Skip to Main Content

Free Legal Research Resources

This guide contains selected free (or low-cost) online legal research resources. These resources are meant to act as a starting point for legal research when paid databases are inaccessible or unfeasible.

Research Databases

Casetext logo

Casetext 

Casetext is a robust online legal research tool that uses artificial intelligence (CARA) to assist with brief review and inform search results to help lawyers enhance their research process. Casetext is free to law students.

| Product Help | Coverage Information

Syntax Example Result
AND fraud AND damages Both terms in document
OR car OR automobile Either term in document
NOT infringement NOT patent Term must not appear in document
"" "due diligence" Exact match
() appeal AND (verdict OR judgment) Grouping terms
* withdr*w Single letter wildcard (withdraw, withdrew)
! infring! Root expander (infringe, infringed, infringing)
/n investor /5 diligence Terms withing n words of each other
/s fee /s reasonable Terms within the same sentence
/p admissible /p warrant Terms within the same paragraph
Decisis logo

Decisis 

Decisis contains a library of primary case law and a reliable citator. Decisis is free to members of the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA). Student membership for OSBA is free. Please note: Decisis was created by Legal InQuery Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of RELX, the parent company of LexisNexis®.

| Product Help | Coverage Information

Syntax Example Result
and voting rights and elections Both terms in document
or ghost or spirit or apparition Either term in document
and not rico and not puerto Term must not appear in document
" " "duty to mitigate" Exact match
/n punitive /5 damages Terms withing n words of each other
Fastcase Logo

Fastcase 

Fastcase contains a comprehensive national law library—case law, statutes, regulations, court rules, constitutions, and law review articles—and powerful searching, sorting and data visualization tools. Fastcase is free to members of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (CMBA). Student membership for CMBA is free.

| Product Help | Coverage Information | iOS | Android

Syntax Example Result
AND, & copyright AND preemption cases with both the words "copyright" and "preemption"
OR landlord OR lessor cases with either the word "landlord" or "lessor"
NOT chemical waste NOT management cases with the words "chemical" and "waste" but not "management"
( ) (security OR pledge) AND assignment cases with either "security" or "pledge", and also the word "assignment"
" " "felony murder" cases containing the exact phrase "felony murder"
w/2, /2 capital w/2 punishment cases in which the word "capital" appears within 2 words of "punishment"
* mitig* wildcard - cases containing variations of the stem "mitigate", "mitigated"
? advis?r single letter wildcard - cases with the words "advisor", "adviser"
HeinOnline Logo

HeinOnline

HeinOnline contains more than 200,000 titles, including law reviews and journals, government documents, classic legal treatises, and more. Access is provided through CWRU Law.

| Product Help | Coverage Information | iOS

Syntax Example Result
AND evidence AND admissibility documents with both words
OR brief OR evidence documents with either word
NOT evidence NOT briefs excludes results with the word "briefs"
" " "love canal" documents containing the exact phrase "love canal"
( ) (watershed OR "water rights") AND planning documents with either watershed or water rights and planning
~ "watershed planning" ~10 documents containing watershed within 10 words of planning
* brief* search for a word with multiple character differences
w/# or /# jury w/5 discrimination search for two words within a set proximity of one another
w/s or /s jury /s discrimination search for two words within a sentence
w/p or /p jury w/p discrimination search for two words within a paragraph
w/seg or /seg jury /seg discrimination search for two words within a segment
Judge Ben C. Green Law Library Databases Kelvin Smith Library Databases