how can you look up a legal case if you are not a lawyer

Most courts have a public access terminal where you can search that court's records for free, typically by typing in the name of a party or the case number. Otherwise, visit the court clerk's office and ask about the procedure for accessing case files. Be aware that you cannot inspect case records anonymously.

Full Answer

How do I find out what cases an attorney has had?

You'll be able to see the status of the cases the attorney has had, and what their outcomes were. Contact the state court. Many attorneys work locally, especially those who practice family law, civil law or criminal defense law.

Can you look up court cases online?

Most court filings are public record, so anyone can search them in person or online. The practicalities are a bit clunky, however, since each state or county court has its own database of the proceedings. You'll need to know where a case was heard and the name of the defendant to look up court cases in person or online.

How do I find out if someone is licensed to practice law?

Select a state from the list below for the agency in your state. New Hampshire - Call the New Hampshire Bar Association (603-224-6942) to determine if a person is licensed to practice law and in good standing. South Dakota - Call the State Bar of South Dakota (605-224-7554) to determine if a person is licensed to practice law and in good standing.

How do I find a lawyer’s legal history?

All lawyers will be able to tell you, in general, what their history is. Search PACER. If the attorney has practiced in the federal court system, search the PACER electronic records systems.

How do you identify legal cases?

In law, to distinguish a case means a court decides the holding or legal reasoning of a precedent case will not apply due to materially different facts between the two cases.

How do I get information on a case?

There are three ways to look at court records:Go to the courthouse and ask to look at paper records.Go to the courthouse and look at electronic court records.If your court offers it, look at electronic records over the internet. This is called “remote access.”

How do I look up case law on Google?

From the main Google Scholar search page, select the radio button for "Case law." Type your case citation or case name in the search box and click the Search button. Keyword searches of the full text of case opinions may also be conducted from this screen.

How do you research a legal problem?

State the question clearly that you need to answer. Determine the jurisdiction, meaning the particular subject and locality. You must first determine which court or government agency can resolve the conflict before beginning legal research. Understand citations and abbreviations.

Where can I find legal cases online?

How toa. Cases can be searched onParty Name, Case Number, Filing Number, Advocate, FIR Number, Act Or Case Type.b. First, select State, District and Court Complex to which the case being searched belongs.c. Select the criteria on which you want to search the case, from the tabs provided on the screen.

How can I watch court cases online?

Court dockets and some case files are available on the Internet through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records system (PACER), at www.pacer.gov. In addition, nearly every federal court maintains a website with information about court rules and procedures.

Where can I search for cases?

Finding Case LawSearching Databases.Westlaw.Lexis Advance.Bloomberg Law.Librarian.

Does Google have a legal department?

Google has one of the world's largest and most active internal legal departments with about 1,000 people, dispersed across the planet.

Where can I access US cases?

Search EnginesAnyLaw Legal research search engine with free access to Federal and State case law.Google Scholar Search Federal and State legal opinions and journals.Legal Web Search (Justia) ( Justia > Search > Legal Web Search.Ravel Law Search a comprehensive collection of United States case law.More items...•

Why is legal research so hard?

The most challenging part of legal research is to make sure that the case law uncovered is most relevant and authoritative to the matter on hand. An attorney will oftentimes have a hard time deciding when it is sufficient to stop doing research and be confident that the finished search is, in fact, exhaustive.

What does legal researcher do?

Assist in the investigation and evaluation of legal issues/cases related SRI Projects; Track and organize files containing important case documents; Perform other related functions related to the implementation of the projects.

What are the 5 stages of legal research?

Five Steps of Legal ResearchFormulate a Research Plan.Consult Secondary Sources.Consult Primary Sources. ( a) Expand Primary Law, and (b) Update Primary Law.Analyze & Organize Results.

What to do if a judge has been involved in similar cases?

If a judge has been involved in similar cases, you can provide a brief summary rather than providing extensive background information and spend more time on your argument. Knowing this information up front will help you save a significant amount of time and energy.

When is it relevant to find a case by judge?

It is important to know a few things about your judge before every case . First, you need to know the judge’s familiarity with the context of your case. Has the judge handled cases on this type of situation in the past? Have they written opinions on this particular subject matter? Second, it is important to investigate past rulings, and understand which way a judge typically leans on your matter. Third, a timeline for how long a judge takes to rule on a case is important for managing client expectations and costs. Litigation Analytics on Westlaw Edge provides the most insight on a judge’s time to rule, outcomes, and more.

Why is it important to have relevant information on judge?

It is important to know the judge’s background on a case so that you can use your time as effectively, both in court and while you are preparing for a case. If a judge has been involved in similar cases, you can provide a brief summary rather than providing extensive background information and spend more time on your argument. Knowing this information up front will help you save a significant amount of time and energy.

How to search for a trial court order?

1. Click into either Cases or Trial Court Orders from the Westlaw or Westlaw Edge homepage. Then select the Advanced link to the right of the search bar to go to the template. 2.

What is the best way for an attorney to ensure that they are relying on arguments that reflect the true nature of?

legal cases by particular judge or entity. The best way for an attorney 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.

What is field search in Westlaw?

Field searching is a Boolean terms and connectors search that looks for specific terms in a particular part of the document–the title or author fields, for example. Field searching is incorporated into Westlaw and Westlaw Edge through the Advanced templates always linked at the top of the page to the right of the search bar.

4 attorney answers

Three separate "forces" dictate how long a case will take and how much time and effort and work will be necessary for the case. Picture a triangle.

Christine C McCall

Pacer will tell you information about federal cases but nothing about state cases. You can also use the find a lawyer tool on Avvo to see what client reviews exist for attorneys in the field of law you are looking for.

How to find out who is representing you?

If you want to investigate the reputation and acumen of who is representing you then either ask the attorney directly about their past experience, type their name into a google search engine or use this site to review the resume of your attorney.

What is the best outcome in a case?

Many times the best result is an out-of court settlement, where the case does not proceed to trial or a verdict. In some cases, success is determined by limiting damages rather than a decision in favor of the client. There might be various claims, some of which are successes at being avoided while others are all but inevitable.

What is a lawyer's track record?

A lawyer’s track record is a clear indicator of how good an attorney is at their job. That’s why it’s so important to look at your lawyer’s track record before you get one for the job. However, not everyone knows how to do so. Here’s how to research an attorney track record before you sign any retainer agreement and get trusted personal attorney.

What does Google do for lawyers?

Google will bring you all the relevant information about the lawyer. This includes any news stories, online reviews, or publications relating to the lawyer and, most importantly, the attorney track record.

Do you have to do homework to win a court case?

Your chances of winning or losing a court case majorly depend on your attorney. As such, it is imperative to do your homework on any lawyer you settle for to handle your case. We know how frustrating it can be to get the right lawyer for your case.

Does Google bring you information about a lawyer?

Google will bring you all the relevant information about the lawyer. This includes any news stories, online reviews, or publications relating to the lawyer and , most importantly , the attorney track record. The downside to Googling your lawyer is that it might take you a while before you actually find any relevant information.

Do state bar associations keep up with ethical violations?

That’s because the state bar associations keep up-to-date and accurate records on any ethical violations by their lawyers. However, any ethical violation doesn’t necessarily denote a bad lawyer; it just means the lawyer violated an ethical code.

Is word on the street credible?

Word on the street isn’t a very credible source of information, but there’s always some truth to it. A lawyer’s street cred will speak volumes about their credibility and attorney track record. Try to get some recommendations from family and friends for some great lawyers.

Is it bad to googling a lawyer?

The downside to Googling your lawyer is that it might take you a while before you actually find any relevant information. This is especially true if you’re googling the lawyer by name.

Where to check for lawsuits?

Check clerk of superior court in every county you think where the lawsuit might be filed. Check federal court clerk as well if need be.

How to see if you are named in a lawsuit?

Look on the court's database and see if you are named in any lawsuit.

How to check if you are home free?

Go to the court clerk in the county where you reside, and check to see if there is a case filed against you. If it is past the Statute of Limitations, and no case has been filed, then you are home free.

What happens if you are not served properly?

A suit that is not properly served on you is invalid due to lack of proper service. However, sometimes a process server or law office will claim proper service when same has not been effected, so in that circumstance it is best to find out if a case is pending by going to the court in the county where the incident happened and look up the docket sheet on any action that has been filed against you (the clerk can help you look under your name and see if there are any pending actions). If there is such an action and you have not been properly served, you will want to contest the service and ask that the case be dismissed (it's probably best to hire a lawyer to do this for you so the proper Motion can be filed in the proper format with proper notice, but you could try and do it yourself and hope the Judge will cut you some slack if you don't do everything quite by the Court Rules). Of course, if you really were properly served and have just ignored the matter, you need counsel right away or it is likely you will find out that a Judgment gets issued against you because of your failure to respond and defend.

How to find out if your name is filed?

Many counties have websites that you can do a name search to see if there is anything filed referencing your name. Otherwise call your insurance carrier.

Where do you file suit papers?

As the old professor, Casey Stengel used to say: "You could look it up". The suit papers should be on file with the court clerk of the jurisdiction in which you are being sued. The party suing you is required to get copies of the suit papers to you, but that doesn't always happen.

Can you search for a case by party name?

Most county courts have online access to search for cases by a party's name. Spelling usually must be precise and you don?t know if they spelled your name correctly, or added a middle initial, etc. But you can start there.

What states have good standing attorneys?

South Dakota - Call the State Bar of South Dakota (605-224-7554) to determine if a person is licensed to practice law and in good standing. Tennessee. Texas. Utah. Vermont - Select the link for "Attorneys in Good Standing". Virginia.

What states have bar associations?

Nevada. New Hampshire - Call the New Hampshire Bar Association (603-224-6942) to determine if a person is licensed to practice law and in good standing. New Jersey.

How to find out how many cases a lawyer wins or loses?

Step 1. Talk to the lawyer. The easiest way to learn how many cases a lawyer wins or loses is to talk to them. Some attorneys keep this kind of information and can tell you their history, white others may not. All lawyers will be able to tell you, in general, what their history is.

Do attorneys work locally?

Many attorneys work locally, especially those who practice family law, civil law or criminal defense law. You can ask the attorney in what jurisdiction or courthouse most of their cases are heard, and then contact the state judicial offices or go to their websites.