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bk1 · Post by **bk1** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 2:22 am

Google Scholar has a "how cited" but it's not as robust as keycite/shepards and there is a lack of secondary sources.

kalvano · Post by **kalvano** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:22 am

There isn't much that's free, but I have a sheet somewhere that has much lower cost alternatives. But none work as well as Westlaw.

memo2partner · Post by **memo2partner** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 11:42 pm

Do they have law libraries you can join in your area? I know up in New England they do. For instance, here is one in Maine:

http://www.cleaves.org/dyk.htm

For $125 a year, you get unlimited westlaw and lexis

http://www.cleaves.org/services.htm

Also, federal agencies have free westlaw/lexis. For instance, if you walk into the Department of Interior building in DC, you can go into the library and get free access to all their law databases (they have everything, westlaw next, heinonline etc.)

http://www.doi.gov/library/index.cfm

kalvano · Post by **kalvano** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 1:29 pm

Some of these cost money, but not too much, and some have some version of Shepherds:

FastCase
CaseMaker
Lois Law
Versus Law

Gorki · Post by **Gorki** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 3:37 pm

Consult your local county court's library... at least here there is a way to get a limited-time free Westlaw access... I have never had to try it so I am not sure what the conditions are.

KeyCite/Shepardizing... I do not think it is possible to get anything like this for free. You could consult legal blogs or LR articles that survey caselaw and tell you if something is bad law, but I have never seen free case taxonomy/indexing systems.

shepdawg · Post by **shepdawg** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 12:09 pm

Bloomberg is free for a year after graduation.

TheGreatFish · Post by **TheGreatFish** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 1:08 am

Quite a few libraries will provide either westlaw or lexis access for free or for an inexpensive membership fee. Call libraries in your area and ask.

kalvano · Post by **kalvano** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 1:14 am

Also, Lexis Advance is only about $50 a month for recent grads.

Black-Blue · Post by **Black-Blue** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 10:22 am

FastCase is free for members of many state bars, including Illinois, Virginia, etc.

I'm sure a lot of state bars have free services included in the membership.

jessicayaaay · Post by **jessicayaaay** » Sun Aug 18, 2013 9:45 pm

Y-Combinator-backed start-up:

http://m.techcrunch.com/2013/08/12/yc-b ... -research/

Actual website:
https://www.casetext.com/

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