Casemaker & Fastcase have merged! The companies say that users should continue to use the software as they have all along. However, we are excited to see what happens as they combine technologies. For now, though, not much has not changed.
Casemaker, for its part, is legal research software covering all 50 states, and Tribal Courts in the United States. With Casemaker4, and Casemaker Libra, you can search published cases, as well as secondary sources such as treatises and practice guides. They have three specific tools built into their system: CaseDigest, the database search tool, CaseCheck+, their own negative citation checker, and CiteCheck, an uploader for checking citations in briefs, and other documents.
On this Page
Who Casemaker is For
For litigators who don’t want to pay the astronomical prices that Westlaw and LexisNexis command, Casemaker is a robust, low-cost alternative. It has a massive database of state and federal case law and statutes and an excellent citator service. As a bonus, you may already have free access to Casemaker’s basic service through your bar association. It’s worth checking to see if it could replace any high-cost legal research tools you’re using now.
Unfortunately, Casemaker is not a viable solution for secondary source research. You won’t find any treatises, or pattern jury instructions in their database.
Casemaker Features
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Website
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public.casemakerlegal.net |
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Starting Cost
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$50/user/month |
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Free Trial
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Apps
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Sources
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US State Cases
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All 50 States |
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US State Statutes
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All 50 States |
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US Cases
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✓ |
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US Statutes
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✓ |
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Dockets
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✓ |
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Secondary Sources
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✓ |
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News Coverage
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✓ |
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Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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✗ |
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Natural Language Search
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✓ |
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Boolean Search
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✓ |
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Case Summaries
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✗ |
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Citation Checking
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✓ |
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Filter Search
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✓ |
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Research History
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✓ |
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Research Folders
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✓ |
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PDF/Word Downloads
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✓ |
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Suggestions
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✓ |
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Alerts
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Software Integrations
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Open API
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Things You Might Want to Know
Pricing
Casemaker
Members of 28 state and local bar associations get access to the basic version of this service gratis. It’s definitely worth checking with your bar association to see if you’re able to use this service for free. Even if your association does not have an agreement, however, the pricing is generally around $60/month if you pay monthly.
Casemaker Pro
For only a slightly higher fee (ex. $35/month more in TN), you get access to all the Casemaker tools through Casemaker Pro. This includes Casecheck+, Citecheck, and Casemaker Digest.
Other Services
Citator Service
Its citator, Casecheck+, gives Shepard’s and KeyCite a run for their money. They have top-notch legal editors overseeing its process. And they are working to continually improve it. This certainly makes it a competitive and lower-cost alternative to the Westlaw and LexisNexis citators. However, Casecheck+ is only available with a Casemaker Pro subscription.
Secondary sources
While litigators will find this service is useful for case law and statutory research at the state and federal levels, its secondary source catalog is vanishingly thin. The few secondary sources it does offer require a subscription to Libra. If you regularly rely on articles and reports from bar journals and law reviews, this service almost certainly is not for you.
Tribal Court Opinions
Casemaker is one of the few online legal research companies that boasts a collection of tribal court decisions from around the United States. Tribal court opinions can be challenging to find online, so having this resource is a huge help for those of you who practice tribal law.
