Access to the file is also possible via the publicly accessible terminals of the registry of the court where the case was brought. There are many up-to-date online legal research guides, many of which have been written by librarians at universities and public law libraries. In addition to the George Mason Law Library`s research guides, other recommended sources of research guides include: It is important to know the judge`s background in a case so that you can use your time both in court and when preparing for a case as efficiently as possible. If a judge has been involved in similar cases, you can give a brief summary instead of providing detailed background information and spending more time on your argument. Knowing this information in advance will save you a lot of time and energy. Please also see the library`s Virginia Legal Materials Research Guide for information on Virginia`s free resources. The best way for a lawyer to ensure that they are relying on arguments that reflect the true nature of the law is to use KeyCite on Westlaw and Westlaw Edge. Are you looking for cases from a specific judge or institution? The best legal search approach, even for narrower searches, is to start with the global search box on Westlaw or Westlaw Edge. Type a query on the home page, and after performing the search, you can use one of many different filters to identify a specific judge or party. Read below for step-by-step instructions.
To make sure you choose the best approach for your legal research, always remember that Insight`s lead attorneys and attorneys are a service included in your subscription exclusively for Westlaw Edge clients – and are always ready to help. 3. Check the search bar to make sure the query was filled in correctly and start the search by clicking on the orange magnifying glass. 1. On the Westlaw or Westlaw Edge home page, click Court Cases or Orders. Then select the Advanced link to the right of the search bar to access the template. The Cases and Codes section of FindLaw contains resources and links to state and federal laws. This includes resources related to constitutions, articles, business, etc. Search for case summaries or select a jurisdiction to search for applicable law.
Electronic access to the documents of the Social Security Administration case is limited to the parties to the case. In addition, documents relating to criminal cases filed before 1 November 2004 are accessible to the parties to the proceedings only by electronic means. Contact the clerk`s office for information on viewing copies. Criminal documents filed after November 1, 2004 are available electronically through PACER. To exhaust all legal research possibilities, you can also conduct a field search on Westlaw or Westlaw Edge. Field search is a Boolean search for terms and connectors that searches for specific terms in a specific part of the document, such as title or author fields. Field search is integrated into Westlaw and Westlaw Edge via the advanced templates that are always linked at the top of the page to the right of the search bar. In general, a joined case is a case that the court has classified as related to another case.
As a rule, these cases may involve identical, similar or related legal issues. If applicable, the affected cases appear in the Applied Case Selector field on the Send Document form. A bid may be submitted in all or some of the related cases listed. If all related cases are disabled, submission will only be forwarded to the main case. Tip: When you file an application, the cases to which the application applies are displayed on the application screens. The services listed below offer a variety of plans that help improve the search for primary legal documents, although they have fewer search features than premium legal databases. Also, although these products offer Citators, the update features are not the same as Shepards, Keycite, or BCite. Define data requirements for research using the Integrated Database of Federal Supreme Court Cases (IDB), which is provided free of charge by the Federal Judicial Centre. The IDB has case data (not documents) for criminal, civil, appeal, and bankruptcy cases that can help researchers narrow down their queries. Not a Westlaw subscriber yet? Learn more about Westlaw`s legal research. Each state has its own judicial system, which includes courts of first instance and appeal. The highest court in each state is often referred to as the “Supreme Court,” although there are some exceptions to this rule, for example, the New York Court of Appeals or the Maryland Court of Appeals.
State courts typically hear cases involving state constitutional cases, state laws, and regulations, although state courts can usually hear cases with federal laws as well. States also generally have courts that deal with only a certain subset of legal issues, such as family law and inheritance. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. Courts below the federal level include the U.S. Court of Appeals, U.S. District Courts, U.S. Court of Claims, U.S. Court of International Trade, and U.S. bankruptcy courts.
Federal courts hear cases involving matters related to the U.S. Constitution, other federal laws and regulations, and certain cases involving parties from different states or countries and numerous disputes. Court notices are available free of charge on PACER to anyone with an account. In addition, access to court notices from many appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts is available free of charge in a searchable text format through a partnership with the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) under the E-Government Act. Most records prepared prior to 1999 are kept only on paper. Access paper documents from the court where the case was filed or at one of the Federal Document Centres (RCFs). Contact the court where the case was filed for more information.
Find a case before the Federal Court using Public Access to the Court`s Electronic Records (PACER) or by visiting the clerk`s office of the courthouse where the case was filed. Please note that if you are requesting a fee waiver from a single court and/or for purposes other than research, please contact that court directly. Individual researchers working on defined research projects intended for scientific work can use the attached form (pdf) to apply for PACER fee waivers in several courts. In accordance with the EPO Rules on Fees, the request must be limited in scope and not intended for redistribution over the Internet or for commercial purposes. It is important to know a few things about your judge before each case. First, you need to know if the judge knows the context of your case. Has the judge ever dealt with cases in this type of situation? Have they written opinions on this particular topic? Second, it is important to look at previous decisions and understand where a judge usually relies on your case. Third, it is important to establish a timeline that shows how long it takes a judge to decide a case in order to manage client expectations and costs. Litigation Analytics on Westlaw Edge provides the best insight into a judge`s decision time, results and more. These sources limit web search to legal resources.
Note that the fields depend on the document type. For example, the Judge field is only available when searching for case law or court orders. Let`s go over the steps you`ll take to search for judges. Please refer to the Library`s International Law Research Guide under “Other Online Resources” for additional resources. Federal records are stored electronically and are accessible through the Public Access to Electronic Court Records (PACER) service on the Internet. PACER allows anyone with an account to search and locate appellate, county, and bankruptcy court information and routing slips.