Sri is a paralegal at a small law firm with two partners. He is the only paralegal in the office.

Sri is a paralegal at a small law firm with two partners. He is the only paralegal in the office. The firm has recently lost its biggest client. Now that the firm is operating on a very tight budget, Sri has suggested to the partners that they do not need to rely solely on fee-based databases such as Lexis and Westlaw.

1. Sri knows that the attorneys frequently consult Supreme Court opinions as they prepare their cases. Which of the following websites offers free access to Supreme Court opinions?

  a. FindLaw  

  b. Cornell Law School  

  c. www.supremecourt.gov  

  d. All of these choices  

2. A prospective client has approached the firm with a case involving her small business and an issue of patent law. The partners would like to take on this case, and Sri is confident that he can conduct some preliminary research without incurring fees—which will be helpful in the current circumstances. Where might Sri start his research on patents?

  a. www.uspto.gov  

  b. AskSam  

  c. www.commerce.gov  

  d. The THOMAS Web site  

3. Because it is a small firm, the partners do much of the legal research themselves. Which free or low-cost online services should Sri recommend for researching court opinions and statutes?

  a. Google Scholar and www.oyez.org.  

  b. VersusLaw and the Washburn University Law School website  

  c. Google Scholar and Fastcase  

  d. All of the above.  

4. The partners understand that they will need to access Westlaw and Lexis for their cases, but they ask Sri to give recommendations as to when the use of these fee-based services will be most effective in their research. Which of the following is an instance in which using a fee-based service might be worth the cost?

  a. Finding the citation number for a court case or statute  

  b. Verifying that research findings are accurate and up to date  

  c. Locating information about lawsuits recently filed in federal court  

  d. None of these choices; the attorneys should be able to conduct all of their online research using free legal resources.  

5. The partners have asked Sri to give them some recommendations for online programs that offer services that are more limited but also less expensive than those of Westlaw and Lexis. Which of the following sites should Sri recommend if the partners need to obtain court cases and docket information from federal circuit, district, and bankruptcy courts?

  a. Fastcase  

  b. Casemaker  

  c. LoisLaw  

  d. All of these choices