Major online research options are reviewed, including tips for leveraging various databases, like FastCase. 6/14/14 presentation for the Missouri Bar Solo & Small Firm Conference.

1. Online Legal Research:
Tools, Tips + Tricks*
Jared D. Correia, Esq.
Assistant Director/Senior Law Practice Advisor
Massachusetts Law Office Management Assistance Program
The Missouri Bar
2014 Solo & Small Firm Conference
#MOSOLO14
June 11-14, 2014
Branson Convention Center

3. “
”
Give us the TOOLS,
and we will do the job.
Tom Menino, former Mayor of Boston

4. The Big Boys
Westlaw
Lexis

5. Alternative Subscription
Services
 Bloomberg Law
 Lois Law
 Versus Law
 Fastcase/Casemaker
 HeinOnline

6. What ARE You Paying For?
Databases
Features
Interface

7. What AREN’T You Paying For?
 Paid Services (Patron access)
 FastCase (Missouri Bar access)
 Google Scholar
 Public Library of Law
 WashLaw Web
 Legal Information Institute (Cornell)

8. Federal Resources
 Regulations
 eCFR
 FDSys
 Regulations.gov
 Congress
 Congress.gov (formerly ‘Thomas’)
 Federal Register
 Office of the Law Revision Counsel
 Courts
 Oyez
 RECAP
 Agencies
 LSU Libraries Federal Agency Directory
 UVA’s Federal Administrative Decisions and Other Actions

9. More Directed Resources
 Law Reviews + Journals
 Subscription Feature
 University Law Review Project
 CEO Express
 Library of Congress: Law Review Online
 Research Guides
 Cornell Law School Legal Research Engine
 Zimmerman’s Research Guide
 International + Foreign Law
 Law Library of Congress
 Legal Information Institute: Global Portal
 United Nations Treaty Series
 Electronic Information for International Law

10. There’s An App for That . . .
 Legal Research + Scholarship
 Westlaw Next, Lexis Advance,
Bloomberg Law, HeinOnline, FastCase
 dLaw, OpenRegs
 Legal News + Information
 ABA Journal, The National Law
Journal, The American Lawyer
 JDSupra’s Legal Edge, Legal News
Reader
 iSCOTUS Now

11. Whither Legal Subscription
Services?
 Niche practices are becoming more popular and are increasingly
complex.
 There are a lot of free resources out there, especially for
enterprising lawyers, especially for specific resource sets.
 Will free, niche databases swallow subscription legal services?
 No, because we pay for features = ease of use, too.
 But, the open source legal research community, the reality of
modern practice and the web savvy of modern attorneys will
combine to continue to force subscription service providers to
change the way they do business.

12. “
”
Just the TIP(S).
Sterling Archer, ISIS agent

13. Finagling

28. Three More Quick
FastCase Tips
 Cut + Paste Brief into Search Box; FastCase will find cited
cases . . . usually
 All of the Boolean Search Terms for Westlaw + Lexis work
in FastCase
 ‘Show Search Tips’ tool features most common searches
for each operator; they’re clickable

29. FastCase is Faster
Algorithm v Al Gorythm

30. “
”
TRICKS and treachery are the
practice of foolsthe wise, that
don’t have enough brains to be
honestwork smarter, not harder.
(paraphrasing) Benjamin Franklin, wanted the turkey for the national bird

31. Basic Research Tip #1
Know Your
(Database)
Limitations

32. Basic Research Tip #2
 BOO-lean To You!

33. Basic Research Tip #3
Start Free; Finish
Expensive

34. Basic Research Tip #4
Recreate the
Wheel; Maintain
the Wheel

35. Basic Research Tip #5
Going Mobile

36. THANK YOU!
Jared D. Correia, Esq.
Assistant Director
Senior Law Practice Advisor
Massachusetts Law Office Management Assistance
Program
www.masslomap.org/blog
www.attorneyatwork.com/author/jaredcorreia
www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia
@jaredcorreia

37. *For assistance in the creation of this
presentation, I am indebted to:
-Ed Walters and Josh Auriemma, both of FastCase
-Ellen Delaney, of Suffolk University Law School’s
John Joseph Moakley Law Library