Transcript Internet Legal Research: Prof. Mika`s Legal Drafting Class, Dec 2

Internet Legal Research for
Professor Mika’s Legal Writing
Class
Feb. 28, 2012
Limitations of Google
Invisible Web - Search
Engines can not type
or think
Limitations of Google
• Too many results
• Results not geared
for lawyers
Limitations of Google
Desired content NOT
on the free web:
• Older cases
• Secondary Sources:
Ojur, Forms, etc.
Benefits of Lexis/WL
Coverage
 Secondary sources
 Better Search Mechanisms - /s, /p
 Editorial features – headnotes, annotations
 Aggregate Info
 Trustworthiness

Benefits of Internet v. Lexis/WL

Free

Can be
quicker/easier
Internet v. Lexis/Westlaw

Some info exclusive to Internet
Municipal Ordinances
 Some Court Filings
 New case/regulation (within one day)
 New topics/issues

What’s on the Free Web

All US Supreme Court Cases

Reported Federal Appellate 1882-, Fed
District 1932-

Some Unreported Fed

State cases: Reported 1950-, unreported
varies -1990s-
What’s on the Free Web

Statutes & Regulations- federal and
states

LOTS more!
Internet Portals

Library Home Page – Legal Research on
the Web

Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII)

ALSO

Findlaw
Lexis Communities
Use LEGAL Search Engines
• Cornell University Legal Research
Engine
• LexisWeb
• List of Search Legal Engines
Ohio Search Engine
• https://www.law.csuohio.edu/lawlibrary/ohiosearch
Dragnet by NY Law School
• http://www.nyls.edu/library/research_tools
_and_sources/dragnet
Search Engines

Clustering search engines: Yippy,
Ask.com

Metasearch engines: Dogpile, Yippy

Government Search Engines: USA.gov,
Fdsys, Metalib

Internet Wayback Machine
Search Engines

Learn search syntax

Google.com – click link or wheel for
advanced search

Click on Advanced Search Tips to see
operators
Google Operators

AND (default)
 OR (capitalized)
 “”Quotes for phrase.
 - to remove words or phrases.
 ~ searches synonyms
 * wildcard to replace word(s) (to * or * )
 No truncation
 sue AROUND(3) brown
 Fields: intitle:, site:, inurl:
 define: finds definitions
Case law

Google Scholar – state reported 1950-, fed
circuit/ district 1923-

Ohio Supreme Court – Ohio reported &
unreported (oldest 1992)

Legal 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
• Demo Ohio Supreme Court case search
Jureeka
• Firefox/Chrome add-on
• Retrieve by citation toolbar
• Fed, Ohio Official Reports, Ohio Web
Cites, ORC, OAC
• On web documents (html), Jureeka links
legal citations
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, Coverage
 Writing 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

“Business
Contracts” and
Court Forms Free.
Others cost $.
Web Sites to Know
Thomas.gov – Federal Legislative
History, Pending Bills
 Fed’l Govt. – FDSys
 E-CFR - most up to date Code of
Federal Regulations
 A-Z Index of U.S. Government Depts. &
Agencies

More Websites to Know
Ohio Supreme Court
 Municipal 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/e
handout/alternatives2012