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Step 0: Know your database
Introduction to Boolean
Searching
2015
Indexed databases
• Search based on subject matter or
concept
• Like digest searches
• Go to “Landlords” section, then
look up case
• Information already pre-sorted into
categories
• If information isn’t in the category,
you would miss it
Yahoo search page circa 1998
Google search circa 2015
Example of an indexed search database.
Example of a full-text database
Full-text databases
•
•
•
•
•
Search based on individual words
Like a Google search
Type in landlord
User specifies search terms
Search not limited to someone else’s
categorization
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Before we get started
Before we get started (part two)
Know the scope of what you’re searching (the “corpus”) so you aren’t guessing what’s in the database.
Case Law
Federal and state case law back to 1950**
Statutes
U.S. Code & official state statutes for D.C. plus 46 states
Other Regulations
Links to state and federal administrative regulations and codes (some are
searchable)
Court Rules
Links to state and federal courts rules (some are searchable)
Constitutions
Links to state and federal constitutions (a few are searchable)
Two things to keep in mind
Search process
A good search is like a dance —
general steps you follow with added
flourish to impress people
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Getting started
Fastcase Boolean operators
Operator
Example
Description
AND, &
libel AND damages
Results must contain both “libel” and “damages”
OR
premarital OR prenuptial
Results must contain either “premarital” or “prenuptial”
NOT
negligence NOT criminal
Results must contain “negligence” but not the word “criminal”
w/3, /3
custody /15 interrogation
Results must contain “custody” w/in 15 words of “interrogation.”
*, !
testif*
Results must contain some variation of the stem “testif ” such as
testified, testify, testifying, etc.
?
mari?uana
Results must contain m-a-r-i-_-u-a-n-a with any letter substituted for
the question mark
“”
“estate tax”
Results must contain the exact phrase “estate tax”
( )
(confront OR cross-examine) Parentheses tells Fastcase to do the operations contained within it
before doing things outside
AND — libel AND damages
Only returns cases at the intersection —
ones containing both the words libel and
damages.
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OR — prenuptial OR premarital
NOT — negligence NOT criminal
Returns all cases around the perimeter of
the two words — either those using the
word prenuptial or the word premarital.
Proximity or within — w/# or /#
Only returns cases mentioning
“negligence” without referencing the
word “criminal.”
Root expander (*, !)
custody /5 interrogation — return cases where custody appears within 5 words
of interrogation
Sample matches:
in-custody interrogation of a suspect . . . .
(w/1 matches.)
unless in-custody police interrogation is . . . .
(w/2 matches.)
interrogation while in custody may give . . . .
(w/3 matches.)
when in custody for purposes of interrogation . . . .
(w/4 matches.)
Return all cases beginning with the
letters prosecut — important: for a
Boolean search, Fastcase doesn’t
return past-tense, future tense,
gerunds, etc.
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Single letter wildcard — ?
“Quotation marks”
“notice of appeal” — returns only cases with the exact phrase notice of
appeal
rec??ved
received
Sample matches:
rec??ved — return all cases with
either spelling (correct or wrong) of
received
recieved
Parentheses — ()
Defendant timely filed her notice of appeal with . . . .
One must file notice of appeal with the prothonotary . . . .
Not in search results:
Defendant erroneously filed two notices of appeal with . . . .
car OR vehicle AND getaway
Consider the following search: car
OR vehicle AND getaway
What Fastcase actually sees:
(vehicle AND getaway) OR car
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Subtle but important distinction
Correct:
Incorrect:
(car OR vehicle) AND getaway
car OR (vehicle AND getaway)
General tip
Tip: Generally helpful to use parentheses
with “or” or proximity searches
or
w/5
(landlord or lessor)
(alimony w/5 education)
Concept
Keyword and operator
First Amendment

“First Amendment” &
Free speech
“free speech” &
Protest



Sidewalk

sidewalk
Public place
“public place” &
protest &
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Customer Support
Available 8 am - 8 pm Eastern, Monday through Friday
(excluding holidays)
CALL
EMAIL
LIVE CHAT
1-866-773-2782
support@fastcase.com
Help  Live Help
Resources:
CLE: 4Additional
weeks.Training
No need
to email.
Concept
Keyword and operator
First Amendment

“First Amendment”
Free speech


“free speech”
Protest

Protest*
Sidewalk

sidewalk*
Public place
“public place” (public w/3
(place or forum or fora))
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Narrowing the search
Narrowing the search
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Use Forecite to
enhance your results
Forecite: Fastcase has identified 3 additional decisions that
may be relevant to your research topic, but do not contain
one or more of your search terms.
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