Successful Summer Successful Summer Strategies:Strategies:Free & Low-Cost Online Free & Low-Cost Online Legal ResearchLegal Research

Going Beyond Lexis & Westlaw

If you have Westlaw or If you have Westlaw or LexisLexisUnderstand 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 & Going Beyond Westlaw & LexisLexisDon’t forget about print materials,

particularly for secondary sourcesUtilize 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 Government provided informationinformationAlmost all governments now provide

most/all of their information via the web

But. . . ◦It usually only covers the past 10-20 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 Free Legal Databases (from commercial publishers)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 databasesLow-cost legal databasesFastCase – included with

Maryland State Bar Association membership

CasemakerVersusLawLoislawWestlaw by Credit Card

Legal Directory SitesLegal Directory SitesMost of these contain lists of links

to legal information on the web◦Legal Information Institute

(www.law.cornell.edu)◦WashLaw web (www.washlaw.edu)◦Hieros Gamos (www.hg.org)◦LLRX (www.llrx.com) (good for

forms)

This research guide has details on much of what was covered

today