal Engines

Search Engines

Clustering search engines: Yippy, Ask.com

Metasearch engines: Dogpile, Yippy

Internet Wayback Machine Learn search syntax

Case law

Google Scholar – state reported 1950-, fed circuit/ district 1923-

Ohio Supreme Court – Ohio reported & unreported (oldest 1992)

LexisOne – Last 10 yrs, Lexis searchingLegal Research on the Web - Cases

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

• Why don’t we get the Nash case, a 2003 unreported Ohio case?

Limit to Ohio

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.

• Demo Ohio Supreme Court case search

Finding Dockets, Pleadings, Motions

LLRX or Resources for Online Court Dockets to find dockets

Some dockets have full text documents ex. Ohio – Montgomery & Summit Counties, federal

PACER – Federal Court dockets On Westlaw/Lexis – more search

capability

Forms

Forms and Practice Materials Resource Guide

Practical Law Company – free to law students

Evaluating Web Sites

Credibility: author; possible bias, accuracy. 

Currency / Updating, CoverageWriting Quality Ease of use – Design, navigation,

searchability, help Stability

Forms and Sample Contracts

Who publishes the site? A legal publisher? bar association?

Does the site sell forms?Who wrote the form?Use with caution, tailor to your facts

The Invisible Web

Search Engines not index entire webSearch engines cannot type or think. “Invisible Web” includes information stored

in databases and password restricted information

Accessing Invisible Web

Find databases via directories or search engines (search for a subject term and the word “database”), or ask a librarian.

Bookmark databases you find See Web Searching guide

Invisible Web Example

Traffic tickets. Try a search on Google and pipl.com to find traffic tickets for John Ferris of Vandalia, Ohio.

Web Sites to Know

Thomas.gov – Federal Legislative History

Fed’l Govt. – FDSysE-CFR - most up to date Code of

Federal Regulations A-Z Index of U.S. Government Depts. &

Agencies

More Websites to Know

Martindale Hubbell Law Digest Ohio Supreme CourtMunicipal Ordinances

Conclusion

Use Free Web, but be aware limitations in coverage, currency, searching ability, reliability

Go beyond Google: Use free legal databases, legal search engines and portals

eHandout

https://www.law.csuohio.edu/lawlibrary/ehandout/alternatives2011