Smarter Legal Research

Brock Foley is a 3L at Brigham Young University School of Law. He currently works as an intern at Fastcase. He was drawn to legal technology because he was interested in bridging the justice gap and improving access to justice. His belief that the law should be used to help those in need led him to volunteer with public advocates and CARA. Of course, legal research is expensive and you may be limited to the resources paid for by your company. He is indeed a wealthy lawyer who can afford West, Lexis, Fastcase and Bloomberg at the same time. This is where the asterisk or „root expander” for search queries comes into play. If you truncate the end of a word and replace it with a *, most search engines will return any word starting with the same letters. This resource is extremely useful if you are not sure how long to use for a particular term. Using the * also helps to widen the net while ensuring that the results remain in the topic. While there are many tools and services that make legal research easier than ever, there is no substitute for a good foundation of research techniques. Check out our list of tips for faster, smarter legal research. Take the guesswork out of finding, purchasing, and implementing the right legal technology products and services for your business.

Our field guide answers your essential questions and breaks down the key features of your business so you can shop with confidence. If you can`t share your problem with a referring lawyer, seek help from other lawyers in your firm or a trusted mentor or colleague. A fresh set of eyes, unique experiences, and a different mindset are sure to help if you feel stuck in your legal research. Wherever you are, there are probably people willing to help you. A 10- or 20-minute break can refocus and reinvigorate your mind and help you approach the issue from a different angle. Leave your research, go for a walk and come back. By going back to your research, you can come up with new ideas or find that you`ve reached the point where it`s time to stop researching and start writing. In any case, breaks can clear your mind and prepare you to search again effectively. The best legal technology conferences will help you network, learn about the latest industry trends, and advance your practice. Read. There are also waybills, state websites, law schools that publish free information, etc.

Use all of these resources to get a solid foundation and build your list of important search terms or cases that you can search for in the legal research platform of your choice. A good search platform also allows you to sort based on how often a document is cited. Once you`ve dealt with cases and laws that no one cites, you`ve probably seen the most important law. Also, be sure to sort by date – so you can see if there have been any recent developments you need to be aware of! If you work at a large law firm, it may not be a problem for you to stay within your provider`s plan, but many legal research providers sell plans that are limited in scope – they include access to certain jurisdictions, but charge extra for more. This is perfectly fine if you`re primarily looking in one jurisdiction or jurisdiction, but be careful! Some search platforms charge a high additional fee on your bill if you see something that isn`t included in your contract. In 2010, Trevor Faure`s first book (The Smarter Legal Model: more for less) pioneered the convergence of law firms and the disaggregation of legal work. This previous book was written by Ben W. Heineman, Jr., former senior vice president of legal affairs at GE, as „. Fastcase offers a wide range of legal software tools to equip lawyers with smarter and more effective solutions. One of the hardest parts of legal research is knowing when it`s time to leave. In most cases, your research will produce more documents than you could read in a reasonable amount of time, so how far should you go? When have you read enough? Fastcase provides a collection of cloud-based software for lawyers – Fastcase Legal Research, Docket Alarm and NextChapter – enabling practitioners to quickly and efficiently achieve research goals and degrees in a way that can be customized to suit their individual needs. „Faure`s insightful and practical analysis [is] more important than ever, making it a must-have for any lawyer or legal organization looking to succeed in today`s increasingly competitive and technology-driven global era.” Casetext is a robust online legal research tool that uses artificial intelligence (CARA) to facilitate a brief review and provide search results to help lawyers improve their search process.

It has single-tier pricing for all of its resources, including laws, regulations, and case law in federal and fifty-state courts. The citator, SmartCite, also uses its CARA tool to find the most relevant cases for your specific factual model. Use data-driven analysis of issues changing legal and business markets. Automation is the key to smarter legal practice. NextChapter`s automation and workflow tools make forms-based practice areas smarter. Fastcase data feeds and APIs easily integrate with customer dashboards for a centralized workflow. Smarter Law includes best practices, data and case studies for practical application to improve legal services: If you really can`t afford to use multiple sources, don`t despair! Legal research providers are increasingly aware of algorithmic bias issues and are taking steps to address the issue. There are many places to look when it comes to legal research, including many companies that offer exceptional services. However, since there is no „perfect” legal research source, it is important to choose several. Each research resource uses different algorithms to produce the most relevant results, so by using more than one, you`re much more likely to find a variety of useful cases for your needs.

Bloomberg Law allows you to search case law, access the latest legal news, and perform legal analysis to turn information into actionable insights. Everyone gets stuck in their legal research at some point. That`s ok! It`s important to recognize when you`ve hit a barrier so you can walk away to take a break. Count on Washington`s largest newsroom to provide you with essential legal and business information when you need it. Fortunately, no matter your budget or available resources, you probably have access to more than you think. Google Scholar is a solid free option for basic case law searches, and you`ll likely have free access to a more comprehensive search service through your bar association. (Check the website of your local or state bar association.) Since 2011, as Global Head of Legal Services for EY and then leading independent consulting firm Smarter Law Solutions, Faure has helped transform the performance of more than 250 law firms, in-house legal departments and individual lawyers around the world, building client-firm relationships that deliver greater client value while improving law firm profitability. Are you looking for a new legal invoicing software? Look no further! Read our reviews of the best legal e-invoicing management programs.

Major research platforms such as Westlaw, Fastcase, and Lexis have go-to lawyers to help you with your research. Reference support is often free, so if you`re really stuck in your research, don`t keep banging your head against a wall – ask for help! These lawyers are professional legal researchers and have a lot of experience to share.