This week Google launched Google Scholar, which offers U.S. case law online free of charge. Google’s launch made big news, but free legal research is nothing new.
Texas attorneys already have access to free legal research through Casemaker. This service, supported exclusively by TexasBarCLE and TexasBarBooks, gives you access to the laws of Texas and all fifty states plus to federal case law and statutes, all at no charge. The CaseCheck feature helps you instantly determine the treatment of the case in question by a later court. The SuperCode tool that appears when you access a statute allows you to see what changes are being made to the statute and then access the session laws that affect the statute you’re interested in.
And anytime you use the electronic version of a TexasBarBooks publication, like the Texas Pattern Jury Charges, you’ll find links to the cases and statutes cited in the text. To give it a try, download this free excerpt from Texas Criminal Pattern Jury Charges—Intoxication & Controlled Substances.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello:
Can Paralegal use this interesting service? Do we need a log in or password to be able to log on? I would be very interested in having the ability to look up case law and study it.
Thank you,
Joella Wideman Rusgrove
Paralegal Bar # 24058906
jrusgrove31@satx.rr.com
8330 Bart Starr
San Antonio, Texas 78240
Yes, you can use this service as a paralegal. First, go to http://www.TexasBarCLE.com. If you are not a registered user of the site, you can become one by clicking on the “Login” button and following the instructions under the “New User?” heading. If you are not a member of the Texas Bar and wish to become a registered member of the site, click “click here” in the paragraph below the blue “Go” button. Fill out Your CLE profile and be sure to select “Legal Assistant” as an answer to “Please tell us your occupation.” Please click “Contact Us” in the top right hand corner of the page if you run into any difficulties. We hope you find this service to be helpful!
Yes, you can use this service as a paralegal. First, go to http://www.TexasBarCLE.com. If you are not a registered user of the site, you can become one by clicking on the “Login” button and following the instructions under the “New User?” heading. If you are not a member of the Texas Bar and wish to become a registered member of the site, click “click here” in the paragraph below the blue “Go” button. Fill out Your CLE profile and be sure to select “Legal Assistant” as an answer to “Please tell us your occupation.” Please click “Contact Us” in the top right hand corner of the page if you run into any difficulties. We hope you find this service to be helpful!