Legal Research on the (Free) Internet Presented by: Kate Fitz Public Services Librarian Sacramento County Public Law Library

Sources of law Primary Sources contain the law Actual statements of the law Codes, Cases, Regulations Generally available online Secondary Sources explain the law Material “about” the law, often starting point for research Limited availability online

Primary Sources contain the law

Actual statements of the law

Codes, Cases, Regulations

Generally available online

Secondary Sources explain the law

Material “about” the law, often starting point for research

Limited availability online

Search Techniques on the Internet Boolean, wildcards, “exact phrase,” proximity Always take a peek at the “help” or “search tips” Broken links? Site map, URL trimming, Google’s “site:” search Alternative terms, terms to focus Introduction

Boolean, wildcards, “exact phrase,” proximity

Always take a peek at the “help” or “search tips”

Broken links? Site map, URL trimming, Google’s “site:” search

Alternative terms, terms to focus

Primary Sources

Case Law

http://findlaw.com/cacases/ 1934 to the present Free, but registration required California cases

1934 to the present

Free, but registration required

http://findlaw.com/cacases/ Cases citing this case Pin cite No indication of total hits

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/ Advanced Search More Search Terms California Courts – Powered by LexisNexis Cases since 1850 Registration not required Many search options

Cases since 1850

Registration not required

Many search options

Print or email Focus w/in results Validation symbols California Courts http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/

Other State Case Law FindLaw a good source, but varies in coverage Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII): http://www.law.cornell.edu/states/listing.html Check with your local public law library! http://aallnet.org/sis/sccll/membership/libraries.htm

FindLaw a good source, but varies in coverage

Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII): http://www.law.cornell.edu/states/listing.html

Check with your local public law library! http://aallnet.org/sis/sccll/membership/libraries.htm

Federal Case Law All Supreme Court, F2d and F3d West Rptr citations w/ pagination Advanced search available http://www.precydent.com/

All Supreme Court, F2d and F3d

West Rptr citations w/ pagination

Advanced search available

Federal Case Law – other options Altlaw: http:// altlaw.org / . All Supreme Court cases, 40+years of federal appellate cases, most with West Reporter citations, but not pagination. Advanced search functions available. Justia: http:// law.justia.com / Federal and state cases, including some access to current case dockets. Citations, but not pagination. Google search (no built-in advanced search)

Altlaw: http:// altlaw.org / . All Supreme Court cases, 40+years of federal appellate cases, most with West Reporter citations, but not pagination. Advanced search functions available.

Justia: http:// law.justia.com / Federal and state cases, including some access to current case dockets. Citations, but not pagination. Google search (no built-in advanced search)

Statutes

California statutes http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.htm Click here For CA code Current code only Not annotated Keyword searchable NO INDEX!!

Current code only

Not annotated

Keyword searchable

Searching the California Codes fence Can my neighbor build a 12-foot high fence next to my property just to annoy me? http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.htm

The plain statement of the law http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.htm

leave keyword blank Browsing Table of Contents Choose a code to view, then… http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.htm

Browsing Table of Contents No way to plug in cites! http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.htm

Other State Statutes FindLaw a good source, but varies in coverage Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII): http://www.law.cornell.edu/states/listing.html Check with your local public law library! http://aallnet.org/sis/sccll/membership/libraries.htm

FindLaw a good source, but varies in coverage

Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII): http://www.law.cornell.edu/states/listing.html

Check with your local public law library! http://aallnet.org/sis/sccll/membership/libraries.htm

United States Code U.S. House of Representatives http:// uscode.house.gov/search/criteria.shtml Plug in citations or search text. Many search options including cross-references to a citation. Classification Tables (recently enacted changes). Prior versions of Code. Cornell Legal Information Institute http:// www.law.cornell.edu/uscode / Plug in citations or search text. Table of Popular Names; advanced search options.

U.S. House of Representatives http:// uscode.house.gov/search/criteria.shtml Plug in citations or search text. Many search options including cross-references to a citation. Classification Tables (recently enacted changes). Prior versions of Code.

Cornell Legal Information Institute http:// www.law.cornell.edu/uscode / Plug in citations or search text. Table of Popular Names; advanced search options.

Regulations

California Code of Regulations http://www.calregs.com/ Regulations of all California agencies Only the current edition is available Title 24 (CA Building Standards Code) is NOT available on the Internet

Regulations of all California agencies

Only the current edition is available

Title 24 (CA Building Standards Code) is NOT available on the Internet

Click for Table of Contents http://www.calregs.com/ California Code of Regulations Plug in citation Search for words

http://www.calregs.com/ California Code of Regulations What insects can be imported without a permit? import AND insects AND permit

http://www.calregs.com/ California Code of Regulations

Other State Regulations Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII): http://www.law.cornell.edu/states/listing.html Check with your local public law library! http://aallnet.org/sis/sccll/membership/libraries.htm

Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII): http://www.law.cornell.edu/states/listing.html

Check with your local public law library! http://aallnet.org/sis/sccll/membership/libraries.htm

e-CFR: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov Federal Register: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/ Federal regulations http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html

e-CFR: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov

Federal Register: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/

Municipal law

California City & County Codes http://igs.berkeley.edu/library/calcodes.html Also see: California City Websites & City Codes http://law.justia.com/ california/cities/

Other Municipal & County Codes http://tinyurl.com/3rppn

Sacramento City Code Online http://www.qcode.us/codes/sacramento/

Public Records Searching Types of records available varies from County to County and from State to State

Types of records available varies from County to County and from State to State

Cal. Secretary of State http://kepler.ss.ca.gov/list.html

Links to many free public records databases around the U.S. Can limit by state Also many links to pay searches www.freeprf.com

Links to many free public records databases around the U.S.

Can limit by state

Also many links to pay searches

Court Records California Many California courts offer online case index More and more offer online documents Find California courts on the Judicial Council site http://courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/find.htm Other States Available records vary Find court websites at Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII): http:// www.law.cornell.edu / Federal dockets and documents: see PACER. Some free at Justia.com and public.resource.org http://courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/find.htm

California

Many California courts offer online case index

More and more offer online documents

Find California courts on the Judicial Council site http://courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/find.htm

Other States

Available records vary

Find court websites at Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII): http:// www.law.cornell.edu /

Federal dockets and documents: see PACER. Some free at Justia.com and public.resource.org

Secondary Sources Secondary sources such as: CEB practice guides Rutter Group materials Matthew Bender pleading and practice guides … are NOT available for free on the Internet $215.00 $361.25 $4201.00

Secondary sources such as:

CEB practice guides

Rutter Group materials

Matthew Bender pleading and practice guides

… are NOT available for free on the Internet

Cornell Legal Information Institute: Wex http://topics.law.cornell.edu/wex Articles arranged alphabetically Keyword Search

FindLaw: “Learn About the Law” http://public.findlaw.com/ Arranged topically or alphabetically

Nolo.com: Self Help Publisher www.nolo.com Commercial site, but many helpful articles available free

California Judicial Council www.courtinfo.ca.gov Self-Help Center

Local court websites http://www.caeb.uscourts.gov/ Info on specific topics and local practice Forms, instructions, samples Links to more resources Find your jurisdiction: www.law.cornell.edu/soj.html

Info on specific topics and local practice

Forms, instructions, samples

Links to more resources

Find your jurisdiction: www.law.cornell.edu/soj.html

Law Reviews

Washburn Legal Research on the Web www.washlaw.edu/lawjournal/

L aw Review Home Pages ( D’Angelo Law Library) www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/law/lawreviews.html

Google Scholar – article search Links to full text sometimes availalble http://scholar.google.com/

Links to full text sometimes availalble

Keeping current – Law Blogs Written by practitioners or scholars Regularly updated news, case reports, and commentary on specialized topics RSS feeds can deliver the news to you

Written by practitioners or scholars

Regularly updated news, case reports, and commentary on specialized topics

RSS feeds can deliver the news to you

Finding blawgs - Justia http://blawgsearch.justia.com/

Law Professor Blogs http://www.lawprofessorblogs.com/

Thank you for coming! [email_address] IM Cat Galileo www.galileolaw.com (coming soon)

[email_address]

IM Cat Galileo

www.galileolaw.com (coming soon)