Free/Cost Effective Research
on the Web
and
Alternatives to Lexis &
Westlaw
Topics Covered
• How much do Lexis and Westlaw Cost?
• Cost saving tips for Lexis and Westlaw
• Low cost databases
Lexis and Westlaw cost?
• Even if flat rate plan, client charged or
maybe outside of plan
• Lexis- items outside of plan not
accessible. Another account to access off
plan.
• Westlaw-Message saying outside of plan
Computing Westlaw Costs
•
•
•
•
•
•
Florida Briefs Multibase
Click
for rate
Select rate = $11.03/min
Click Subscriber for per search cost
Add communication charges - .22/min
Add print/download costs – .04 per
line or $20 per document
Cost-Saving Tips for Lexis/WL
• See Efficient /Cost Effective Legal
Research
•
•
•
•
Call Lexis/Westlaw reference attorney
Ask librarian re. price plan
Use print or cheaper databases first
Before go online: Create search, figure
cost
Cost-Saving Tips for Lexis/WL
• Use most specific database
• Start general & use focus/locate
• Decide transactional or hourly,
print line or print document
• Use get or find instead of
searching if have cite
Cost-Saving Tips for Lexis/WL
• Table of contents, documents in sequence
no charge
• Use CheckCite® and WestCheck to check
citations.
• Print with Web browser or cut & paste for
free.
Tips from Lexis/WL
• LexisNexis Cost Effective Research
Strategies
• Cost Effective Research Tips - Westlaw
(These links on Getting Ready to Clerk:
Summer Associate Guide )
Low Cost Databases
Stripped down versions of
Lexis/WL
• Casemaker –Free w/ free
student OSBA membership
• Fastcase – Free w/ Cleve bar
membership
• Lois Law – Coming soon
• Versus Law – Free to Law
students
Articles re. Low Cost Database
• Four Legal Research Companies Offer
Mid-priced Options, Wisconsin Law
Journal, Sept. 4, 2008
• A Guide to Fee-Based U. S. Legal
Research Databases – Globalex, Dec
2006
• 2006 comparison – Univ. Wash. Law
Library
Contents
Unanno Cases
Unanno
Statutes w/o
Regs
Headnotes
“Shepard’s Other
–Like
Feature”
Loislaw Yes
Yes –
Yes
Ohio
unreported
1997-
“Yes”
Treatises
Case Yes
maker
Yes –
Yes
Ohio
unreported
1981-
“Yes”
Some
Jurisdictions Jury Instruc.,
Jury Verdicts,
More
Contents
Fastcase
Versuslaw
See help,
Content/
Features
Unanno
Statutes
Cases
w/o
Headnotes
Unanno “Shepard’s
–Like
Regs
Feature”
Except 11
states –
Internet
links
Fed if pay
more, no
state
Fed App 1968-,
Ohio 1950 -,
Ohio unreported
2000-.Coverage
Ohio 1950 -.
Ohio unreported
1995 -.
Older Fed
District More $
Mostly Yes
Internet
Links
Fed if
pay
more,
no
State
Yes
Searching
Boolean
Natural
Language
Fields
Search
databases
together
Yes - near2
No
Yes
Yes
Casemaker Yes - w/n,
No
w/sent, w/para
Yes
Fed
together,
State
CASES
together
Loislaw
Special Feature of Loislaw
• SAVED SEARCHES!
Searching
Boolean
Natural
Fields
Language
Search
databases
together
Fastcase
Yes - w/n
Yes
Yes
Versus
Law
Yes - w/n
Yes
4 fields,
default
see help
connector
is ADJ
Date, cite
look-up
only
For addtl
fee
Primary & Secondary – Specific
Subjects
• BNA – See Electronic Resources page for
links.
• CCH - See Electronic Resources page for
links.
• RIA Checkpoint
BNA
• Current awareness, may contain past 12
years ex. U.S. Law Week/Supreme Court
Today ; Daily Labor Report (DLR
expensive!).
• Sign up for BNA Current Awareness
Services
• Libraries, ex. Labor and Employment Law
Library or ABA/BNA lawyers' manual on
professional conduct
CCH
• CCH Business and Finance - - Antitrust,
Securities, Business Organizations,
Corporate Governance, Banking,
Insurance, Products Liability, Government
Contracts, Intellectual Property,
Transportation, Evidence. List of Major
Titles.
CCH
• CCH Health and Human Resources Human Resources, Benefits, Pensions,
Labor & Employment Law, Environmental
Compliance, Health Care, Food, Drugs &
Devices. List of Major Titles.
CCH
• Boolean searching, w/n etc.
• Limit by date – click on Search Tools
button
• Current awareness emails – Sign up
Instructions
• Index
• Known for their fifty state charts
EEOC Compliance Manual
• “This practitioner´s guide features the full
text of the EEOC´s Manual of current
guidelines and directives for bringing and
settling job discrimination lawsuits against
employers.”
• (EEOC Compliance manual also in BNA
Labor & Employment Law Library)
Other Databases
• Heinonline – Handy Link on Library Home
Page
– Law Reviews old & new
– Code of Fed Regulations – old & new &
Federal Register
– Some legislative history documents
• Ohio Capitol Connection
• Gongwer