In the past, the legal research process was cumbersome, in part because the researcher was tied to a physical location — whether it was a local legal library or a law firm computer — to access resources through legal databases. As valuable as legal databases are for your case research, there are other alternative sources where you can find information and resources to support your legal research. Below, we offer you free and affordable options to create your case. Keep in mind, however, that while this information is easily accessible through primary sources, you`re probably missing out on the advanced search or analytics features you`ll find on search engines and legal databases. Today, there are several legal solutions and research tools on the market, ranging from subscription services to free online resources. Below is an overview of some of the most popular legal research tools for law firms today. Interestingly, only 16% of lawyers surveyed said they regularly ask other lawyers or trainee lawyers to conduct legal research for them, with lawyers from law firms with 10 to 49 lawyers leading the way with 32%. 10% of lawyers surveyed said they had asked paralegals to investigate, and 4% asked legal librarians to do so. LexBlog – an online network of over 22,000 legal bloggers – is a hub for the latest comments on the law.

LexBlog sorts blogs by channels, making it easy to find and subscribe to legal blogs that focus on your specific area of law. Many law firms use paid services such as Westlaw and Lexis/Nexus to conduct legal research. Familiarity with these services is a skill that makes you more valuable to your employer. Another important step in legal research is to check that all the cases and laws you come across in your legal research are still “good” laws – meaning that every legal decision you seek is always valid and relevant. Using a struck down or unconstitutional law will not help you win your case. Joshua Lenon is a lawyer-in-residence at Clio. As an attorney admitted to the New York Bar, Joshua brings jurisprudence to conversations that take place both within Clio and with his clients. Joshua has worked hard to educate lawyers on the ability of technology to improve their practice while educating technology companies about the unique needs of the legal system. If you do legal research yourself, many state bar associations offer their members one of two research platforms: Fastcase and Casemaker as a free benefit. When it comes to practising law, we often think of legal experience.

But even the most successful legal argument will eventually fail without solid legal research. Legal research – that is, identifying, finding, and citing the applicable information and laws needed to support your legal decision-making – strengthens your case and adds substance to your legal work, resulting in a better outcome for your clients. Different dishes use different e-filing systems. Most jurisdictions provide instructions on their websites on how to use their specific e-filing system. A lawyer may need to learn several different systems and be able to file documents for several different jurisdictions. Conducting smart, thorough, accurate, and fast legal research will make a huge difference to your law firm`s success, but it doesn`t have to be expensive. While new cases are preferred (after all, they are more likely to reflect current legal changes that could impact case law – and are therefore less likely to become obsolete), timeliness is not mandatory. Whether paid legal research platforms are outside the firm`s budget or you simply want to find cost-effective ways to conduct thorough research for your cases, today`s free legal research resources help you be more efficient so you can serve your clients more effectively – and stay ahead of the competition. When it comes to legal research sources, start with secondary sources. Cornell Law School`s Legal Information Institute (LII) offers free access to most U.S.

laws online, making it a good resource if you need to find a law or regulation, while providing online access to legal documents such as: The fact is, the average lawyer doesn`t do a spectacular job of researching, according to the judges. Sponsored by the Nonprofit Free Law Project, CourtListener is a legal research website with millions of legal notices from federal and state courts. Search CourtListener by business name, subject or quote – the data is all freely accessible and updated daily. One of the best ways to become a more effective legal researcher is to stay one step ahead. The best way to do it? Maintain your expertise by keeping abreast of the latest developments in your field by regularly reading legal journals and legal blogs. Legal research is one of the most important aspects of many legal cases. After all, without legal research, law firms have nothing to rely on to back up their arguments. However, the question is where to look for this support if you want to find the best sources. Google Scholar. In 2004, Google decided to get into the legal research game, and the result was Google Scholar. As the name suggests, Google Scholar aims to find more scholarly resources than you get with a typical Google search, although the interface essentially works the same way, making it a very intuitive tool.

On the plus side, Google Scholar is free, but that means it has its limitations. You can`t be sure you`ll find everything you`ll find on LexisNexis or Westlaw, and you won`t have indicators of whether your sources are a good law, but this powerful tool is a good place to start your research. Whether you`re new to legal research or have been doing legal research for years, once you have a solid understanding of the process, use strategies and tools to maximize the effectiveness of legal research. Here are three strategies to consider: While Fastcase offers a variety of paid desktop plans (you can try a free trial to test them out), their free mobile app is available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone — and anyone with the app can access Fastcase`s comprehensive legal research database for free on the go. Here are some tools you can use to streamline your legal research process: Many companies offer legal document management software. A selection of popular systems are AbicusLaw, MyCase, Clio, PracticeMaster, to name a few. While no one can learn all of these software, it`s helpful to familiarize yourself with at least one system, what it does, and how it works. Once you have these concepts, learning new systems will be easier to understand and master when needed. Whether you`re a law student or a seasoned lawyer, learning how to conduct extensive legal research (or improve your existing legal research process) is a skill that can give you a competitive edge. Learning excellent legal research techniques, from developing a more efficient research process to adopting cloud-based tools to conduct better, faster, and smarter legal research, will help you better support your cases and clients.

If you want even more tips for smarter legal research, you`ll find this blog post useful. For starters, it`s clear that legal research takes a lot of time in the age of lawyers. According to the survey results, lawyers spend an average of 17% of their time on legal research, with lawyers in small firms with 2 to 9 lawyers working as 18%. Ediscovery is the process of identifying and producing relevant information stored electronically as part of a dispute. As a legal assistant, you may be asked to help collect and store documents. It is beneficial to understand the concepts of electronic disclosure and the obligations imposed on litigants to retain, collect, review and create electronic records as part of the investigative process. An introduction to Westlaw and the essentials of legal research. However, there`s another specialty you may not have thought of: the research lawyer. Law firms use document management systems to manage the storage, organization, categorization, annotation, and retrieval of documents. Documents are such an important part of any legal matter that a good legal document management system is essential to the success of any law firm. Video conferencing requires special equipment to ensure a secure connection.

When used in a statement, the court reporter company often provides the equipment and personnel needed to operate the equipment. Understanding the concept of videoconferencing and how it can be used is important knowledge for any paralegal or paralegal. How can you check if you are applying a “good” law? Use a Citator. Citators allows you to verify the authority of a case by obtaining a cataloged list of cases, statuses, and legal sources, as well as a history and precedent value for those sources, so you can verify that they have not been outvoted, challenged, or rendered irrelevant. Legal research tools of the Bar Association. Most state bar associations offer their members free access to legal research tools. Depending on the state, this is likely to be offered through the Casemaker or Fastcase platform. Each bar association differs in terms of access and the features it offers, so check yours to see what your options are. If you are not a member of the Bar, you can access both platforms under different payment or subscription plans. Technically, number six on this list isn`t free, but inexpensive options for AI-based legal research can make a big difference in your results. Casetext`s search is powered by AI, which helps you conduct legal research better and faster, find cases and other authorities on the same facts, legal issues, and jurisdictions as your case.