how to find cases my lawyer has tried

Can you request your files from your lawyer?

Yes absolutely. It's your file. You can ask for a copy of any document or the entire file. Your lawyer's office could charge you a fee to copy the records, but most lawyers will do it for you for free...

How do you find the legal issue of a case?

What is a legal issue?Look for ambiguity in the facts. Lawyers LOVE ambiguity. ... Find where the opinions disagree. Many cases you read in law school have dissenting opinions, precisely because these opinions help you see both sides of the contested legal or factual points. ... Think about what you don't understand.

How do I search for cases in Westlaw?

On the Home page, you can retrieve a case by citation or name, or search for cases using the Global Search bar at the top of the page. You can also browse cases using the Cases link in the Content Types tab.

Which lawyer has won the most cases?

Gerald Leonard Spence (born January 8, 1929) is a semi-retired American trial lawyer. He is a member of the American Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame. Spence has never lost a criminal case either as a prosecutor or a defense attorney, and has not lost a civil case since 1969.

What is a prima facie case of negligence?

Four elements are required to establish a prima facie case of negligence: the existence of a legal duty that the defendant owed to the plaintiff. defendant's breach of that duty. plaintiff's sufferance of an injury. proof that defendant's breach caused the injury (typically defined through proximate cause)

What is issue spotting?

In the most basic terms, issue spotting occurs when a student uses the facts in a fact pattern to trigger a discussion of the relevant law from the course. If a student misses an issue, that student will lose the points allocated to discussing that issue.

How do you know if a case has been published?

How Do I Know If a Case is Published or Not?You will see such a notice whether you locate the case from the court's website or Westlaw/Lexis Advance.Since an unpublished case does not have a reporter citation (e.g. 280 F.

What can you find on Westlaw?

The Westlaw Directory organizes case law, statutory and administrative materials, and business information and news databases by individual state.

What is ALWD?

ALWD Association of Legal Writing Directors.

What's the difference between attorney and lawyer?

Attorney vs Lawyer: Comparing Definitions Lawyers are people who have gone to law school and often may have taken and passed the bar exam. Attorney has French origins, and stems from a word meaning to act on the behalf of others. The term attorney is an abbreviated form of the formal title 'attorney at law'.

How much do lawyers make a year?

Lawyers made a median salary of $126,930 in 2020. The best-paid 25 percent made $189,520 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made $84,450.

How much do lawyers make an hour?

How Much Do Lawyer Jobs Pay per Hour?Annual SalaryHourly WageTop Earners$129,500$6275th Percentile$96,500$46Average$80,743$3925th Percentile$60,000$29

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.

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.

How to find out if a criminal lawyer has represented a defendant?

Go to your local criminal courthouse and ask for a listing of recent cases in which the attorney has represented a defendant. While many jurisdictions have case records online, that is not the case in every state or municipality.

Why is it difficult to find a criminal defense lawyer?

The traditional method of selecting a lawyer has been to rely on a referral from a family member or friend, because there are no publications that keep track of attorneys' overall won-loss records.

How to find out if a lawyer has disciplinary action?

Call the local bar association and ask for the any records on file related to your attorney. The bar association will have information on disciplinary actions and complaints filed by prior clients.

How to file an open record request?

File an open records request with the public defender's office or local court. If the attorney is a public defender, then his office has a duty to release information regarding every case he has defended while working there and even has to release performance reviews. If the attorney has worked as a court-appointed lawyer, then the court generally has the same duty to release any record related to his work for the court.

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.

Why is it important to know the background of a 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.

Where are court records transferred?

When court records and case files are eligible for permanent preservation, they are transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for storage and preservation.

Is there a fee for court opinions on PACER?

Court opinions are available for free on PACER to anyone with an account. Additionally, access to court opinions from many appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts are available for no fee in a text searchable format through a partnership with the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO), consistent with the E-Government Act.

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.

How to find a case from the past?

You need to know the statutes and regulations that apply to your case. Then, you need to try to find a case or cases from the past with facts and legal issues similar to your case and look at their outcomes and how the courts applied and interpreted the relevant statutes and regulations to the facts in those cases. A lawyer spends a lot of time trying to find a case that is "on point," or as close to his or her fact situation as possible.

How to determine what the law is?

Often, you need to compare many different cases to the specific facts in your case to figure out what the law that applies to your case really is.

How to update codes, cases, and regulations?

The main way of updating codes, cases, and regulations is through use of an online service such as West’s KeyCite or Lexis/Nexis’s Shepard’s Citations. Print versions of Shepard’s are available at many law libraries. These types of legal research resources help you find out the prior and subsequent history of cases and statutes.

What is a good place to start law school?

A good place to start is your public law library’s Mini Research Class provided by the Council of California County Law Librarians. It is an online mini research guide to help you learn the legal research process, guiding you on where to start and which resources to check as you research your legal problem. Also, many law schools have online research guides that have links and suggestions for doing your legal research.

What is the California Rule of Court 1.200?

California Rule of Court 1.200 says all documents filed in the court must be in the style established by either the California Style Manual or The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, at the choosing of the party filing documents. To do this, you can use these resources:

Is the law changing?

The law changes rapidly and often. You may find a perfect case and find that it was later overruled or reversed. The statute you are relying on may have been amended or repealed. Find a way to update your research before you tell a court that the law you are relying on is still “good” (valid) law.

Where to file a case in court?

If there is property involved, the best place to file may be in the city or county that contains the property.

What is the name of the court that hears a case?

A judge hears the case, and there is often a jury which determines the winning party. Depending on the state you live in, these courts are often referred to as circuit courts or superior courts; in New York, these trial courts are called supreme courts. Thank you for subscribing!

What happens if you seek an equitable remedy?

If you seek an equitable remedy or injunction, no matter how much money you seek, your case will likely be heard by a court of general jurisdiction. Make sure to check your state's dollar limits for different trial courts as well as what remedies the court is empowered to award.

What is probate court?

probate court--handles the estate administration for deceased persons. If the deceased had a will the court will make sure it is executed properly, and if the person died intestate (without a will) the court will distribute the estate according to the law. family court--handles divorce, child support, child custody, adoptions, etc.

What court hears civil and criminal cases?

Courts of General Jurisdiction. If the subject matter of your dispute does not fall into one of your state's specialized categories and the amount in controversy is more than the small claims court amount, your case will be heard in a court of general jurisdiction. These courts hear both civil and criminal cases and are the types ...

What is the structure of the state courts?

The general structure of most state courts, from the highest appellate level to the lowest trial level, is as follows: Trial courts--divided into two types, limited jurisdiction and general jurisdiction, see below. Municipal or local courts which hear minor infraction-type cases, and cases involving only claims for money below a certain amount ...

What is a family court?

family court--handles divorce, child support, child custody, adoptions, etc. juvenile court--hears cases involving delinquent minors. traffic court--generally for minor traffic violations. small claims court--technically these are courts of limited jurisdictions, though some people consider it a separate, lower tier of the court system. ...

What happens if an attorney liases with your spouse?

If an attorney manages to liase many or all all your issues, then you have already lost, especially if they have told you not to talk to the spouse and they have served their purpose by fait accompli. If it comes down to money, you have lost, that is the level of basic understanding marriage has become for males.

What happens if you appeal a family court decision?

If you do decide to appeal the decisions of the family court, the Supreme Court, no less, will very likely uphold and support the malfeasance of the family court because the antics of the lower court personnel mirror those of the Supreme Court. I bet the family court personnel have recognized this and are busy minting.

How can you create debt?

Like federal scrip, you can create debt by articulating an argument on paper. That is what statutory law is, the creation of debt. On average if the paperwork is not a valid contract it is simply at best a billable script called attorney ‘work product’. know the difference, an attorney is a processor of statutory law.

Can you sue for undisclosed conflict of interest?

You should sue for undisclosed conflict of interest. At the very least, file a complaint with the State Bar Association or whoever it is in your state that hear s such things. Seriously. CLAIM DAMAGES.

Did the gal investigate any of the leads I gave him?

The gal did not investigate any of the leads I gave him. The magistrate had a stay for seven months. And the clerk of courts refused to send out the subpoenas. The clerk of courts told my attorney’s staff they were to short of staff to fax the subpoenas over my attorney’s office the day before the trial.

Do judges know the laws in Florida?

And your are right, the judges dont know the laws and/or the Florida Statutes, so no one should take for granted that they do. But the reality is,,they dont know them because they dont have to know them, because they just fly by the seat of their pants and there is no one to check them.

Do we own our attorneys?

Absolutely ! Most have no idea that here in the USA, we do not own our attorneys when we hire them. Attorneys are agents of the court. In essence, we only rent attorneys to represent us in our legal matters. An attorney’s (demanded) allegiance is always to the court first. The client and his/her interests come dead last. The BAR Association (British Attorney Registry) demands that each attorney collude and work for the court. A “client’s best interest” is only a phrase used by attorney’s to catch more clients and make more cash. Attorneys make great actors, they need to be good actors as in many court rooms, they are only acting a part where the script has already been written.