successful summer strategies: free & low-cost online legal research going beyond lexis &...
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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
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)
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