Internet Legal Research for Professor Mikas Legal Writing

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 l Coverage l Secondary sources l Better Search Mechanisms - /s, /p l Editorial features – headnotes, annotations l Aggregate Info l Trustworthiness

Benefits of Internet v. Lexis/WL l Free l Can be quicker/easier

Internet v. Lexis/Westlaw l Some info exclusive to Internet Municipal Ordinances l Some Court Filings l New case/regulation (within one day) l New topics/issues l

What’s on the Free Web l All US Supreme Court Cases l Reported Federal Appellate 1882 -, Fed District 1932 - l Some Unreported Fed l State cases: Reported 1950 -, unreported varies -1990 s-

What’s on the Free Web l Statutes & Regulations- federal and states l LOTS more!

Internet Portals l Library Home Page – Legal Research on the Web l Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII) l ALSO l Findlaw

Lexis Communities

Use LEGAL Search Engines • Cornell University Legal Research Engine • Lexis. Web • 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 l Clustering search engines: Yippy, Ask. com l Metasearch engines: Dogpile, Yippy l Government Search Engines: USA. gov, Fdsys, Metalib l Internet Wayback Machine

Search Engines l Learn search syntax l Google. com – click link or wheel for advanced search l Click on Advanced Search Tips to see operators

Google Operators l l l l l 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 l Google Scholar – state reported 1950 -, fed circuit/ district 1923 l Ohio Supreme Court – Ohio reported & unreported (oldest 1992) l 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 l LLRX or Resources for Online Court Dockets to find dockets l Some dockets have full text documents ex. Ohio – Montgomery & Summit Counties, federal l PACER – Federal Court dockets l On Westlaw/Lexis – more search capability

Forms l Forms and Practice Materials Resource Guide l Practical students Law Company – free to law

Evaluating Web Sites l Credibility: author; possible bias, accuracy. l Currency / Updating, Coverage l Writing Quality l Ease of use – Design, navigation, searchability, help l Stability

Forms and Sample Contracts l Who publishes the site? A legal publisher? bar association? l Does the site sell forms? l Who wrote the form? l Use with caution, tailor to your facts

“Business Contracts” and Court Forms Free. Others cost $.

Web Sites to Know l Thomas. gov – Federal Legislative History, Pending Bills l Fed’l Govt. – FDSys l E-CFR - most up to date Code of Federal Regulations l A-Z Index of U. S. Government Depts. & Agencies

More Websites to Know l Ohio Supreme Court l Municipal Ordinances

Conclusion l Use Free Web, but be aware limitations in coverage, currency, searching ability, reliability l Go beyond Google: Use free legal databases, legal search engines and portals

e. Handout l https: //www. law. csuohio. edu/lawlibrary/e handout/alternatives 2012