While LexisNexis and Westlaw offer a wide array of primary and secondary resources, they can be costly for small firms and solo practitioners. The good news is there are several low cost and free alternatives available.
- § Google Scholar: Google Scholar offers free access to federal and state case law. You can also search for scholarly articles, although not all of these are available for free. Google Scholar also has a patent search and allows users with a Google account to save cases and articles.
- § Casemaker: Casemaker provides subscribers with federal case law, state case law and statutes information. Extra tools such as tracking time by client, folders to save research, and the ability to save notes are provided. Casemaker also has a service that indicates if a law is legitimate. Additionally, some state and local bar associations offer free or discounted access to their members.
- § Fastcase: Fastcase offers a database similar to LexisNexis and Westlaw that includes primary law at the state and federal level, including PACER. It also offers the flexibility of a monthly or yearly plan. This database also features citation analysis and visual search tools.
- § LoislawConnect by Wolters Kluwer: LoislawConnect offers several flexible subscription plans that can be customized to provide information on federal and state primary law. LoislawConnect also offers add-ons such as forms and treatises. Additionally, GlobalCite allows you to search materials that cite the law you are looking at. The ability to save searches and track time also enhance the search.
- § Practical Law Company: Practical Law Company offers secondary materials such as documents, checklists, and overviews of law categories to guide attorneys. Practical Law also offers international resources.
In addition to the alternatives above, consider obtaining a law library membership, which may include database access. Also check with your state and local bar associations for discounted or free membership to research databases.
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