May 15, 2013 – State Bar of Wisconsin members now can search Wisconsin Supreme Court cases through 1879. Wisconsin Court of Appeals cases are now available, as well, through 1978. The new search capability includes cases published in the North Western Reporter.
Previously, Fastcase only maintained Supreme Court cases through 1950.
Flag Cases with Bad Law
Earlier this month, Fastcase enhanced its Authority Check feature to flag cases that courts have reversed or overruled. The Bluebook requires that courts indicate negative history of cases cited within opinions. Bad Law Bot uses algorithms to find negative citation history; it flags those cases and links to them. Bad Law Bot pulls all relevant citing paragraphs so lawyers can see a court’s treatment on specific points.
“The addition of more case law and the Bad Law Bot negative citator tool represent significant improvements for our members that rely on Fastcase as their primary legal research tool,” says Nerino Petro, State Bar practice management advisor. “It also demonstrates the ongoing commitment Fastcase is making to improve their service for our members.”
Learn More about Fastcase
Attend Legal Research Using Fastcase and Books UnBound on June 13, in Middleton. The program, presented State Bar of Wisconsin Business Development Manager Kristin Huotari, kicks off the State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE® Real Estate and Business Law Institute.
Learn how to effectively and efficiently utilize Fastcase and Books Unbound® in your due diligence research. Books Unbound is an interactive online library of secondary law, which contains links to primary law via Fastcase.
The June institute, June 13-14, is at the Marriott Madison West.
For more information or to register.
About Fastcase
Fastcase is a comprehensive online legal research library that includes all state and all federal statutes and case law, along with regulations, court rules, administrative codes, and attorney general opinions.
Since 2008, State Bar of Wisconsin members have had unlimited access to Fastcase as a member benefit at no additional cost. Recently, the State Bar extended its contract with Fastcase through 2018.
Getting Started
State Bar of Wisconsin members can access Fastcase through the WisBar.org. Click on the Legal Research tab at the top of the home page. To access Fastcase, members must log into their WisBar account. If you have questions about your account, contact a State Bar customer service representative at (608) 257-3838 or (800) 728-7788.
Visit the Fastcase website to learn more about monthly webinars and other information.
Other Fastcase Benefits and Resources
The State Bar of Wisconsin maintains Books UnBound®, a subscription-based online library of State Bar PINNACLE® books. Fastcase allows Books UnBound subscribers to link directly to cases and other research material directly from within Books UnBound.
Related
